Japan unveils $5.5B plan, AI training to boost Africa ties

At the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba launched a bold push to deepen ties with Africa by proposing a new “Indian Ocean–Africa economic zone,” aimed at linking economies across the Indian Ocean—including India and the Middle East—with African nations. Tokyo pledged $5.5 billion in loans, arranged through the African Development Bank, to advance…