what are these promised utopias for every one or just to select the all hell the planet looks like a green cities can also be socially just episode 5 on al jazeera. what's most important to me is talking to people, understanding what they're going through here. it al jazeera, we believe everyone has a story worth hearing. ah. until mccray in dough hard, these are the top stories on al jazeera polling is under why intimacy is parliamentary elections, but turn out as low with opposition parties boycotting that demanding president k sidestepped down. they said the election is illegitimate after he expanded his presidential powers last year. hush. hm. ali barra is in turner's. he explains what's different since the last election. it seems that we might be heading towards one of the lowest voter turnout in tennessee as 2011. and the reason is

basically the growing concern about the future of the country, against a backdrop of the major changes introduced by president ice messiah to give you an idea about what's happening in this particular putting station. what i stand, i've seen very few voters here. in the past, you'll see dozens of people lining up of waiting for their turn to cast their ballot. the laws having introduced men that every candidate to be eligible to run for the parliament, he should present his campaign plan to the fall. it is also have the endorsement of $400.00 voters. and in this particular district, only one candidate was illegible to one, which means that ultimately he would be the next member of the parliament president isis. how you had said that the changes to the political landscape in tennessee were crucial to prevent a defend into

a civil war in the country. and that the consensus that prevailed infinity 2011 didn't work equated a power vacuum and more instability in the country. the opposite, so on the other hand, you think that the reforms will further in vote and undermine the democratic gains that prevailed in the country of the lafayette bus. and trunk drivers and jordan is striking against high fuel prices. it's the latest protest against the cost of living. in the south, demonstrators have been on the streets for several days. one police officer was shot dead. hundreds of people have gathered for the funeral of 2 palestinians in the occupied west bank. both were killed by israeli forces near the yellow zone, refugee camp north of ramallah. in october, the israeli army held their bodies for more than 2 months. with the mayor of ukraine's capital. keith says the city is water supply,

metro service has been restored. this comes a day after a wave of russian. it strikes and one of the biggest attacks since the start of the war. large parts of ukraine were plunged into darkness on friday. after more than 70 missiles struck energy facility. to cabinet members and peru have resigned after widespread demonstration. the q u is in place across 15 regions, at least 20 people have been killed. the former president pitcher kasteel was detained 9 days ago. and so that for kids governing african national congress party is electing its leadership later on saturday, president serial from a puzzle is running for reelection as the parties lead and protest is disrupting his opening speech on friday to peacekeepers with the un mission. and molly have been killed in an attack on a police patrol. it happened in the city of tim buck, 2 on friday, one of the a silent and malay and soldier were also killed in the exchange of fire. the un

security council has condemned the attack, which china is giving out. nasal spray covered 19 booster vaccines for city residence. there has been a rise in the number of reported cases since the government eating of its strict 0 covered policy, which led to ria protests. authorities in beijing have told people to nurse mild symptoms at home, cities across the country, a pricing for more in fictions, crow i should take home morocco, 3rd place, the football will camp on saturday as the tournament into its final 2 days is likely to be the last world cup for croatia, midfield start, look and watch more eyes, intent, offense, arriving and cut out the sunday's world cup. final 100 tina already have one of the largest contingent of supporters and the tournament. there are already $40000.00 of them in doha. they take on writing champions from the sale study. well, those are the headlines. the news continues here on al jazeera up to the bottom line up next. oh

i hi, i'm steve clemens and i have a question. can president biden convince african leaders that america is a better partner than china? let's get to the bottom line. ah, this week the white house host leaders from 49 african countries to try and convince them that there is a real priority for america. it's going to be a hard sell since many africans field at washington. this treated them with a lot of benign neglect. more of a problem than an opportunity, a place that is full of precious minerals that we want like lithium and cobalt, which american needs for its electric cars, but also a place loaded with security concerns and humanitarian crises and corruption. meanwhile, russia is kinda zoomed at the top is africans number one weapons dealer and china's

trade with african countries has reached a record 261000000000 dollars last year. that's about 5 times more than the u. s. an african youth survey by each cove its family foundation found that 77 percent of youth across the continent identified china as the most important nation for africa future. not the united states. plus china deals with whatever government is in place. no questions asked. while the u. s, cherry picks its allies and offers lectures about democracy. so can the u. s. africa leaders summit here in washington, dc. turn things around and what can america offer that africa really once today we're talking with audi, kind of she home body cloud, the former ambassador of the african union to the united states. she's also the founder of the africa diaspora development initiative, which aims to being africans abroad back to the continent. ambassador, it's such a pleasure to talk with you today. this big summit is going on right now in washington, dc. urines and bob way, i guess i want to start by asking you, what do the leaders of africa and president biden has to get right after this week

. that you think needs is essential. thank you for having me. ah, this is a very important subject. it's a conversation between the continent and the united states, a composition that is desperately needed, particularly at this time in our history and in our life the united states. let me start by saying it is be, it still remains the most preferred trading partner for the african nations. however, like i used to tell this department and any engagement that we've had with united states, i failed to do, my tina that benighted states was slowly losing ground and they were risking losing their position. is africa pre fed treading platinum. so this is a very important meeting that i hope that if the united states, like i used to tell, ah, my colleagues, i felt that united states,

if this was the basketball game, the united states needed to call for time out for you as needed to realize that this is a new game, and it required a new rules of engagement. therefore, a need for the united states to re strategize. i'm lumpy. that for the change, this me t, the united states can begin to realize it's no longer business as usual. it's no longer a case of the united states saying we make policy and we tell the africans, judge has got to change. it is a recipe for disaster. it is a recipe for the united states seeing itself losing its place as africa's preferred treading. partner this, that's what makes this meeting very important. and i'm hoping that the us and call for time out and understand that engaging africa at this time, it is

a new game that is calling for new rules of engagement. and therefore, it is time to re strategize and change the africans fairly to the africans, respectfully, and should be africans as equal partners. nor ambassador. i think one of the things that i'm trying to be sensitive to is that we often over in the united states as you know, and you were the ambassador of the african union, tend to talk about a continent as opposed to individual countries and nations of which they're 50 for their 49, a heads of state here in washington this week. and are we making mistake or we are, we is our ignorance on our side from your impression of oregon ignorance, you know, amplified by us talking about africa so much as, as opposed to talking about. we're a wanda zimbabwe gonna should we be or you know, is our illiteracy is illiteracy in this level. so obvious that, that it's a, it's

a real problem and do these kinds of summits that bring everyone together, do a disservice to that kind of getting to know each country more distinctly. i think for the united states and i repeated, i used to repeat it all the time during my tenure, what really is behind the failure of effective engagement with africa is the disrespect of africans. that's where the problem begins. if we cannot accept of the united states, can not accept africans as equal partners. if the united states, for example. let's look at this particular meeting. this particular summit. there was no defined agenda. there has never been defined agendas whenever they meet with african countries, as individual countries is always the united states. setting the agenda, the united states, setting, the policies and the united states, telling africans about the policies. that is no way to have any meaningful

engagement. if you take, for example, the pocket meeting that was held between china and african heads of the way in advance, the issues were clearly defined. the agenda was going to focus on trade. it was going to focus on and it was going to focus, focus on investments. the african heads of states were engaged in the discussion in the planning. the outcomes were clearly defined, went away forward in terms of follow up. it was a fruitful meeting that addresses the issues that needed to be addressed between not only african printers individually with china, but also africans, collectively with china. that is not published. agenda. there is, there are no issues that have been presented to african years of states. africans have been of not been asked to engage in terms of creating the agenda and making

sure that when the african heads up to come to washington, the outcomes, the issues to be discussed are going to be meaningful outcomes outcomes with follow up and deliverables that are going to be beneficial to both. it remains and one sided conversation with the united states, telling africans the agendas and the policies the africans, and not on the table to discuss issues pertaining to as wherein lies the problem. and the reason that continues to be the case, what and that's cause, that is the disrespect for africans. i repeated it, i to, i complained about you to repeatedly, it is a serious problem. the united states must understand that africans and not going to take it any more if you don't get to the africans fairly. united states is going to see itself slowly losing ground, to china, to russia,

to all other nations. because without respecting the africans, without judging the africans, is info, without understanding that exploitation and abuse of africa simply cannot continue . this, this meeting, this summit is going to be yet another guthrie with no outcomes nor deliverables until the next summit. i'm sorry, but the disrespect of the africans is at the bottom of it all by our agenda. but this meeting should have been set out in advance, africa, and should have been involved without the involvement of africans in this discussions. this is a huge list. it, i'm sorry, but that is no i, i am very grateful for your candor and it sounds to be me. i mean, i think it was a lot of criticism of the last summit like this under president obama, that there was like no follow through. and you know, it's one of the big questions i'm asking is, how do you make a big bang summit, where everyone comes over? it's like checking off the box to say, ok, we've done africa now we can move on to other things. how do we,

how do you make that something that's a more sustainable and a more continuous engagement of the united states with africa? what i'm hearing from you is frankly a lot of disappointment and a lot of pessimism about what may come out of the summit. well the, the point of the matter is already, you know, nothing is going to come out of it because it is a one sided conversation. right? where is the agenda? the agenda should have been published way in advance. the african leaders should have been given the opportunity to also send deposition, so they can come up with an african position that can then be despised alongside the american position. so the fact that it is a one sided conversation that isn't going to be another useless meeting with no outcomes. but again, i'm going to give emphasizing the reason this is happening is because there is a disrespect for the africans. there is a general feeling that we don't need to hear from the africans. the opinions do not

matter that where he lives, the problem, why would the africans not present it? why would africans, not part of an agenda? why was they not given an agenda? like what happened during the folk meeting, which i know those are some basic issues. no, i had to state, president biden would not pick up and go to meet with any other leader in the world without an agenda. that simply doesn't happen. right. so what makes the u. s. thing that they could engage african leaders without an agenda come to watching to let me tell you what i want to do for you. come to watching to let me tell you what you need to do in your country. and that again is an old game, right? not going to work anymore. to be honest with you. if i'm to speak the truth. i hope a lot of it has gone up because it is an insult. it is an abuse of the us as a can lead us is a disrespect of the african lee. that's where is the agenda,

plays respect to the african leaders. do unto them what you would want done on to you. so it's really a simple ask. let me ask you a question. you mentioned china and how china approaches this. i'm interested in what china get so right. and but is there a blind spot there? are there problems in the china africa relationship from your perspective? let me know. so let me just let him know in the head and deal with 10000 with the 10000 upon body like in the room. yeah. racism as well. there's a very important part. the disrespect of the africans also goes back to a lot of the people who work in the u. s. government, not all of them, but there is a significant of them will automatically assume that africans do not know what they're doing. africans need out. africans need to be told what to do. and racism is also at the bottom of it all. we need to address the individuals who are going

to be visiting africa, engage in africa. they must understand that africans equal to them. but when one goes to africa with a sense of superiority, wherein lies the problem. because you're not going to engage those leaders, we're going to come to the table as it goes, you go in feeling superior, you come back feeling superior. that is not an issue with the chinese. the chinese are coming in, which i news. yes. if you don't watch it with them and they, when they get and then that's your fault. but they don't, i mean, feeling superior. they understand that africa has something they need, so they will come to the africa. they will come and make sure that they let the africans know that you mother to us. but i want to let you sleep with you does matter that you don't get that feeling with united states. you can the feeling that there's been a sense of superiority that you africans. i'd be glad that we're engaging you. i'd be glad that we're inviting you to come to washington,

that sense of security. it has to change what it costs for the united states to re train the people as they engage africa. but it is that would you really go to the bottom of why the engagement are not going to be as effective? they must take a page out of what africa is doing. lead said this chinese people didn't used to be that way. but they quickly changed their strategy when they realized that the game they were playing was not going away in africa. they changed their strategy. and that's why, like i said, i say during my tenure, i'll continue to say again, if this was a basketball game, the united states need to call for time out. this is a new game and it requires new rules of engagement. the united states must 1st and foremost, make sure that racism is out of the picture. africans, i just as much as anybody else africans are equal. and until we engage as equals,

all this meetings, all these conversations are always going to be useless and it goes back to the individuals who are going to be at the table with the africans. so the u. s. also need to address the issue of racism. and not sure that the people engage in africa, their minds are clear and accept that africans are equal. tell us about pan african ism, tell us about what africa the states in africa are doing to trade, to connect, to move their agenda forward proactively. no matter what the rest of the world is thinking about. absolutely, i had to say, if you were to go back to 963 when open african fathers come together in the hopes of creating an africa that spoke with one voice. and i forgot that he had won military, and i forgot that i had one central bank, one monetary fund, 111, not a stock exchange, and, and africa with one customs union. we failed at that over the years. but finally,

2 years ago, they approved the. ready f c of ga, the african content of it agreement with a policy that so africa coming together in one particular area that we are now speaking with one voice when it comes to treat. yes, it's implementation is a one stop. yes is implementation is work in progress, but you can say of the issue that open african 5 does match to discuss in 1963. finally, over 50 years later, we are able to accomplish the 1st one, which is being in africa that's going to the world. as one customs human. this spirit of an african ism, it has taken us a long time to really begin to come together to dismantle the berlin conference. which of course, for those who think all billing for friends is a thing of the best of the past thing. again, as long as we have a country called juggle as long as of a country called congo brezza book is what in malawi does more countries in nigeria

or the big ones, kenya, egypt, morocco, they cannot survive on their own. as long as we're talking about the little bit individual african countries, we are never going to realize the training of a united africa that speaks with one voice. and then, till we've dismantled some of those borders until we begin to work ourselves up as a people. until we begin to realize that the the colonizers ended, the rule of divide and conquer, left us filling in supremacy white supremacy was introduced from the very onset. when the colonizers came to africa, we were told to believe that everything african was bad, everything european was better, and we still continue to suffer from that mentality. so yes, while we demand that the west and those who don't look like us, africans treat us equally, realized that we are human beings just like they were to, as africans. we have

a lot of work to do on a personal level where we must also believe truly believes that we are equal to everybody else on earth and that we are capable. that also is a disease that we need to realize as africans. let's wake up and realize that white people are not superior to us. chinese are not superior to us. we are just as smooth as anybody else. that is a serious challenge because miss do have people, even when you look at issues that we can stand out as a people and push back. you see ministers from the western world are going to africa. and they basically can. i've seen them say some of the was ridiculous things with africans or instead of the africans pushing back and say, hey, all this is not going to flight. instead, the africans are afraid just inherently fear of the. 3 white person without any for know what reason whatsoever,

except that we have been programmed to feel inferior. so on an individual basis, we continue to speak the gospel of truth. we continue to ship delight as to the brain washing that is that the african has been put through. wherein life is the problem. when you look at what is being done at the world bank, for example, the bretton woods institutions, the, the frivolous loans countries that have never defaulted on their, on their lonely payments. they're still given large interest rates. why can't is like the united states that don't need any right get interest loans at 0 interest rates. you look at the issue, i'm glad to present buy, did i hear he's going to be talking about having the a you as the 1st member of the g 20 were let's also take it to the next level. let's go to the united nations. let's have africa, 1500000000 people. they need to come to the table. let's african union be this 6 member of the 5 member, un security council. you can just totally disregard 1400000000 people because

you've gotten away with it for centuries. but guess what game is over, africans are waking up. africans are beginning to realize and understand the game that have been played. unfortunately, we don't have that critical mass of people who are continuously going to speak truth to power, right? the good thing with this story of africa is i was, we are coming from a position of righteousness, right? a position of truth, a position of facts, right? those are constants, they don't change. let's continue to give the world an overdose of our child. but at the same time, while we are doing so and demanding a world that is fair, that is just and see a big actually and hate. we must also wake for now own development and our own i work in as a people talk to me a little bit about how africa can take advantage of it, of its intellectual connection and assets to entrepreneurs who have left,

but may want to help africa back because this is one of your major initiatives. so that in brain jane that started over 400 years ago, when the best and the brightest and the fittest were taken out of africa forcibly. and that is when the brain started. i want to make sure that it's very clear and when we talk about african diaspora, we're talking about all people of african descent, living outside of africa, let be very clear, african americans. the africans were forcibly taken out of africa, plus the continued brain drain. those who are led to immigrants who left africa and nowhere from farming from was in search of greener pastures. the end result is, as we speak africa as a city, as deficit of expertise. however, the book via the good news for africa is that we have a very young, intelligent, vibrant population that need opportunities. so when we can marry the age group of young intelligent africans with the expertise coming from the dash 4 up,

we can see in africa that can propel itself to take its rightful place on the world stage like it once was. so yes, the dad put up an important component of africa's development make no mistake about that. all the african lead us a fully a way of that. all african leaders in full support of coming up with programs to make it easier for the desperate move back. we want to look at does, but we can come to africa, not just focus on a country that you were born born in. but if you are a person of african descent, africa should matter to you, africa should be a problem. you must on africa, problems understand and participate in the development of for when we have a civil africa. it ultimately it now also correlates with an african american war, is and cut. it correlates with an afro caribbean who is anchored. it correlates with an astro latina who is anchored primarily descendants of the family enslaved

delica shipped without an anchor. you the wind blow that way. here they go until they're anchored by being accepted by africa until they're anchored by participating in the development of africa. the jews do it. the chinese do it. the end is do it. the irish dewitt african americans, together with alfred continental africans. we must make sure that we work together to participate in the development of africa because the development and the building of africa we want. it is our responsibility 1st and foremost and i was alone. i was, i was, i welcome to come join us. i does, i won't come to help us. and as i woke up in gain just as equal partners, but we must own the building of africa that we want as a united trend of, of the african diaspora. well, i want to make a deal with you, ambassador. i want this to be a start of a conversation with you that we have many other times. i think it's

a very important conversation. i am grateful to you and pastor audi connor she home body qual, former african union diplomat and founder of the african diaspora development initiative. thanks for your candor and thank you so much for being with us today. thank you for having me and keep up the good work. these are messages that we must continue to put out because the average american is not aware. the average european citizen is not aware of what the various western guzman, i doing, the atrocities have been going on for far too long. the must come to an end and your program is doing a great job in getting this message is out. we must inform and educate our students . thank you, and bachelor. thank you so much. thank you so much. so what's the bottom line? the smart money's on africa, that's where the most interesting global action is going to be. demographically, the west and much of asia are aging, while africa has the youngest crowd on the planet. within a few decades, much of the world's global middle class is going to come from africa. and after it's going to become a sticky or place where it's brilliant innovators to stay,

rather than racing off the europe of the united states. sure, china and the u. s. will both remain engaged in africa, but less and less on their terms and more and more on the terms of african nations, as they rise and become more powerful in their own right. that's the story of unstoppable africa rising. not because of what nations outside the continent are doing for it, but what it's doing to chart its own course. and that's the bottom line. ah, this festival of dance and music is inspired by cory heritage and culture. the choreography tell me, the dance of the travelling through this ball space in order to draw the view is i to the interlocking discipline unique architecture of the desert bros curio. but it's also being supplied by the fee for world caught the booth,

was made in a small dense room. you know, so coming here we had to adapt and try to feel the energy and the a story of the monuments and to connect to make one. ah, until mccrae into these are the top stories on al jazeera polling is under why and tennessee is parliamentary elections, but turned out as low with opposition parties boycotting that demanding president chi side stepped down. they said the election is illegitimate. after he expanded his presidential powers last year, hush, molly barbara has more from tunis. this is the 1st time that we're not going to see political parties having us say this is all about it g visual candidate.