Summary of "Africa Today 29 7 2025 Amb Gamal Bayoumi"

The video "Africa Today 29 7 2025 Amb Gamal Bayoumi" covers several pressing issues related to food security, conflict, and migration in Africa and parts of the Middle East.

Food Security and Hunger Trends Worldwide and in Africa:

According to a UN report by five agencies, global hunger declined slightly in 2024 to 8.2% of the population (673 million people) from 8.5% in 2023, marking the third consecutive year of decline after a COVID-era spike.
The improvement was mainly driven by better food access in South America and India, but chronic hunger remains severe in Africa and Western Asia, where conflicts, climate shocks, inflation, and rapid population growth worsen malnutrition.
In Africa, over 307 million people (more than one in five) were chronically undernourished in 2024, a higher prevalence than 20 years ago. Africa is projected to account for nearly 60% of the world’s hungry by 2030.
Ambassador Gamal Bayoumi emphasized the complexity of Africa’s food insecurity, noting monopolization of agriculture and resources by Western companies, poor infrastructure, and limited export capacity.
He proposed leveraging African cooperation, political will, and foreign direct investment to boost local production, citing examples like Egypt’s canned food industry and the need for cold storage and transport infrastructure.
Bayoumi stressed the importance of establishing a large African free trade area (covering 51 countries and over a billion people) to enhance economic cooperation and address food insecurity step-by-step.
He highlighted the challenge of securing financing for climate adaptation and food production, noting that poor African countries face difficulties borrowing from institutions like the World Bank and IMF.
Despite medium-term pessimism, Bayoumi remained optimistic about long-term improvements if sustained efforts and cooperation are prioritized.

Sudanese Refugees Returning Home Amid Conflict:

Hundreds of Sudanese refugees in Cairo are returning home via a free voluntary return program offering train and bus transport from Egypt to Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.
Although the war in Sudan is ongoing, with tens of thousands killed and over 14 million displaced, the government and army have regained control of key areas, encouraging refugees to return.
The program is a collaboration between Egyptian National Railways and Sudan’s state-owned defense industry, covering all travel costs.
Meanwhile, many Sudanese continue fleeing the country, with over 65,000 crossing into Chad recently and increased migration through dangerous routes like Libya.

Security Situation in Somalia:

The al-Qaeda linked militant group Al-Shabaab captured the strategic town of Maxas in central Somalia after heavy fighting with Somali National Army forces and local militias.
Maxas is a key transport and logistics hub about 300 km from the capital Mogadishu.
The Somali army described their withdrawal as tactical and plans counteroffensives.
Ethiopian troops, part of the African Union peacekeeping mission, had previously held the town before handing it to Somali forces in August 2024.

Overall, the program highlights the intertwined challenges of food insecurity, conflict, migration, and governance in Africa and the Middle East, emphasizing the need for political will, regional cooperation, investment, and international support to address these crises.