The Jesuit Justice Ecology and Network Africa (JENA) organized a webinar themed, “Navigating Africa’s Sovereign Debt Crisis with the Emergence of China as the Continent’s Largest Bilateral Creditor’’. The webinar was held on Thursday 27 July, 2023 from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm East African Time. The webinar attracted over 40 participants.

The webinar aimed to raise awareness among stakeholders on the implications of China's role as the leading creditor for African states. It is also provided insights into the challenges of navigating the sovereign debt crisis in Africa and suggested ways to promote transparency and accountability in governance. Additionally, the webinar offered a platform for dialogue and exchange of ideas among stakeholders interested in African development and China-Africa relations.

Goal and Objective

The purpose of this webinar was to examine the impact of China’s role as the leading creditor for African states and suggest ways to navigate the sovereign debt crisis in Africa. Specifically, the webinar:

1) Examined the root causes of Africa's sovereign debt crisis and analysing its effects on economic development and social welfare as well as discussed the outlook for Africa's debt situation and the potential role of emerging trends and geopolitical developments.

2) Explored the dynamics of China's engagement in Africa's economy and its impact on debt sustainability as well as analyzing the diplomatic implications of Africa's debt situation on its relations with China and other global partners.

3) Discussed the importance of transparency and accountability in debt-related agreements with China and other international creditors and shared lessons from successful debt management practices case studies.

4) Exploring strategies for African countries to diversify their financing sources and reduce dependence on a single creditor.

5) Explored the challenges of funding infrastructure projects while managing debt levels responsibly as well as evaluated the role of international organizations and financial institutions in supporting African countries during the debt crisis

Read the full report {HERE}