Tunisia hosts Japanese-African economic cooperation meeting

Tunisia's President Kais Saied, right, and Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi pose for a photo during the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Tunisia's capital Tunis on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. [AP]

African heads of state, representatives of international organizations and private business leaders gathered in Tunisia on Saturday for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, a triennial event launched by Japan to promote growth and security in Africa.

Economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, a food crisis worsened by Russia's war in Ukraine, and climate change are among the challenges facing many African countries expected to define the two-day conference.