Africa-Press – Angola. Angola considers the role of educational diplomacy as a determining factor for sustainable development and conflict prevention in Africa, with a focus on the responsible management of critical minerals.
This fact was expressed on the weekend, in New York, by the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, when speaking at the High-Level Leadership Event, under the motto “Educational Diplomacy for the Development of Africa: Critical Minerals for Investment in Higher Education and Infrastructure Development”.
On that occasion, he warned of the negative impact of illegal exploitation of mineral resources, particularly in the Great Lakes region.
According to the minister, the growing demand for critical minerals has contributed to the worsening of conflicts, serving, in some cases, as a source of financing for wars, in addition to increasing human rights violations and regional tensions.
Téte António also said that the extraction and commercialization of these resources accentuate social inequalities and reinforce geopolitical disputes.
Therefore, he defended an approach based on education and the development of human capital.
The minister highlighted that higher education plays a central role in training African youth, as it allows the creation of value chains that enhance the sustainable use of natural resources.
In this context, he reaffirmed Angola’s commitment to educational diplomacy, as an instrument for promoting peace, preventing and resolving conflicts on the continent.
During his speech, the minister evoked the experience of Angola, marked by 27 years of civil war, which highlighted the relationship between natural resources and armed conflicts, a theme that the country has been defending within the international community.
The minister also spoke of the importance of the Lobito Corridor, a strategic infrastructure that aims to facilitate the flow of minerals from the Zambia Copper Belt and the Katanga region, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with extension to the Mavoio mine, in Angola.
He also referred to the Academic Diplomacy Program with historically black universities in the United States and highlighted its contribution to training youth, promoting entrepreneurship, scientific research and innovation.
The minister also invited participants to join the Pan-African Conference, taking place from 17 to 19 June 2026, in Luanda, with a view to strengthening strategic partnerships and cultural exchange.
The event took place at the African Union Permanent Observation Mission to the United Nations and brought together permanent representatives accredited to that organization, as well as heads of North American universities.
The Angolan delegation also included the Secretary of State for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Eugénio da Silva.
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