{
  "id": 260727,
  "title": "AUDA-NEPAD opens Country Office in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a ceremony presided by His Excellency Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/auda-nepad-opens-country-office-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-07T09:35:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Africa Business",
    "slug": "africa-business",
    "url": "https://african.business/2026/08/partner-content/auda-nepad-opens-country-office-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-in-a-ceremony-presided-by-his-excellency-felix-antoine-tshisekedi-tshilombo"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Democratic Republic of Congo officially welcomed the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) on a global stage, marking the formal opening of its Country Office in Kinshasa. The event was presided over by President Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, underscoring the nation's commitment to continental development initiatives.\n\nAUDA-NEPAD's CEO, Nardos Bekele-Thomas, emphasized the agency's role in bridging Africa's development divide, noting that the DRC's progress is integral to the continent's advancement. She highlighted two key projects: the Grand Inga hydroelectric plant and the Kinshasa-Brazzaville road and rail bridge, both emblematic of how national investments can create regional impact and align with the broader Agenda 2063.\n\nThe AUDA-NEPAD Country Office in the DRC will function under the host country's guarantee of institutional freedom, working closely with national institutions and ministries to ensure that its programmes align with the DRC's National Development Strategy and Agenda 2063. This strategic partnership aims to translate ambitious ideas into tangible projects, mobilize resources, and secure financing to drive the country's industrialization, infrastructure development, and digital transformation.",
  "summary": "AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union Development Agency for Infrastructure and Renewable Energy, has opened a Country Office in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a ceremony attended by President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. The Host Country Agreement was signed by Nardos Bekele-Thomas, the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, and Julien Paluku Kahongya, Minister of Foreign Trade and Personal representative of the President. The Minister emphasized that the DRC's development now depends not only on the country itself but also on the continent's resources and potential. The AUDA-NEPAD Country Office in Kinshasa marks the agency's formal presence in the DRC and its partnership with national institutions, focusing on industrialisation, infrastructure development, digital transformation, human capital, and institutional development.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}