AfDB: What Sidi Ould Tah Omitted to State… by Prof. ELY Mustapha

In his first address as President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Sidi Ould Tah articulated a vision centered on peace, collaboration, and the inclusion of youth and women. He underscored the necessity for institutional reforms and collaborations between public funders and private investors. The objective is unequivocal. Nevertheless, shadows persist. Omissions pertain to debt sustainability, industrial policy, climate change, digital transformation, governance, regional integration, and accountability. Their absence diminishes the anticipated effect.

 The AfDB possesses established strategic frameworks. The "High 5" priorities concentrate interventions on five key domains: energy, agriculture, industrialization, integration, and quality of life. The outcomes are evident, with millions reaping benefits in electricity, agriculture, transportation, water, and sanitation. The Climate and Green Growth Strategy mandates the Bank to dedicate a substantial portion of its portfolio to adaptation and mitigation, whilst the Fragile States Strategy explicitly focuses on the most vulnerable nations. The AFAWA program seeks to bridge the finance gap for women-led firms, having already mobilized several billion dollars.

 These tactics establish a robust foundation. However, they remain vulnerable when faced with emerging realities: escalating public debt, demographic challenges, geopolitical instability, and substantial infrastructural requirements. Ould Tah's address would have acquired profundity had he reiterated their significance and declared their adaptation to contemporary challenges.

 

The AfDB has lately augmented its callable capital to maintain its lending capability and AAA credit rating. It has also pioneered the issuance of a sustainable hybrid bond, the first of its kind inside the multilateral system, which achieved significant success in financial markets. These advancements bolster its position as a significant entity in development finance. Nonetheless, numerous challenges remain.

The concessional window (ADF) relies on donor generosity, compromising financial stability, particularly amid increasing budgetary limitations in donor nations. Planned diversification, encompassing consistent access to bond markets, has yet to be realized. Africa's funding requirements, projected to be several hundred billion dollars per year, far beyond the Bank's existing capabilities, necessitating a much bigger mobilization of private resources. However, outcomes in securing private financing continue to fall short of global expectations. T

he AfDB has significantly augmented its distribution volumes, attaining unprecedented levels in recent years. However, the interval between project approval and initial funding remains prolonged, resulting in numerous projects encountering execution delays. In numerous nations, elevated debt levels and inadequate public sector capability persist in constraining funding efficacy. Emerging risks, particularly associated with the depletion of natural capital and climate effects, may undermine African financial systems and necessitate expedited, inventive responses.

 

The address recognized the weight of indebtedness yet provided no tangible solution to alleviate it. Numerous African nations allocate a substantial portion of their fiscal receipts to debt payment, so constraining budgetary capacity for productive investment. The AfDB might establish itself as a pivotal entity in debt management and restructuring, assisting nations in discussions and advocating for mechanisms such as debt-for-climate swaps.

 

The speech referenced industrial potential but lacked a detailed operational strategy. The AfDB has already proven its capacity to stimulate private investment in regional industrial initiatives. The Bank should concentrate on developing regional value chains in critical areas, including agribusiness, strategic minerals, and medicines. This would diminish dependence on raw material exports and enhance productivity.

 

Despite the AfDB financing various climate-related initiatives, the speech did not specify definitive targets. Africa necessitates substantial investment to adapt to climate effects and realize its energy transformation. The Bank need to have established quantifiable objectives in renewable energy generation, off-grid electrification, and clean cooking solutions, while elucidating its stance on funding natural gas.

 

Digital change was referenced solely in relation to young employment. However, its potential for expansion is substantial. The AfDB ought to assume a pivotal role in developing digital infrastructure, facilitating payment systems interoperability, endorsing local fintechs, and incorporating digital solutions into productive and social sectors.

 

The address circumvented the topics of governance and corruption. However, without advancements in this area, the efficacy of the Bank's resources will continue to be constrained. The AfDB ought to enforce more rigorous norms of transparency and accountability, incorporating public oversight systems for funded projects and well-defined performance metrics.

 

The focus on peace lacked consideration of regional security frameworks or migration concerns. The AfDB should enhance its collaboration with the African Union and regional economic communities to fund cross-border initiatives that integrate economic infrastructure and social stabilization. Integrated regional corridors are vital tools for transformation.

 

The address was devoid of quantifiable objectives and metrics. To bolster confidence, the Bank should consistently disseminate a results dashboard featuring specific objectives: number of jobs generated, volume of firms funded, gigawatts of energy capacity installed, and kilometers of roads constructed. This transparency will enhance the confidence of both funders and African citizens.

Sidi Ould Tah's address articulated robust ideals focused on peace, inclusivity, and collaboration. However, it omitted essential issues: debt, industrialization, climate change, digital transformation, governance, and regional integration. It also failed to explicitly restate the AfDB’s existing strategies or disclose the institution’s present challenges.

 

The Political Significance of Ould Tah's Silences

 

The rationale behind Ould Tah's discursive silences extends beyond economic or financial considerations. They are grounded in political strategy tailored to an African setting characterized by fragility and conflict. The AfDB functions as both a financial institution and a political arena, encompassing 54 African nations and non-regional donors with varied objectives. In this situation, any utterance of the President can be interpreted as a signal. Recognizing the deficiencies of member states, emphasizing debt, or referencing corruption could have incited instant conflicts. Ould Tah therefore opted for moderation to maintain cohesion regarding his leadership. The international landscape is characterized by economic volatility, geopolitical tensions, and inadequate climate funding.

 In such circumstances, offering promised quantified objectives or definitive commitments would have been regarded as imprudent. Donors anticipate that the AfDB will exhibit effective administration and credibility, rather than lofty commitments that may be unattainable. Ould Tah sought to maintain an open-ended discourse, refraining from committing to concrete declarations.

By maintaining ambiguity on specific issues, Ould Tah sought to portray himself as a unifying and impartial president. His responsibility was to establish a foundation of trust, rather than to align with any factions on matters that divided member states or international partners. This apparent frustration of neutrality serves as a mechanism of institutional diplomacy aimed at safeguarding the Bank's internal coherence.

This constraint reflects Mauritanian cultural wisdom: “Many words do not raise tents.” The concept is straightforward: commitments and rhetoric do not establish the robustness of a community, actions, perseverance, and togetherness do. By eschewing an inundation of proclamations, Ould Tah, whether deliberately or inadvertently, indicated a governance approach for the AfDB rooted in consensus and incremental development rather than grandiose commitments.

The pauses in Sidi Ould Tah’s discourse should not be interpreted merely as omissions or deficiencies. They signify a deliberate decision: to maintain cohesion in a fractured African context and to prevent excessive commitment in an unpredictable future. In this regard, he commenced his presidency with a culturally consistent and politically prudent message: eloquent rhetoric may captivate, but it is actions and united resolve that shape the future.

 

Prof. ELY Mustapha

The Tah of Lam: A State of the Nation’s Soul. By Prof. ELY Mustapha

"We are all builders of the same dream."

Some images defy time. With a single gesture, they break down walls of mistrust and division. One such image is that of Aïssata Lam, a radiant Black Mauritanian woman and senior state official, warmly embracing her Moorish compatriot, Sidi Ould Tah, newly elected president of the African Development Bank (AfDB). This rare moment reconciles hope and ideal.

The Moment Mauritania Recognized Itself

That embrace says everything: pride, merit, shared joy, and a promise of a common future. Through this gesture, Aïssata Lam transcended historical divides and reminded us that Mauritania, rich in its diversity, can only thrive in the unity of its people.

Sidi Ould Tah, through his exemplary path, proves that excellence has no color, no tribe, no border. Aïssata Lam may have remembered with emotion that her father was also a respected official at the AfDB. A sense of continuity and shared success strengthens her hope for Mauritania’s future.

This gesture is no accident. It is a powerful call for brotherhood, unity, and mutual recognition. It tells every Mauritanian, whether Moor, Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, or Haratin: "We are all builders of the same dream." It reminds us that a country’s greatness is not measured by the illusion of a pure identity, but by the ability of its people to care for each other, support each other, and rise together.

Some on social media have tried to twist this image. Opportunists saw political calculations. Racists called it betrayal. Extremists projected their fears onto it. To all of them, we must answer clearly: hatred, suspicion, and division only lead to moral decay and the collapse of our coexistence.

Those who refuse to see the beauty of this moment only reveal their own narrowness. They forget that Mauritania never grew through exclusion, but through openness, solidarity, and mutual respect. They forget that every victory, every success, every shared joy is a step forward on the road to national reconciliation and national dignity.

A Common Future to Build

The image of Aïssata and Sidi is a call to go beyond prejudice, reject hate speech, and build a Mauritania where every citizen, regardless of origin, has a place, a role, and dignity. It proves that unity is not a distant dream, but a reality within reach—if we choose to open our hearts.

Mauritania will not be built on division. Hate, suspicion, and rejection will never build a strong nation. They bring only suffering, frustration, and stagnation. Those who oppose fraternity only delay history’s course. Mauritania’s youth have already chosen hope. They strive every day to live together. They understand that shared emotion is the strongest bond, and that brotherhood is the only path to greatness.

This image points to a Mauritania where those who left, willingly or not, will return. A place where martyrs are honored through justice, where schools teach the shared history of all, where public spaces echo with all the nation’s languages, and where people celebrate together. A country where merit, talent, and solidarity are the only keys to success. A country where the question is no longer “Where are you from?” but “Where are we going together?”

This powerful image of brotherhood is an embrace that must remain open to all Mauritanians. We should renew it with each success and each fulfilled hope.

An embrace that stays open for our fraternity, so the wounds of division can finally close.

Prof. ELY Mustapha

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Cowardice or Caution: why governments postpone recognition of the State of Palestine? By Prof. ELY Mustapha

The decision by several Western governments to announce their intention to recognize the State of Palestine but then delay the formal recognition by two or three months has ignited a fierce debate among observers, activists, and policymakers. Critics have not minced words, accusing these governments of cowardice - arguing that the postponements are less about strategic diplomacy and more about evading the difficult political and moral choices that true recognition demands. This delay, they say, epitomizes an entrenched pattern of symbolic gestures that avoid confronting the urgent realities and injustices of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

From a diplomatic standpoint, the governments involved walk a treacherous tightrope. On one side, there is mounting domestic pressure, fueled by growing public empathy toward Palestinians as images of suffering and occupation dominate headlines. Yet on the other, powerful pro-Israel lobbies, political allies such as the United States, and real concerns about economic and security repercussions exert an immense chilling effect. The U.S., long Israel’s foremost supporter on the global stage, actively discourages unilateral recognition of Palestine, warning that such moves could undermine delicate wartime alliances and stall peace efforts. Consequently, Western leaders find themselves caught between the desire to assert a principled stance and the fear of incurring diplomatic retaliation - ranging from the downgrading of bilateral relations to the suspension of intelligence sharing.

Beyond external pressures, these governments also grapple with internal divisions. Parliamentary caucuses, coalition partners, and influential business figures often hold differing views on this contentious issue. Delaying recognition allows leaders to navigate this fractious political terrain more cautiously, effectively defusing immediate tensions while signaling commitment to eventual action. Scheduling recognition to coincide with major diplomatic events, such as the United Nations General Assembly, further reflects a strategic calculation designed to amplify impact and project coordination among like-minded states.

Yet, this choreography inevitably draws accusations of virtue signaling. Many critics argue that the staged delays are a form of diplomatic theatricality - a way for governments to appear bold and morally upright without truly risking confrontation with entrenched geopolitical interests. The insistence on linking recognition to conditions like Palestinian political reforms or Israeli concessions, while seemingly reasonable, is perceived by some as an excuse to avoid the hard realities on the ground. The Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, these observers contend, should not be contingent upon external political whims or bureaucratic timelines.

Moreover, skepticism about Palestinian governance - highlighting issues such as internal division between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, allegations of corruption, and democratic shortcomings - often serves as a convenient pretext for postponement. While governance concerns are legitimate, the fixation on them can mask deeper unwillingness to shoulder the diplomatic and moral responsibility required for recognition. Critics frame this as a retreat from principle into procedural inertia - where governments prefer endless negotiation and delay rather than definitive action that might disrupt the status quo.

Ultimately, the repeated postponement of recognition sends mixed messages. While governments articulate concerns over strategic timing and diplomatic leverage, these delays risk being perceived as a lack of courage. In a conflict frozen in stalemate for decades, symbolic paltering only deepens disillusionment among Palestinians and their advocates worldwide. The question remains: are these delays prudent statecraft or are they a manifestation of cowardice, a failure of political will where history demands clarity and conviction? Until these governments move beyond symbolic timelines and take concrete steps, their promises of recognition may ring hollow to those yearning for justice and peace.

ELY Mustapha