German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday pledged his country's support for African countries affected by the global food crisis and offered Senegal cooperation in gas production.
Speaking in Dakar during the first leg of a three-country tour of Africa, Scholz said it made sense to pursue such a cooperation because gas production was a "common concern."
After holding talks with Senegalese President Macky Sall, Scholz referred to the development of a gas field off the West African coast in cooperation with Senegal and Mauritania.
Sall said Senegal was ready to supply Europe with gas in the face of a possible suspension of deliveries from Russia.
Regarding the current food crisis, the German chancellor warned that many countries could face difficulties in feeding their populations.
Germany would do everything in its power to counteract this, he said.
Russia's blockade of wheat exports from Ukraine has pushed up food prices and exacerbated existing food crises, particularly in the East African countries of Somalia, Ethiopia and northern Kenya, which have been hit by drought.
"Many countries around the world are affected by this war," Scholz said.
Dakar is the first stop on Scholz's inaugural trip to Africa since taking office six months ago. Other stops on the three-day trip are Niger and South Africa.
Niger is seen by the German government as an anchor of stability in the Sahel region, where several terrorist groups have been stoking fears for many years, while South Africa is considered a key partner of Germany with close economic, political and cultural ties.
Expectations ahead of the chancellor's visit are high among aid organizations.
The World Vision group said that former chancellor Angela Merkel had placed too much focus on "migration defence" since 2015 and that this must stop, according to Ekkehard Forberg, responsible for humanitarian crises at the organization.
"From Chancellor Scholz we expect policies on a level playing field," he said. Ekkerhard added that Germany should not impose "paternalistic solutions" on the continent, but support the concepts developed by the countries themselves.
German industry also believes that a reorientation of development policy is necessary to combat a looming food crisis in Africa.
"We need more investment in local food production and distribution. Africa does not want donations, but help to take matters into its own hands," Stefan Liebing, chairman of the German-African Business Association (AV), said on Sunday.
In view of Scholz's visit, he called for a better cooperation in investment and job creation.
Liebing added that Africa could help with gas supply in the short term, amid tensions with Russia due to the war in Ukraine, and become the most important supplier of green hydrogen in the medium term.
Since taking office, Scholz has only visited Germany's closest allies outside Europe: the United States, Israel and Japan.
