After consolidating her position in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party with considerable skill and quiet support from party grandees of the pre-Magufuli era she spread diplomatic balm during multiple foreign trips meeting the heads of the World Bank's private sector arm the International Finance Corporation (IFC) the African Development Bank (AfDB) France's President Emmanuel Macron and French business leaders there and in Brussels Charles Michel President of the European Council and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen who announced €425 million in projects...

European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen were able to brief that they and the AU had agreed on a united message on food security placing the blame for disruptions to food supply squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin's shoulders (Dispatches 10/5/22 The UN reports that food and energy crises are deepening due to Russia's war on Ukraine)...

Also in Paris for Macron's meeting were the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen the European Council president Charles Michel and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell...

The Belgian President of the European Council Charles Michel and French President Emmanuel Macron who is the current chair of the EU's six-month rotating presidency have focused their preparatory meetings for the summit almost exclusively on Africa's Francophone leaders...

On 19 December Congo-Kinshasa's President Félix Tshisekedi and Senegal's President Macky Sall the present and next holders of the AU presidency respectively joined Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and AU Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat in Brussels for talks with European Council President Charles Michel to lay the groundwork for an Africa-Europe summit on 17-18 February...