CHAIR (Senator Forshaw) —I declare open this public hearing of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, which is inquiring into Australia’s relationship with the countries of Africa. This is our fifth day of hearings, and we appreciate the attendance of the various witnesses who will be appearing today and tomorrow here in Melbourne. We will be hearing over the course of the next two days from academics with an interest in African issues, as well as from some mining companies and NGOs. Mining, academic interests, educational relationships and aid are issues that have already been raised in our previous hearings, along with a whole range of other matters, so we are certainly interested in hearing from the witnesses that are scheduled to appear today and tomorrow.

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