European and African leaders meet in Luanda, Angola’s capital for a summit, the the two continents’ relationship is in a precarious position.
As the Kofi Annan Foundation points out, the EU is signing deals worth hundreds of billions of euros with the United States, and works to mitigate the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, there is continued disinvestment on the continent. Across Europe, countries have welcomed millions of Ukrainian refugees while restricting access to African asylum seekers.
All of these decisions by EU leaders have created the impression that Africa is not a priority. At the same time, Europe seeks to tap into Africa’s resources amid a critical period marked by a rush for resources in both regions.
Currently, there’s a railway connecting oil and mineral-rich regions from the interior to the Atlantic. The valuable resources include rubber, ivory, and minerals that are exported to Western countries, such as the United States. The railway is being extended and modernized with investment from the EU and the U.S. for even more minerals, including cobalt and copper, Politico EU reports.
At the two-day conference, set to wrap up Nov. 25, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will reportedly commit to resetting the relationship with the AU in an effort to boost their ties for future investment.
A Rush To Not Be Sidelined During the EU-AU Summit
African countries are currently the primary suppliers of minerals to Beijing, drawing criticism on whether China is exploiting the continent for resources. Europe, however, wants to approach it more equitably and sustainably.
“The EU has been quite vocal, since the beginning of the raw minerals diplomacy two years ago, saying: We want to be the ethical partner,” Martina Matarazzo, international and EU advocacy coordinator at Resource Matters, said.
In an article published by the Kofi Annan Foundation, strategists caution that Africa and Europe risk being sidelined if they don’t work together.
One reason is that in Europe, there’s currently a demographic deficit, an aging population, labor shortages, and slowing growth. In Africa, strategists say there’s an abundance of youth, energy, and ambition.
A partnership could serve both regions well because where Europe has capital, technology, and advanced infrastructure. African countries have markets, raw materials, and “an unstoppable creative pulse.”
“Their futures are not parallel. They are complementary,” Bitange Ndemo, ambassador of Kenya to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, and Sébastien Brack, representative of the Kofi Annan Foundation to the European Union, wrote. “This interdependence finds expression in many forms, none more visible than the movement of people.”
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