Brussels – The European Union and the African Union (AU) today, 25 November, signed a joint document for strategic cooperation across various fields. The setting was the Europe-Africa summit held yesterday and today in Luanda, the capital of Angola. “We are here to pursue an approach of mutual understanding and not one of exploitation as was the case centuries ago,” Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, immediately made clear during the summit. He is the best figure the Union can put forward to African leaders. The Portuguese is a son of colonialism: his father came from Goa, India, and part of his family came from Mozambique.
Multilateralism and International Law
The understanding does not only propose economic convergence, but also addresses issues ranging from energy and digital development to migration, as well as the thornier aspects of geopolitics and colonialism. One of the most interesting elements is the stance on ongoing conflicts. In the concluding document, the two Unions recall the injustice of current wars in the global arena. As Costa states, “we both share the values of the UN Charter, so we have put on paper our support for a just peace in Ukraine.”
Such a text was not to be taken for granted. Russian influence on the continent has been significant since the post-1945 decolonisation period. The Angolan and African Union President João Lourenço reminds us of this in the final press conference: “The Soviet Union helped us out of the Western yoke and for that we will always be grateful,” but now “we defend the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, as in the case of Ukraine.”
The pole star evoked in the concluding text is multilateralism-oriented international law. The instrument, however, is often vague: in Africa as in Europe, it is often used as a lightning rod to conceal interests. The United Nations, to give just one example, has for years been monitoring Angola’s repressive laws that restrict freedom of expression.
Money for development
In contrast, the economic aspect is less controversial, with European funding for African development at its core. The idea, the document states, is to “exploit public and private funds to stimulate investment.” The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, yesterday, recalled how the EU “has already deployed 120 billion out of 150 allocated, in the Global Gateway for Africa project”. The intention is to spend European money stimulating a green transition, following (not necessarily) European regulations such as the CBAM “carbon tax” and the EUDR against deforestation.
The summit’s most high-profile challenge is to supply solar power to more than 100 million people by 2030 through the Africa-EU Green Energy Initiative. Europe is putting around 20 billion on the table to generate 50 GW of new renewable energy capacity, through both large-scale projects and decentralised solutions.
The points dear to the Union
There is a European dividend. The first is the acquisition of cheap raw materials, which are very useful for breaking free from dependence on China. These minerals could reach the Union thanks to the new infrastructure to be developed in Africa. This is precisely why the document mentions the modernisation of the railway linking Angola to the centre of the continent via the Lobito corridor. The need is to “reaffirm the commitment to continued partnership and beneficial investment in transport to ensure safe connectivity, including the implementation of the Lobito corridor.” The project is being developed in cooperation with the United States of America also intent on becoming independent of Chinese minerals.
Relevant for European leaders are also the chapters on migration. “We recognise the importance of improving legal pathways for students, academics, and researchers,” while the text speaks more generically of “preventing irregular migration and combating migrant smuggling.”
The past returns
Beyond the exchange of money, there is a historical aspect that should not be underestimated when countries with centuries of conflict talk to each other. Indeed, the Union declares that it “recognises and profoundly regrets the untold suffering inflicted on
millions of men, women and children as a result of the slave trade, colonialism and
apartheid,” a key aspect for Africans to be able to carry out a genuine process of making peace with their past.
Next steps
The lofty goals, however, need constant monitoring. The implementation of the document will be monitored by competent committees. Over the next six months, “a Meeting of Senior Officials from the African Union and the European Union will work on a sectoral implementation plan” that will generate operational guidelines. Despite the infrastructure, achieving the ambitious goals will not be easy. The precedents are not rosy. The European Court of Auditors stated yesterday that despite European efforts (11 billion) in Sub-Saharan Africa, “the situation does not show significant improvement.” A precedent that does not bode well for the outcome of this aid round. In any case, the two entities will meet again in Brussels, although the date has not yet been set.
