An EU as a global player is impossible without a good Africa strategy

“If the EU wants to become a true global player, it must take its relationship with Africa seriously.” MEP Assita Kanko calls the new EU strategy for Africa a first step, but expects the fine words to be accompanied by concrete action. “Ambition has to be the key word.”

Today, the European Commission proposed its new strategy for Africa. It wants to improve the cooperation with Africa in five areas: migration and mobility, peace-keeping and good governance, sustainable growth and jobs, green transition and digital transformation. At the EU-Africa Summit in October, it wants to ratify that strategy.

Ambitious and entrepreneurial Africans

Assita Kanko is representing the European Union in the Pan-African Parliament. She is expecting concrete ambitions from the EU. “For years, the EU has been promising to make Africa a priority, but now it is time for real action. Let this strategy be a first step. The involvement of the EU must finally be directed towards Africa’s young men and women and their aspirations for the future. In the Africa that I know live some of the most ambitious and entrepreneurial people that I have ever met. Africa is developing innovative technologies in agriculture and the digital sector and is a global junction of art, fashion and tourism.”

Africa as an equal partner

For MEP Assita Kanko it is time to make African countries a real and equal partner. “For too long, the partnership between the EU and Africa has been based on development aid, obsolete ideas of an Africa that no longer exists and a trading partnership that does not enable African countries to build global brands and world-class economies. The EU must look to Africa as a partner in helping to build and strengthen the free markets of the world and be a proponent of rules-based trade across the whole world.”

China and America are in command

If Europe doesn’t act quickly, it will be above all China and the US that will be in command in Africa, Assita Kanko fears. “Even as I speak, these world powers are pumping billions into the continent. Billions that the African leaders are very happy to see coming, because with the EU they are confronted by an outdated, slow and often paternalistic concept of cooperation. Development cooperation remains crucial, but should be linked more closely with the strengthening of compulsory education, certainly for African girls, sound migration agreements and good healthcare.”

Diplomatic role in simmering conflicts

In addition, Assita Kanko wants Europe to take the diplomatic lead. “The EU must see how it can help in combating the simmering conflicts and instability in certain African regions. We only have to look at the weakened security situation in the Sahel region to know that this is an area where the EU must enlarge and strengthen its diplomatic and practical input. This is essential to guarantee regional stability and prevent another new potential migration crisis.”

“I hope that in the coming months we will work hand in hand to build this strategy with the African continent further and that the EU asks the central question: what Africa wants from the EU, and not only what the EU wants from Africa.”