by Rajnish Singh
Africa offers huge geostrategic wins, but does Brussels have an effective plan to engage? The EU has a lot on its plate, the continuing war in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and the headaches caused by the Trump presidency. On top of these issues, the Union economically is stagnating, but cannot afford to take its eye off Africa.
Apart from issues concerning security, migration, and development, Africa is increasingly becoming strategically and economically important. In 2022, trade in goods and services between the EU and African countries amounted to €504.3 billion. According to the African Development Bank average growth for the continent was predicted at 4.3% for 2025, higher than the 1.5% for the EU. Reflecting the continent’s growing economic potential the EU invested in €257.4 billion worth of stocks in 2023, mainly in the extracting industries, agri-food, public works and the services sector.
The EU, however, is not the only global power showing a growing interest in the continent; the US, China, Russia, and India are also increasingly interested, particularly in minerals vital for the digital age—often termed ‘blood minerals’—which are crucial for producing laptops and smartphones. According to analysts the main cause of the conflict over Goma.
The Union has tried to develop strategies like the Joint Africa-EU strategy and the Africa-Europe Alliance. Their effectiveness, however, has been hindered by their less-than-successful implementation. Following criticisms from African countries, the EU then tried adopting the ‘Partnership Approach’, where states were to be equal partners rather than just receivers of aid.
However, critics said the emphasis was more on promoting EU interests, particularly resource security and migration control. It too has also had implementation issues, due to differences among member states over the war in Ukraine, in addition, the succession of coups in the Sahel and West Africa undermined the EU presence in Africa.
With the global powers now racing to compete for influence in Africa, the EU needs to urgently come up with an effective strategy to engage with the continent. For a start, it should expand its Global Gateway Initiative, which aims to invest significantly in African infrastructure to counterbalance policies such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
But any new EU-African strategy must also combine rapid humanitarian aid, diplomatic conflict resolution, and strategic investments for long-term stability. Yet success will depend on local and regional cooperation, including African organisations such as the African Union, for implementation.
The question now remains can the high-paid EU diplomats in the EEAS devise such a plan?
By: N. Peter Kramer
