Africans expect an
equal partnership not a one-sided relationship between former colonies and
their once occupying powers
When EU and African Heads of State met in Brussels at the
start of April they were presented with the opportunity to begin to forge a new
partnership between two continents that have had a long and sometimes troubled
relationship.
Africans expect an equal partnership not a one-sided
relationship between former colonies and their once occupying powers. The EU-Africa Summit has come at the end of an unusual
period of both tension and increased cooperation between Europe and the nations
of Africa, with both sides wanting to work together but seemingly struggling at
times to understand the concerns and actions of the other.
How this period of flux settles may well decide the course
of our relations for a generation. The reasons behind this change in the tone of our relations
are complex, but some of the causes are easy to identify. The last decade has seen a transformation across much of
Africa: democracy has taken root and now most sub-Saharan countries hold
regular democratic elections. Sustained growth of over 6% has doubled average
GDP per head and Africa has shifted from being seen as a perpetual recipient of
donor aid to becoming a centre for global investment with over $2.7 trillion
dollars of FDI pouring into the continent.
This trend suggests a lessening reliance on Europe by
African nations yet there is much that we can both gain from partnership. Even as Africa has for some years now been one of the
fastest growing economic regions, with 6 out the 10 fastest growing economies
in the world, while others have flatlined, European countries with their
multi-trillion euro industrialised economies have much to offer in terms of
investment, know-how and knowledge transfer. But increasingly Africans expect
an equal partnership not a one-sided relationship between former colonies and
their once occupying powers.
Sometimes we in Africa have felt European nations have not
always appreciated that being independent means we will make decisions other
countries do not agree with.
A case in point is the International Criminal Court. Funded
primarily by European nations this intergovernmental institution has been a cause
for considerable concern. Many Africans are baffled by the continuing charges against
a democratically elected sitting Head of State, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, not
least when the ICC’s prosecutor has admitted publicly she has no compelling
evidence against him. The African Union has voiced its concerns that the ICC is in
danger of becoming a geopolitical tool for its funders rather than a judicial
instrument for all its signatories. My own President Yoweri Museveni has
indicated that an example of this is the clear request by the African Union to
the UN to halt trials; the request was then not supported by the European
permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Similarly, for many years a number of African countries have
been criticised for adopting forms of government that some in Europe felt were
not being democratic enough and failed to adequately reflect the wishes of
their populations. However, when democratically elected African governments,
such as in Uganda, have reached decisions that have overwhelming public support
in our countries, especially on social issues, they have been condemned. Again, we are left wondering is democratic accountability in
Africa only important when the views expressed chime with those held by people
outside our continent?
Yet these sources of tension are in contrast to the
increased interdependence between Europe and Africa over matters of security. Where
once Africa was overly dependent on European countries as guarantors of
stability and peace now European and African nations work together.
For example the last twelve months have seen France in
cooperation with a multi-country African force target the Islamist threat in
Mali, and intervene in the Central African Republic. Off the coast of Somalia
the EUNAVFOR naval operation has reduced piracy in conjunction with African
nations' navies. But even with this increased partnership Africa is now, more
than at any other time in the last 50 years, managing its own security affairs.
Uganda has been at the forefront of much of this new
self-sufficiency providing the largest contingent of troops to the African
Union AMISOM peacekeeping mission to Somalia that has pushed back Islamic
militants and allowed the development of democratic government. Similarly in
South Sudan Uganda heeded a request from the elected administration to
intervene to reduce the potentially devastating actions by rebel forces. Though disagreements and tensions are bound to arise between
EU-African countries in the future the summit provided an opportunity to resolve
some of the issues that have been coming to the fore.
It is in all of our interests to try to respect each others'
opinions, even when we may not agree with them, and to deepen our mutually
beneficial relationship. Key to such a new understanding is that, as never before,
Europe and other western countries need Africa.
Africa can no longer be seen as merely a source of resources
and a recipient of aid, but instead must now be treated as an equal partner, so
that Europe and Africa can forge ahead together in our increasingly multi-polar
and interdependent world.
Hon. Sam Kutesa (@samkutesa) is Foreign Minister of the Republic of
Uganda
This article first appeared in EUObserver
This is a guest post; views may not represent that of ECDPM
This is a guest post; views may not represent that of ECDPM
Photo courtesy of The Council of the European Union
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