Negotiating Africa-EU futures amidst geopolitical turmoil
Haastrup, T
The 2022 African Union-European Union Summit came and went with a whimper. The latest grand meeting of African and European leaders, the sixth of its kind since the summit’s inception in 2000, was the subject of much anticipation. This was partly because of the summit’s 18-month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, but also because the 2022 gathering was intended to launch the EU’s new approach to relations with the African Union, its institutions as well as the bloc’s member states. The sixth AU-EU summit happened against a backdrop that placed Africa at the centre of new geopolitical tensions and a jostling for influence that involves the EU’s main rivals including China and Russia. There is a continued emphasis on a ‘partnership of equals’ underscored by a commitment to jobs, economic growth and commercial investment funnelled through a newly launched Global Gateway initiative. The EU thus appears to be doubling down on Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s signal that Africa will be a priority for her “geopolitical commission.”