Repercussions of the two Africas. In its relations with the EU, Africa is not a single unit (see yesterday's column) although it might look like it in some circumstances. In day-to-day relations, however, North Africa (not including Libya at the moment) is part of Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) along with Asian and European Mediterranean countries that have nothing African about them. What is usually defined as black Africa is part of the ACP unit in relations with the EU (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific states). I am not planning to explain the background to this, but rather to focus on the political repercussions. Jean Ping, President of the African Union Commission, commented about the meeting with the European Commission discussed in yesterday's column that he regretted the split in Africa and had always called for a single African unit. He therefore disagrees with the French ideas that led to the formation of the UfM. Ping said (see issue 10391) that the Libyan problem would have an impact on Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Sudan and Somalia, but not on Qatar. He could even have added that it would also impact on Serbia, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina and Saudi Arabia. This is why, when it comes to Libya, Jean Ping calls for an immediate ceasefire that is not conditional upon Gaddafi stepping down but would allow a move towards democracy in Libya. He added that his views had met with “great understanding”. For Jean Ping and his organisation, African unity is and must remain a fact of life.
Special relations with North Africa. In their relations with the EU, do North African countries want to be part of a single bloc with the rest of Africa? North African countries have always clearly distanced themselves from Libya's pro-African unity attitude. Last year, Colonel Gaddafi took the opportunity provided by the summit of African Unity to attack with his usual arrogance the idea of the Union for the Mediterranean. It is true that North African countries were not all won over to the idea of the hybrid body concocted in Paris that threw them in a sack with Adriatic countries (which aim to join the EU) and Asian countries like Turkey, which was reluctant about the idea but gave way to pressure from France. North African countries themselves are not a compact group - some of them do not have open borders with their neighbours and there are continued land disputes and wars hidden by a fig-leaf. Yet connections with the EU are key for these countries and they want them to have a special nature, separate from black Africa. The EU itself has incorporated North African countries into its newly unveiled draft “neighbourhood policy”, making the payment of EU funds conditional upon progress being made in the direction of freedom and democracy.
Europe has responsibilities. Things are very different for black Africa. Outside the official ceremonies, the EU's relations with this part of Africa run into a range of problems. I believe that the EU is partly responsible for this because, in order to abide by the World Trade Organisation rules, it demanded that African countries open up their markets to free trade despite the fact that the countries were not in a position to compete and customs duties were a crucial source of state income. The EU demanded the setting up of free-trade-zones, an unrealistic objective.
Some of the responsibility must also be shared by the other side. Various countries in Africa have changed their economies by boosting political, trade and business ties with other regions of the world, China in particular. They are perfectly entitled to do so, of course, because they are free, independent countries, but the EU has to face a new reality. The EU and its member states are the biggest donors to black Africa - the 10th European Development Fund is in regular use, but it is also a simple fact that not one of the economic partnership agreements (EPA) between the EU and the various regions of Africa has yet been signed despite 10 years of negotiations! Not to mention the problems faced by the EU in relations with individual countries. Of course, the situation in some countries is tragic, with wars raging apace and new wars emerging (between the two Sudans, for example).
I believe that it will be difficult to reconcile the undeniable autonomy of African countries with the keeping of the special relations that existed for a long time between the EU and these countries if things are kept as they are. Europe must reflect on this. I will make some suggestions tomorrow.
(F.R./transl.fl)