With just over 2 weeks to go before the sixth summit between the European Union and the African Union (AU), scheduled for 17-18 February in Brussels, the EU’s lofty ambitions are well known: it hopes to take the strategic partnership to the next level and build a new Europe-Africa Alliance “as equals” to tackle the challenges of the 21st century together.
Prosperity (an economic and financial ‘new deal’, youth employment, health, climate); security; mobility and migration in a spirit of responsibility will be the three main components (see EUROPE 12866/2).
However, the position of the African Union and the number of participants on the African side were unknown on Monday 31 January (see EUROPE 12853/16).
On the European side, the aim is to hold a summit with heads of state and not just representatives of the AU institutions. “The leaders of all 54 African States are invited. It is not clear who will respond favourably”, EU diplomats said on Monday.
Tensions with several West African countries suspended by the AU give an idea of who will not be present. Not to mention “the health situation, which is being closely monitored”, the diplomats stressed.
The summit will be interactive, with round tables on health, climate, agriculture and sustainable development, support for the private sector and the economy.
The political declaration under preparation will be short (2-3 pages) and supported by concrete projects under preparation by the European Commission and the European External Action Service.
It is too early at this stage to say whether the electrification of the African continent, for example, will be included in these projects. “The subject has been identified. The AU organises itself internally to analyse the different documents. The AU is working on its own summit, which will take place just before the EU/AU summit”, the diplomats said.
The AU announced the same day that it was suspending Burkina Faso “from all its activities”, following the recent military coup, as it did with Mali and previously with Guinea, but not with Chad.
With regard to Mali, the bilateral dialogue held on Thursday 27 January by the High Representative, Josep Borrell, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Diop, instead of a joint meeting in the EU/G5 Sahel plenary session, was intended to give diplomacy a chance before the application of the sanctions brandished by the EU for several months (see EUROPE 12878/2).
Asked when these sanctions might take effect, a diplomat, referring to what Mr Borrell and the French Foreign Minister, Jean Yves Le Drian, had announced, said: “It will be soon, before the summit”. It was not yet known at the time that the Malian authorities would give the French ambassador to Mali 72 hours to leave the country (see other news).
In the European Parliament, the S&D group is preparing its ‘Africa Week, from 8 to 10 February, which will be preceded by a ‘transcontinental’ online exchange on 3 February at 11 am. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)