The foreign ministers of the G7 countries (Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Japan) and the High Representative of the Union, Josep Borrell, meeting in Münster, reaffirmed, on Friday 4 November, “the geopolitical and strategic importance of the African continent” and their desire for cooperation “which remains vital” with Africa in order to face global challenges together. They also expressed concern about insecurity in the Sahel, the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa - “three poles of instability and war”, Mr Borrell said at the start of the meeting.
“Africa is particularly affected by multiple global crises such as the climate crisis, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, food insecurity and malnutrition, energy insecurity, the socio-economic consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, democratic backsliding, and massive global economic headwinds”, according to the statement issued at the end of the G7 meeting under the German Presidency, which also included ministers from Ghana, Kenya and the African Union (AU) Commission.
The G7 says its support for Africa is guided by the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the principles of the UN Charter.
“Investing in quality infrastructure”, according to the G20 principles, is a priority for foreign ministers, including through the G7 Partnership on Infrastructure and Global Investment. Vaccine production in Africa is also a G7 priority: “We will continue to support regional manufacturing capacity for vaccines and other essential medical products, supported by sustainable markets”, the final statement said.
Sahel. The G7 is “deeply concerned by the continuing deterioration of the political, security and humanitarian situation”, human rights violations and “the growing presence of Russian affiliated forces in Mali and elsewhere on the continent and their potentially destabilising impact”. It calls for the “timely preparation of free and fair elections and comprehensive implementation of the transition charters in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea” and reaffirms its support for ECOWAS and the AU. It condemns the violence against demonstrators in Chad. It reiterates its “strong commitment to support the populations of the Sahel countries, especially youth” and emphasises “the need to work with people and governments of the littoral states in the Gulf of Guinea to strengthen their resilience to the threat of terrorism in a comprehensive way”.
Horn of Africa. The G7 expresses its concern for peace and security and the acute humanitarian needs of the region, including the famine in Somalia. It welcomes the announcement of the cessation of hostilities agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front brokered by the AU, South Africa and Kenya and calls for the full implementation of this commitment (see EUROPE 13056/12).
It welcomes the election of a new government in Somalia and calls for “a concerted international effort to support President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s reform priorities and the fight against al-Shabaab”, whose latest attack on 29 October it condemns.
DRC/Great Lakes. “Increasingly concerned by the ongoing, escalating violence and conflict” in eastern DRC and regional tensions, the G7 calls on the M23 armed movement to halt its offensive and welcomes recent steps towards greater stability, including talks with armed groups and regional mediation by Angola.
Haiti. The G7 is deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation, in particular the spread of cholera and the food and energy crisis.
See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/3wx (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)