Is Beijing Seeking to be Africa’s ‘colonial power?’

Francis Ayieko (the EastAfrican)—The African Union will co-ordinate and guide Africa’s regional economic communities and member states in coming up with a multilateral approach to doing business with the main emerging world powers such as China, India and Brazil.

An AU official, Tarana Loumabeka, as saying that the continental body’s secretariat has been directed by the AU Summit to play a leading role in relations between Africa and the rest of the world as part of the greater mandate given to it by the heads of states and governments.

The report is the outcome of a workshop held in Nairobi recently, jointly sponsored by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Consumer Unity Trust Society (CUTS International).

The move is meant to ensure that China, through its growing trade with Africa, does not end up being Africa’s modern-day colonial power.

Next year, for instance, the AU Commission will be involved in co-ordinating the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The conference will be held in Egypt.

The Forum, China’s diplomatic efforts to engage Africa, was launched during a ministerial summit in Beijing in 2000, attended by ministers of 44 African countries.

The second Forum took place in 2003 while the third, which brought together the heads of 48 African states, was held in Beijing last year. The AU has been attending Forum meetings in an observer capacity.

Ms Loumabeka says that, “A co-ordinating role for the African Union in the Forum will indeed be in the interest of not only African countries but also China. It will provide a greater opportunity for a more focused and better organised engagement with China.”

It is hoped that AU’s involvement in Forum will prevent unhealthy competition among African countries in competing for the benefits of Africa-China partnership.

“Greater involvement of the AU in the Forum process will permit issues of regional integration to be accorded the priority they deserve in African-Chinese co-operation. It will also enable African countries to develop a collective response to the future challenges that may emerge in Africa-China partnership,” says the report — A Changing Global Order: Eastern African Perspectives.

In determining the outlines of strategic partnership with the emerging powers of the South — China, India and Brazil — AU is supposed to ensure that Africa’s relationship with the emerging economic giants is that of equal partnerships based on mutual trust and benefit, and not that of donor and recipient.

The only way to achieve this, the report says, is by having Africa face the emerging powers as a united front and by strengthening its integration agenda.

“In this regard, the African Union must play a co-ordinating role in providing a strong multilateral framework that will guide the regional economic communities and member states in their engagement with emerging powers,” it says.

The AU Commission has been given the mandate to assess every two years the partnership with the emerging powers of the South.

It should also co-ordinate the assessment every five years of all partnerships in which Africa is engaged with the rest of the world to ensure that they are consistent with the interests and needs of the peoples of Africa. Already, Africa has identified priority areas in its partnership with emerging powers of the South to include acceleration of industrialisation and the development of infrastructure, agriculture, technology, human capacity, enhancement of market access and modern services sector.

In November last year, the AU participated in the Senior Officials’ meeting of the China-Africa Co-operation Forum ministerial meeting and summit held in Beijing as an observer.

To Africa, the Beijing Forum meetings and summit constituted a milestone in Africa-China partnership and South-South Co-operation.

The meetings adopted the Beijing Declaration and the Beijing Action Plan, 2007-2009, which experts say that if faithfully implemented, could lead to the realisation of a win-win partnership that is anchored on the principles of equality and mutual respect. Although the Forum process has been mainly a bilateral one, the new mandate given to AU by the heads of state and government and the summit’s directive to the AU Commission raises hope that Africa may soon start engaging China as a bloc.

But this arrangement is still “loose” since a co-ordinating role for the AU would not preclude bilateral co-operation arrangements between China and African countries under the framework of Forum.

The report says that a co-ordinating role for the AU in the Forum process will be in the interest of not only African countries but also China as it will provide a greater opportunity for a more focused and better-organised engagement with China. Besides, greater involvement of the AU in the Forum process will permit issues of regional integration to be accorded the priority they deserve in African-Chinese co-operation.

On the side of China, anchoring its engagement in Africa on policies jointly adopted by African leaders within the framework of the AU and involving the African Union Commission in the Forum process will shield China against some of the criticisms being made, especially by Africa’s traditional partners, about its increasing engagement in Africa.

It will also enable African countries to develop a collective response to the future challenges that may emerge in Africa-China partnership.

On the side of China, anchoring its engagement in Africa on policies jointly adopted by African leaders within the framework of the AU and involving the African Union Commission in the Forum process will shield China against some of the criticisms being made, especially by Africa’s traditional partners, about its increasing engagement in Africa.

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