LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Autumn 2007

by Gitte Seeberg

Sir,

I agree with Michèle Alliot-Marie that we, as Europeans, have a responsibility to help create a peaceful and stable Africa. One of the EU's greatest achievements has been to establish peace, stability and prosperity in Europe and we are obliged to promote these values abroad. European citizens also expect us to contribute to international peace and security as preconditions for development. However, Alliot-Marie fails to mention another vital element in our strategy for Africa. Unless we can persuade foreign actors such as China and Russia to apply the same set of standards in their dealings with African states, EU efforts to improve their long-term future could prove futile.

In her article, Alliot-Marie argues that EU policy towards Africa should encompass two interlinked elements: further advances in all aspects of our Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) plus the pursuit of “softer” issues such as social and economic development. I agree that peace is a precondition for development and vice-versa and, in time, these efforts should lead to more democratic and prosperous societies. I also support Alliot-Marie’s view that Africans have the primarily responsibility to make things better for their own people. Whatever the EU does can only be complementary to Africa's own efforts. We don't have a magic wand to wave.

However, unless other foreign players in the region take more positive action to promote stability, the EU’s twin-track approach will become an endless and uphill task. Africa has for centuries been a battlefield for foreign countries fighting for power and access to the continent’s natural resources. As long as unstable African regimes are kept on their feet, and key foreign players neglect human rights and good governance, all our hard work risks being undercut. In Sudan, for example, China has an important role to play in the peace process. However, its extensive economic and military ties with the Sudanese government have meant that China has been reluctant to engage in the necessary dialogue with Khartoum.

An American think tank, The Fund for Peace, recently published an index of the world's worst-off countries with little or no prospect of improvement in the near future. Eight African countries are in the top ten, with Sudan as number one. This illustrates the importance of devoting greater attention to Africa. The EU-Africa dialogue must be raised to the highest political level and more concrete steps need to be taken. To this end, the future Joint EU-Africa strategy is an important milestone in proving our commitment.

I firmly believe that our strategy to create a more peaceful and stable Africa requires security and development to go hand-in-hand with efforts to persuade other key regional players to accept their responsibilities. They must adhere to the same standards of behaviour as the EU and play a constructive role for peaceful development. Otherwise durable solutions for Africa may remain a distant hope.