She must acknowledge the mistakes made in the colonial era
Europe can improve its relations with Africa if it gets rid of its colonial ghosts
The "Black Lives Matter" protests have raised uncomfortable accounts for the colonial legacy of many European countries.
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Macron has decided to invite young Africans to a Euro-African summit instead of politicians.
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The issue of superiority and racism must be addressed if the European Union is to rebuild trust with Africa, which has young economies.
The protests that raised the slogan "Black lives matter", which took place last summer in America, raised uncomfortable calculations regarding the colonial legacy and slavery of many European countries.
Indeed, exhuming this black history, through school curricula and initiatives, such as “Black History Month,” is considered a difficult matter.
But this is an urgent necessity, in order to get rid of "self-praise" and the entire false narratives about Europe's civilized past, which is still motivated by nationalist politicians and populists.
New dialogue
A new dialogue is urgently needed if the European Union wants to salvage the weak efforts aimed at initiating what is known as a "partnership of equal" with African countries.
It is necessary, too, if European governments want to place relations with European citizens of African descent on more respectful grounds.
There are encouraging signs. In Germany, the "Black Lives Matter" protests injected momentum into efforts to change the names of streets bearing names related to the colonial or racial past.
In France, the Ministry of the Armed Forces provided local authorities with a guidebook containing the names of 100 Africans who fought on the side of France in World War II, and accordingly their names could be launched on the streets and squares.
During a visit to Ivory Coast in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced what he called "the view of hegemony and the flashiness of the image of colonialism," which he said was "a catastrophic mistake made by the republic."
In Belgium, the government authorities responded to the protests, by removing some statues in public areas of King Leopold II, whose forces occupied the Congo at the end of the nineteenth century, and ruled in a brutal manner that resulted in the deaths of millions of residents of this country.
An unprecedented move
In an unprecedented move that took place last summer, King Philip of Belgium, an indirect descendant of King Leopold II, wrote a letter to Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, expressing his deep sorrow for the humiliating suffering endured by the Congolese people during the colonial occupation of the country by King Leopold II.
The king said, in the course of his message, that “the pain of the past has been revived through racial discrimination, which is still prevalent in our societies.” Perhaps this message was long overdue and carries only symbolic value, but such gestures are important.
President Macron's decision to invite young Africans, not their political leaders, to the Franco-African summit on biodiversity next July, which includes African Europeans, represented a step in the right direction, as well as efforts to encourage businesswomen and business leaders to engage in an African-European dialogue.
tangle
Given that Europe and Africa are intertwined in their relations, and dependent on each other, they need each other to create jobs and achieve growth in both continents, to ensure a post-colonial economic recovery, and to address the climate change crisis.
The European Union remains the main source of aid, trade and investment.
African exporters of raw materials, such as petroleum products, chemicals, metals and minerals, in addition to fish products and agricultural goods remain the mainstay of many European industries.
But even if the rates of economic growth were active and strong, but slowed down as a result of the Corona pandemic, its economic potential, and the large number of its young population, in addition to its plans to establish the African Free Zone, similar to the single market in the European Union, will lead to strengthening International competition, especially between Europe and China.
European Union policymakers insist that their policies are better than those of China, and that while China is investing in the "Road and Belt Initiative" to attract world attention, they are also burdening Africa with debt.
Reciprocal accusations
African commentators accuse the European Union, which provides aid conditional on the extent to which human rights are implemented, and other criteria in the employment situation, of superiority, and they say that the European Union should learn from China how to consult with African countries and work with these countries as true equal partners .. Right about that.
EU leaders canceled a mini-summit between the European Union and Africa, via the Internet, in early December, at the last minute.
This came after another meeting, scheduled for October, was postponed.
This cannot be ignored on the grounds that it is another routine diplomatic event.
Accordingly, it was time to say the word "sincere".
Because resetting this relationship again is difficult, because many Africans are understandably suspicious of Europe's motives.
European-African relations have been characterized, for several years, as a "donor-recipient relationship", which is imbalanced, as African governments seek access to trade and preferential aid for the European Union, while the leaders of the European Union have established distinguished relations with the African elite, and ignored the needs of the young generation of the continent. .
Attempts by European Union countries to push African migrants away from their territories have increased mistrust.
Portugal is working to achieve the goal of developing and improving the status of the relationship between the two continents, and it hopes, being the rotating president of the European Union, that this year it will be able to hold a successful summit of the European Union and Africa in the form of the summit it organized in 2007.
But time has now changed, and geopolitics has become unpredictable, as the state of apprehension resulting from the Corona pandemic is very great, and many countries, including the United Kingdom, after "Brexit", are competing with the European Union for opportunities in Africa.
Recognition of harm
And it seems that one of the ways that can achieve success is through the European Union’s recognition of the damage that afflicted Africa during the colonial period, followed by recognition by African governments that the new generation of EU leaders cannot bear the burden of the past, as indicated by the President of the European Council, Charles Michael, last year.
If a joint statement were issued recognizing mistakes made in the past, it might not lead to an immediate improvement in Euro-African relations, but it could be a great start.
And if they want to benefit from more just plans for a renewal of relations, then EU leaders must take collective action to get rid of the specter of Leopold and the other "colonial heroes", who have committed atrocities similar to the Belgian king.
Address grievances
This means addressing African grievances, as a result of Europe's role in the slave trade, brutal colonial rule, in addition to modern and persistent racial discrimination.
This requires a change in the toxic discourse on immigration to Europe, the implementation of the European agenda against racism, and the initiation of actions "related to global partnership", in order to replace the traditional aid policy of the European Union, or as it was known in Brussels until recently, "development cooperation", where The White Savior was deeply promoted.
A new dialogue is urgently needed if the European Union wants to salvage the weak efforts aimed at initiating what is known as a "partnership of equal" with African countries. It is necessary, too, if European governments want to place relations with European citizens of African descent on more respectful grounds.
• Given that Europe and Africa are intertwined in their relations, and are dependent on each other, they need each other to create jobs and achieve growth in both continents, to ensure a post-colonial economic recovery, and to address the climate change crisis.
• African commentators accuse the European Union, which provides aid conditional on the extent to which human rights are implemented, and other criteria in the employment situation, of superiority, and say that the European Union should learn from China how to consult with African countries and work with these countries as true equal partners.
Shatha Islam - European Union issues specialist based in Brussels.
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