Revised approach in foreign policy: Germany's plan for Africa under the new administration
In a significant shift, Germany's updated Africa policy aims to drive more competitive and coherent engagement with African partners. This new approach, outlined in the coalition agreement, adopts a more interest-driven strategy.
The conversation, which is part of a wider European trend of recalibrating Africa strategies, took place in Berlin and was co-organised with the British Embassy Berlin. Kieran Drake, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy, delivered the opening remarks.
The panel discussion, moderated by an unnamed individual, involved high-profile participants such as HE Stella Mokaya Orina, Ambassador of the Kenyan Embassy in Berlin, Minister Plenipotentiary Andries Oosthuizen, Chargé d'Affaires a.i., South African Embassy in Berlin, Markus Koob, Member of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee and Head of the CDU/CSU working group on Africa, and Alex Vines, Director of the Africa program at ECFR.
The revised strategies place emphasis on pragmatic partnerships, economic diplomacy, and political engagement. They focus on key areas such as energy diversification, skilled labour, migration governance, and multilateral reform.
However, the path to effective policy implementation in Africa is not without challenges. Fragmented policymaking and limited private sector engagement are obstacles that need to be addressed.
Several European countries, including Denmark, Norway, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, have also revised their Africa strategies, demonstrating a collective shift in priorities.
The event concluded with a networking reception from 20:00 to 21:00, providing an opportunity for further discussion and collaboration. Africa's foreign policy is gaining prominence on Germany's agenda, signalling a new era of engagement with the continent.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
