Negotiating Africa-EU futures amidst geopolitical turmoil

This research paper by Dr. Toni Haastrup analyzes the strained relationship between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), arguing that geopolitical tensions—specifically Russia's invasion of Ukraine—have marginalized Africa as a priority for the EU and reinforced historical power imbalances.

• The 2022 AU-EU Summit failed to achieve its goal of 'resetting' relations, as the subsequent Russian invasion of Ukraine shifted the EU's focus and resources away from Africa. This is exemplified by the EU's failure to sign a replacement for the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, which has regulated Africa-EU relations for two decades and was first proposed for replacement in 2018.
• The transition from the African Peace Facility (APF) to the European Peace Facility (EPF) has reduced African agency in security matters. While the APF supported the continental African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and allowed African leaders to define security scopes, the EPF enables the EU to bypass the AU on key decisions. Furthermore, the EPF's budget is subject to EU priorities; in 2022, 2.5 billion euros of its 5.69-billion-euro budget were allocated to arming Ukraine.
• African nations have adopted a pragmatic and transactional approach to international relations to compensate for funding gaps and the asymmetric nature of the EU relationship. This has led to increased security and financial collaborations with partners including Russia, China, the United States, India, and Japan. The author argues that African positions on the Ukraine war are driven by this pragmatism rather than being simple results of Russian disinformation.
• The author contends that discourse regarding Africa-EU relations is often Eurocentric and fails to reflect African perspectives. The current geopolitical climate risks further deteriorating the relationship if the EU continues to dismiss the nuances of African agency and fails to base the partnership on mutual respect.

APA

Haastrup, T. (2022). Negotiating Africa-EU futures amidst geopolitical turmoil. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/negotiating-africa-eu-futures-amidst-geopolitical-turmoil

Chicago

Haastrup, Toni. Negotiating Africa-EU futures amidst geopolitical turmoil. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2022. https://afripoli.org/negotiating-africa-eu-futures-amidst-geopolitical-turmoil.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haastrup |first1=Toni |title=Negotiating Africa-EU futures amidst geopolitical turmoil |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=1 August 2022 |url=https://afripoli.org/negotiating-africa-eu-futures-amidst-geopolitical-turmoil |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haastrup2022negotiating, author = {Haastrup, Toni}, title = {{Negotiating Africa-EU futures amidst geopolitical turmoil}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://afripoli.org/negotiating-africa-eu-futures-amidst-geopolitical-turmoil}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }