Relations between Africa and Europe: Mapping Africa’s priorities

The report analyzes the proposed Africa-EU strategy ahead of the October 2020 summit, comparing EU priorities with the AU's Agenda 2063. It identifies gaps in the EU's approach, particularly regarding poverty, health, debt cancellation, and infrastructure, and recommends a revamped partnership based on mutual accountability and a people-centred approach.

• The European Union's proposed priority areas for the Africa strategy include green transition and energy access, digital transformation, sustainable growth and jobs, peace and governance, and migration and mobility.
• There is a significant gap between the EU's focus on migration as a security issue and Africa's view of migration as a development tool, noting that migrants contributed US$48 billion in remittances to the continent in 2019.
• Africa faces a critical infrastructure financing gap of $100 billion, particularly in roads and rail, which is not explicitly addressed in the EU's communication despite being raised by AU officials.
• The report highlights a severe imbalance in health spending, noting that Africa carries 23% of the global disease burden but receives only 1% of total global health expenditure, with some countries spending five times more on debt service than on healthcare.
• Africa's total foreign debt stands at US$417 billion, and the report argues that debt relief is a critical 'litmus test' for the EU's claim of a 'partnership of equals,' especially given the economic impact of COVID-19.
• The continent loses US$50 billion annually through illicit financial flows, a critical obstacle to the AU's goal of taking full responsibility for financing its own development, yet this is not adequately discussed in the EU communication.
• While the EU emphasizes post-secondary education to increase employability, the report argues that primary and secondary education are more fundamental to enhancing Africa's overall education system.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a leading priority for Africa, with the agreement signed by 54 member states and 30 ratifications as of the report's writing, potentially creating a market of 1.3 billion people.
• The report identifies a critical need for digital investment, stating that Africa requires US$100 billion to achieve affordable and high-quality internet access by 2030.
• The EU's support for peace and security, primarily through the African Peace Facility, should be repurposed from peace support toward conflict prevention and resolution, focusing on early warning and response mechanisms.

APA

Abebe, T. T., & Maalim, H. (2020). Relations between Africa and Europe: Mapping Africa’s priorities. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-25.pdf

Chicago

Abebe, Tsion Tadesse, and Hafsa Maalim. Relations between Africa and Europe: Mapping Africa’s priorities. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-25.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Abebe |first1=Tsion Tadesse |last2=Maalim |first2=Hafsa |title=Relations between Africa and Europe: Mapping Africa’s priorities |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-25.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{abebe2020relations, author = {Abebe, Tsion Tadesse and Maalim, Hafsa}, title = {{Relations between Africa and Europe: Mapping Africa’s priorities}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-25.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }