THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The recent China-Africa Forum in Beijing has highlighted the urgent need for Germany and the European Union to reassess and strengthen their strategic approach towards Africa, according to the German-African Business Association. As China continues to deepen its economic and political ties with the continent, Germany risks falling behind in what some are calling the “African century”, the group opines
Berlin – At the end of the China-Africa Forum in Beijing, the German-African Business Association is calling for more strategic and proactive initiatives by Germany and the EU towards Africa.
Christoph Kannengießer, Managing Director of the German-African Business Association (Afrika-Verein or AV), has called for a more strategic and proactive approach from Germany and the EU EU towards Africa. He emphasizes the need for a coherent Africa strategy that involves all ministries and takes into account both African needs and German interests
“The China-Africa Forum has once again shown how consistently and skilfully China is pursuing its economic and strategic interests in Africa. The investments and diversified cooperation announced by Head of State Xi Jingping are a clear signal to African political leaders and the African population,” Mr Kannengießer said. “Japan and Indonesia have also recently organised their own conferences with African participation and pledged economic cooperation worth billions. In contrast, African guests at CwA and AU-EU summits usually only leave with vague announcements, but also with all kinds of hints as to what is not possible. That urgently needs to change,” he added.
Kannengießer however noted that it’s encouraging that at least some EU member states had taken initiatives. Denmark presented a new Africa strategy last week and the Danish foreign minister even spoke of the ‘African century’, Afrika-Verein noted. Spain and Italy have also drawn attention to themselves with strategies and summits, according to the Africa Association, the organisation said.
“In contrast, it is disappointing that the German government has not yet managed to develop a coherent Africa strategy in the current legislative period that includes all ministries. The German government is not keeping pace with international developments. We need a holistic approach that takes into account the needs of African countries as well as the interests of Germany and our companies,” Kannengießer said.
“After all, the global and national challenges will not be solved without close cooperation with African countries. It is high time that the German government acted accordingly, recognising Africa as a key strategic partner and placing value creation, growth and employment at the centre of cooperation. African countries are now looking for partners for the local processing of their raw materials. We need to formulate offers quickly, otherwise we will lose out to our competitors. This is where the departments and industry need to work together,” he added.
At the 2024 China-Africa Forum in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced investments totalling $50 billion over the next three years, along with plans to create one million new jobs in Africa. The forum also initiated expanded cooperation across various sectors, including civil servant training, military collaboration, and duty-free trade agreements with 33 African countries.
The Forum focused on enhancing trade, investment, and cooperation between China and African nations. China pledged increased investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, and digital technology across Africa, along with debt relief for the continent’s least-developed countries. Climate change, healthcare, and human resource development were major agenda points, with China committing to green energy projects and expanded educational opportunities for African students. The forum emphasized mutual growth under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), strengthening political ties, and ensuring Africa gains sustainable benefits from its partnership with China.
