John Chalmers

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – The EU will host more than 40 African leaders in Brussels this Thursday to reaffirm its power on a continent that has seen significant investment from China and Russia and was feeling let down by Europe’s COVID-19 vaccinations rollout.

A number of packages of assistance will be provided by the European Union at this summit. They will also pledge half of a new 300-billion euro investment campaign to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

However, the meeting is also held just as France’s allies against Islamist militants are in Mali on Thursday announcing that they would be beginning their withdrawal military from the country.

Josep Borrell (EU’s chief of foreign policy), stated that both continents are closely connected before the meeting, which was postponed due to the pandemic.

He said Tuesday that African problems were his problems to the European Parliament. We can solve these problems if we do our best.

European and other rich nations were strongly criticised for hoarding vaccines during the pandemic. In fact, some African leaders suggested that the slow speed of donation could have led to “vaccine Apartheid”.

After the Omicron variant of Omicron was discovered late last year, Europe also banned South Africa from travel.

THE THORNY ISSUES

Other issues that are tense between continents have colonial connections, such as migration flows and erosion of democracy within several African countries (some of these recently witnessed coups d’etat, like Mali) add to tensions.

France and its allies have stated that they will begin their military withdrawal. However, the French President Emmanuel Macron insists that the drawback does not mean that the nine-year mission was abandoned. He also said that Niger, a neighbor, had accepted to host European forces combating Islamists.

The ties between Mali and the United States have worsened after its military junta, which had agreed to organize elections in February but was now proposing holding on until 2025, has reneged.

Frank Mattheis is a U.N. University expert in regional studies. The summit will focus on areas that are promising for cooperation, and not on thorny matters such as EU’s relationship with Ethiopia. Relations have been cooling since the Tigray conflict, when pro-government forces were involved in some of the Tigray conflicts.

Today, the European Commission revealed that more than 100 million euros would be invested in five years by the EU as well as the Gates Foundation to support the establishment of an African medicines regulator. This will help boost Africa’s drug production and supply.

After the outbreak exposed regional dependence on import vaccines, the race to create the African Medicines Agency was started.

As rich nations snatched up limited COVID vaccines, Africa was initially unable to obtain them. Delivery was eventually increased, but only 10% are now fully vaccinated.

Africa is home to just over 5% of the medicines and 1% vaccines that are used by its population of more than 1.2 billion. EU claims it will support Africa in producing 60% of vaccines that it requires by 2040.

A part of the funding will be from 150 billion Euros, which will be used to mobilize funds for Africa in the following seven years through the EU’s Global Gateway program.

The European Investment Bank also announced that it would provide 500 million euros of loans at a low interest rate to African countries in order to improve healthcare. According to the bank, this credit line will allow for 1 billion euro in investments both private and public.

It was established in December with the purpose of strengthening Europe’s supply networks and fighting climate change. The priority areas Mattheis mentioned are not necessarily in line with African countries.

He stated that the EU’s main goals are determined by its own ambitions, including diversifying energy resources, meeting its climate goals and impeding migration.