By Itaobong Offiong Etim
The 5th European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) Summit held in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, November 29 – 30, 2017. African and European heads of states and governments attended the summit with leaders of the continents’ institutions and organizations.
This year’s summit had a very interesting central theme – ‘Investing in the Youth for Sustainable Future.’ The triennial meeting, which was last held in Brussels, Belgium in 2014 reached key decisions that would provide political guidance towards effective, strategic and development partnership that is expected to address future socio-economic challenges.
A summit which many see as a convergence of the developed and developing worlds should provide a veritable platform to bridge the dichotomy created by this disparity through skill development, peace, security, education, trade and investment.
The focus on youth in the summit is both apt and pertinent, considering the fact that more than 60 percent of Africa’s population is made up of youths. Unfortunately, they lack guidance and have lost faith in the leadership of their respective countries. The apparent despondency of the average African youth can be understood as their countries do not have any social security programme for them.
Poor education policy and ineffective planning coupled with deficit funding over the years have become a bane of the socioeconomic advancement of the continent. World Bank, in its 2015 report, revealed that half of the youth in sub-Saharan Africa are out of school.
This number makes the region to have the highest rate of exclusion. According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the Global Education Monitoring (GEM), poverty and armed conflict contribute significantly to the low youth enrolment in schools.
There is no doubt that Africa tends to have a much younger population than her European counterpart. This should be seen as a potential economic opportunity that, if well harnessed, can be mutually beneficial to both continents. Unfortunately, this youthful population accounts for the surge in illegal migration into Europe, a crisis situation that is not likely to cease soon. These youths are fleeing from a distressed economic situation and war; they are in search of greener pastures abroad. African leaders should be blamed for neglecting the critical mass of their youth.
The proposed marshal plan for Africa by European leaders should be revisited in this summit. This development package was conceived to create jobs at home countries to dissuade those intending to flee their countries. But in rather resorting to engaging brutal forces to deal with these migrants, they have unwittingly supported human rights abuse.
The intention by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, to set up what he calls Hot Spots in Chad and Niger where refugees could apply for asylum instead of risking their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean, was seen as a welcome development. As brilliant as this may sound, the host countries believe it would create confusion that may not be easily controlled.
However, Judith Sunderland who is an associate director for Europe and Central Asia division at Human Rights Watch offers a solution. In addressing this intractable migrant crisis, she is of the view that Europe should grant humanitarian visas to the refugees.
Expectedly, developments on the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) which was launched 10 years ago in Lisbon, Portugal, also featured at the Summit. The purpose for this programme was to move the partnership between these continents beyond donor/recipient basis and to maintain a sustainable cooperation based on mutually complementary interests.
So far, this partnership has delivered tangible results in key areas especially at both political and operational levels. Visible efforts have also been observed in management and resolution of conflicts through Africa-led International Mission in Central African Republic in 2013. African Union Mission in Somalia and Africa-led International Support Mission to Mali. These and many other interventions received funding and support from EU.
Also, the EU and AU cooperation on election monitoring has helped to consolidate democratic cultures and structures. African democracies, elections, rule of law and good governance have also been deepened. Trade, regional integration and investment have equally received a boost under this partnership.
However, the recent revelation that most light weapons illegally flooding Nigeria come from Turkey is worrisome. The huge humanitarian crisis in the country’s North-East region due to the activities of Boko Haram is also troubling.
It is not in doubt that Africa has a longer political and economic relationship with Europe than other continents. Therefore, this partnership holds the much needed hope for the continent’s economic emancipation and technological advancement.
Etim writes from Calabar
