More than two thirds of civil society organisations (CSOs) from Africa and Europe believe that cooperation between the two continents ‘does not work well’ or ‘not at all’, according to a report by VENRO.

The report noted that African civil society groups want to be part of developing a new ‘strategic partnership’ between the EU and the African Union.

African civil society activists argue that the EU-Africa relationship has long been unequal and dysfunctional, with the EU dictating the terms on trade, economic relations and migration.

It is understood that more than 360 representatives of CSOs from Africa and Europe took part in a survey conducted by VENRO, the umbrella organisation of German development NGOs, in October.

‘A deeper partnership has to be more than a process between governments. It must be built on human relationships, and enable dialogue and participation’, VENRO noted in a  policy paper.

It urged the government of Germany, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, to prioritise health, participation of all generations, climate justice, peaceful societies, fair economic and trade relations and fair digitalisation in the new partnership.

The European Commission had in March, before Covid-19 forced the suspension of many activities in the world, promised to build a more prosperous, more peaceful and more sustainable future for all as it presented its draft for a partnership with Africa.

The commission had proposed partnerships on energy, digitisation, inward investment, peace and migration.

‘The AU has also failed to overcome the dependency syndrome and to come up with a coherent cooperation strategy for the EU’, EURACTIV quoted Director of Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute, Jane Nalunga, as saying.

Director of the Rural Women’s Assembly, Lungisa Huna, said, ‘Our governments in the AU showed so much silence it was deafening.

‘They have not had much to say. Many of the issues are structural issues’.

Source: EURACIV

Photo source: WACSI