We, the participants in the Third Ministerial Conference of the African Political Alliance (APA), gathered on June 2, 2025, in Lomé, under the high patronage of His Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBÉ, President of the Council, around the theme: “Africa’s Role in a Changing World: Challenges of Strategic and Diplomatic Repositioning,”
Recalling the importance of the APA as a framework for strategic reflection and exchange on Africa’s place in the current global context, marked by unprecedented upheavals since the beginning of the 21st century,
Referring to the final communiqués of the previous APA ministerial conferences, held respectively in Lomé on May 3, 2023, and in Bamako on March 15, 2024,
Recalling the lasting consequences of the Berlin Conference on the historical, political, and economic trajectory of the continent,
Considering that Africa can no longer remain on the sidelines of major decisions shaping the global order,
Emphasizing the urgency of reforming multilateral institutions, including the Security Council, for fairer and more equitable representation,
Taking into account the decisions and orientations of the African Union on the reform of the security sector, particularly the Protocol on the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the Solemn Declaration on a Common African Defence and Security Policy (CADSP),
Deeply concerned by the intensification of conflicts and the growing complexity of threats to human security, exacerbated by external interference,
Considering the ongoing global upheavals and the growing role of the BRICS in global economics and governance,
Determined to ensure for Africa prosperity, peace, security, and stability, in accordance with the African Union’s Agenda 2063,
Declare the following:
ON STRATEGIC AUTONOMY IN DEFENCE AND SECURITY
1. We affirm that Africa’s stability and prosperity depend on sovereign control over its defense and security sectors;
2. We call for a full implementation of Africa’s peace and security architecture and its adaptation to evolving threats, with the aim of establishing a mechanism for collective defense;
3. We invite the African Union and Member States to expand defense to include space and maritime domains. In this last point, we strongly urge them to accelerate the ratification and operationalization of the Lomé Charter on Maritime Security;
4. We strongly encourage the development of an African arms industry supported by indigenous technologies, in order to reduce external dependencies and enhance strategic resilience;
5. We call for strengthening trust, solidarity, and military cooperation among African states, and for pooling means and resources to effectively address threats;
6. We urge African States to intensify efforts to ensure autonomous funding for their defense and security sectors as well as related regional and continental institutions;
7. We stress the need for a holistic approach to security and defense challenges, including economic, social, energy, informational, and governance aspects;
8. We invite the African Union to strengthen its strategic coordination role and revise its doctrine on defense and security.
ON AFRICA-BRICS RELATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
9. We welcome the convergence of views between Africa and the BRICS on the need for a multipolar, fair world based on economic and political justice;
10. We welcome the increasing openness of the BRICS to African countries, which heralds a renewed partnership with greater influence and shared responsibility on the international stage;
11. We strongly encourage the African Union and its member States to work together with the BRICS on a common agenda for multilateral institutional reform and improved global governance;
12. We encourage African States to better leverage partnerships with the BRICS to mobilize resources for strategic sectors in Africa, notably agriculture, infrastructure, energy, industry, and new technologies;
13. We invite African member states of BRICS to work to strengthen relations between Africa and BRICS and to promote Africa’s priorities and positions within BRICS.
ON OTHER RELATED MATTERS
14. We call on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to strengthen the fight against racism, discrimination, and inhumane treatment of people of African descent in various parts of the world
15. We commend Togo for its initiative that led to the adoption, on 16 February 2025 in Addis Ababa during the 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, of a historic decision qualifying slavery, deportation, and colonization as crimes against humanity and genocide against African peoples;
16. We cordially invite Member States to actively participate in the second edition of the Lomé Peace and Security Forum (LPSF) scheduled for October 2025, and the 9th Pan-African Congress scheduled for December 2025 in Lomé, two major events for strategic reflection and African renaissance.
Done in Lomé, June 2, 2025