Theme : “AFRICA’S PLACE IN A CHANGING WORLD: THE CHALLENGES OF STRATEGIC AND DIPLOMATIC REPOSITIONING“

Excellencies, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of African brother countries, 

Excellencies, Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic and Consular Missions, and representatives of international institutions accredited to Togo,

Ladies and gentlemen, special guests,

Ladies and gentlemen, representatives of the media, 

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

You have responded to our invitation, leaving your respective countries and loved ones, and sacrificing your busy schedules, to take part in the third ministerial conference of the African Political Alliance, which brings us together here in Lomé at this beginning of June to reflect, in the context of strategic exchanges, on Africa’s place in today’s rapidly changing international context, characterised by new developments and an unprecedented upheaval since the beginning of the 21st century

In keeping with our customs and traditions, on behalf of the government, the people of Togo and on my own behalf, I would like to welcome you warmly to our country, and to thank you for coming in such large numbers to Togo’s invitation. The President of the Council, His Excellency Mr Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, has personally asked me to convey to you his fraternal words of welcome and gratitude for your mobilisation, and to wish you, on his behalf, an excellent stay in our country, a land of hospitality and fraternity. 

Honourable Ministers,

Distinguished guests,

The world is on the move and international events are caught up in a torrent of upheaval, evolving at the whim of some people and the will to power of others. This new situation is unfolding against a backdrop of unprecedented obsolescence of traditional alliances, the decline of multilateralism, the return of protectionism and the dynamics of power relations. In an international environment where the world is reinventing itself on a daily basis and where the changes brought about by this process are impacting our continent in various ways, Africa cannot remain silent and inaudible.

In this sense, the exhortation made by Cheikh Anta Diop in his book ‘Antériorité des civilisations nègres: mythe ou vérité historique?’ remains relevant (And I quote): “We must ensure that Africa does not pay the price for human progress. (…) coldly crushed by the wheel of history. (…) We cannot escape the necessities of the historical moment to which we belong.” (End of quote)

Africa must therefore make its voice heard and express its own perspectives in the conduct of world affairs, especially as we see other parts of the world organising themselves. Africa must take part in the global movement, consult and forge its own opinions on the state of the world and take them to the international stage. This is one of the major issues behind the launch of the African Political Alliance.

By launching the African Political Alliance here in Lomé on the 3rd of May 2023, we intend to create an ‘informal platform for consultation, political dialogue and joint action, based on historical ties of fraternity and the principles of sovereign equality of States, independence, interdependence and unity of action’. The APA calls on us to work more closely together and to rely on ourselves to overcome the many challenges facing our continent.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Heads of State and Government of the participating countries for their trust in the APA as a fruitful forum for reflection and a source of innovative ideas for a better future for our continent.

Your presence in Lomé is undoubtedly an inspiring symbol of the interest you attach to this initiative, which is marked by a pan-African vision, enabling us to meet regularly and freely exchange views on major African and international issues requiring concerted and common positions.

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The world, as we know it, is undergoing profound and rapid change. The world order established after the Second World War and the alliances and consensus that followed are increasingly being challenged. Yesterday’s powers are being overtaken by new players, and there is a growing thirst for change among peoples who have long suffered under a world order that favoured only one part of the world.

Against this backdrop, I believe it is crucially important to reflect strategically on our continent’s place in a world that is reshaping itself and being buffeted by multiple winds of change. The truth is that Africa feels a pressing need to break free from the historical shackles that have so far prevented it from positioning itself as a major power on the world stage.

The world order that emerged at the end of the Second World War has not been particularly favourable to Africa. It was in fact designed to regulate the balance of power at a time when our countries were still under colonial rule. The rules governing the organisation and functioning of multilateral institutions, which stem from this world order, thus blithely ignore the accession of our states to international sovereignty. No major reforms have been undertaken since then to correct the current imbalance.

The theme of this third ministerial conference of the African Political Alliance has a particular resonance in this year, which marks the 140th anniversary of the Berlin Conference and the partition of Africa by the imperialist powers in the absence of African representatives. It also brings to mind the Bandung Conference of 1955, at which the decolonised territories of Africa and Asia made their entry onto the international stage under the banner of non-alignment, the 70th anniversary of which is being commemorated by Africa and Asia this year.

The absence of permanent African member States of the Security Council, eighty years after the creation of the United Nations and more than sixty years after the independence of most of our countries, raises the question of the real place reserved for Africa in global governance, especially as it represents about 28% of the Member States of the United Nations and most of the hotbeds of conflict are on our continent.

Created in the aftermath of the Second World War to curb the current world situation, which was the result of a predictable change, and to offer all States stability and an equal chance for development, the UN is increasingly weakened by the inability of its members, especially the most influential ones, to offer it a path to fundamental reform and to take into account new or alternative voices, including those of Africa.

Similarly, the gradual end of historical foreign domination and influence in Africa is accompanied by the rise of new partners with different approaches and visions. This is giving rise to confrontations and conflicts, through proxy actors, which are severely affecting Africa’s stability and development. But these upheavals also bring opportunities for the continent. There are favourable seasons for great changes in history, and the current period is one of such seasons. Hence the relevance and timeliness of the theme of this third conference: ‘Africa’s place in a changing world: the challenges of strategic and diplomatic repositioning’. 

Indeed, amid the apparent chaos of the world, poles of sovereignty are emerging that are not content simply to challenge the hegemony of the West, but are proposing a new vision of the world. One of the driving forces behind this paradigm shift is undoubtedly the BRICS, which are drawing in their wake the global South, to which we belong, by virtue of our geography and our shared challenges, in particular that of working for the advent of a more representative world order based on respect for and listening to all voices, wherever they come from.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the current context marked by increasingly complex challenges and shifting balances, Africa needs to reassess its strategic vision to adapt to the changes underway, which herald a shift towards a new order. This decisive turning point offers Africa a historic opportunity to reflect in depth on its autonomy in terms of defence and security, and on its relations with the new powers, in this case the BRICS, in order to make the most of the opportunities offered by this geopolitical hyper-structure.

With regard to defence and security issues, strategic autonomy will undoubtedly require a systematic review of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). The political and security obstacles that have hampered its effective implementation call on our States to assess more rigorously the vulnerabilities identified, particularly the foreign origin of a critical part of its funding and the unjustified interference of foreign actors. The need for autonomy also requires us to reassess doctrines and strategies in the light of evolving threats and actors, including the emergence of non-state actors and foreign state actors on the ground.

In an increasingly unstable world, Africa is faced with the strategic imperative of adopting a bold and resolute vision to build defence and security autonomy. This 3rd APA conference provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the challenges, avenues and prospects for building Africa’s strategic autonomy in terms of defence, security and protection in a world undergoing profound upheaval and marked by new forms of international conflict and expansionist ambitions.

As far as relations between Africa and the BRICS are concerned, the two entities have a number of prospects to explore together in order to increase their diplomatic influence and role in global governance. The economic progress made by the BRICS in recent years raises questions about the role that Africa can play with this entity on the international stage.

The privileged relations that Africa should strive to consolidate with the BRICS will have to be built on a foundation of complementarity and equity. I remain convinced that the BRICS countries, which have long suffered from the turpitudes of the current world order and have, for the most part, supported the heroic struggles of African States for independence, are better placed than anyone else to understand and support Africa’s development.

It will be up to us to initiate a frank and open dialogue with the BRICS on their expansion, their membership criteria and the place they envisage for Africa in their vision of the world, so that our continent does not simply suffer the strategic choices of this organisation or appear as a mere adjustment variable.

The conference will enable us to discuss Africa and the BRICS, explore innovative strategic avenues and define the type of diplomatic repositioning that could enable both entities to strengthen their influence and become key players in global governance.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear colleagues,

As you know, the scale and complexity of today’s challenges call for awareness and concrete, concerted and pragmatic action, starting now and without delay.

In our continent’s struggle to take its rightful place in global governance, it is becoming increasingly clear that we will have to find the height and courage to free ourselves from traditional shackles and forge new and beneficial partnerships with the rest of the world. Our peoples are mature enough to choose partners that are perfectly suited to their own strategic orientations and interests. We simply need to adapt our continental diplomacy to the current international environment in which we live by becoming more proactive, more demanding and totally unapologetic. Africa’s time is now. As Joseph Ki-Zerbo says in his book ‘A quand l’Afrique?’ (When will Africa come of age?), (quote) ‘If we lie down, we are dead.’ (Unquote)

I would like to conclude by inviting you to consider continuing and deepening the bases for reflection that we are launching today at the next Pan-African Congress, which Togo is honoured to host, in collaboration with the African Union, in December of this year, on the theme: ‘Renewal of Pan-Africanism and Africa’s role in the reform of multilateral institutions: mobilising resources and reinventing ourselves for action’.

I would also like to remind us once again that the common destiny of the African people requires us to avoid isolated and solitary actions and to devote our efforts to strengthening collective mechanisms for addressing the shared challenges facing African peoples and people of African descent.

I am confident that the two thematic sessions scheduled for the plenary will enable us to hold in-depth and engaging discussions on Africa’s future in terms of strategic defence and security autonomy, as well as on strategies for diplomatic repositioning in order to enhance its influence in global governance.

On this note of hope — as an African proverb says: ‘Hope is the pillar of the world’ — I declare open the third ministerial conference of the African Political Alliance.

Thank you for your kind attention.