G20 member countries unanimously agreed to grant the African Union everlasting member status. This decision elevates the African Union, made up of 55 member states, from its current status of “invited international organization” to a position equal to the European Union inside the G20. As a result, Africa’s most vital regional coalition will now have representation at the highest of world diplomacy.
Various nations have advocated for greater African involvement in international affairs. It is price noting that before this event, only South Africa, the third largest economy on the continent, was a member of the G20. As the African Union now gains everlasting status and has a rotating presidency, it ensures its continued presence at future G20 meetings.
During the inaugural session of the Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the pinnacle of the African Union and President of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, as the primary everlasting member of the G20. Amid thunderous applause from world leaders, Modi declared: “With the support of all of you, I invite the African Union to affix the G20.” Notable participants on the G20 summit in New Delhi include Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Africa: a brand new arena of world competition for power
China is pursuing its economic interests within the resource-rich African continent through investments and infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. Russia, embroiled within the conflict in Ukraine, stays actively involved in African politics through its proxies. It supported a series of recent military coups within the Sahel region of West Africa that ousted leaders perceived as near Western powers, especially France, the region’s former colonial ruler.
Europe, which has been struggling for years with increasing migration from Africa and the Middle East, has also renewed its relations on the continent. The embattled Sahel region has develop into a geopolitical battleground between Russia and Europe, largely under French leadership aimed toward establishing more compliant regimes. Significant deposits of rare earth metals resembling lithium and chromium, in addition to other minerals resembling nickel, gold, cobalt, uranium and copper, have attracted the eye of major global players. These resources are essential to stimulate the transition to green technologies. Both China and the United States are competing for influence amongst African countries to achieve access to those lucrative resources.
Consequences for Africa
Being granted everlasting membership of the G20 represents a bonus for a continent whose young population, currently 1.3 billion, is anticipated to double by 2050, accounting for 1 / 4 of the world’s population. The African Union, made up of 55 member states including the disputed Western Sahara, advocates playing essential roles in global organizations which have long represented the post-World War II order, including the U.N. Security Council. They are also pushing for reforms in the worldwide economic system, including institutions just like the World Bank, to correct inequalities that force African nations to pay higher borrowing costs, increasing their debt burden. Africa is increasingly attracting investment and political attention from a brand new generation of world powers beyond the United States and its former European colonial powers. China is Africa’s largest trading partner and major lender, while Russia is its essential arms supplier. Gulf countries have emerged as significant investors on the continent, with Turkey maintaining its largest foreign military base and embassy in Somalia. Additionally, each Israel and Iran are expanding their reach searching for partners on the continent.
African leaders are not any longer content to portray their continent as a passive victim of war, extremism, famine and disaster, forced to ally with one world power or one other. Some leaders prefer to act as mediators, as evidenced by peace efforts in Africa following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The inclusion of the African Union within the G20 recognizes the continent as an independent world power.
What the African Union offers to the G20
With full membership of the G20, the African Union can represent a continent boasting the world’s largest free trade area. Moreover, Africa has abundant resources to combat climate change, regardless that it contributes the least to global emissions but suffers essentially the most from their consequences. The African continent accommodates 60% of the world’s renewable energy resources and over 30% of the minerals needed for renewable and low-emission technologies. For example, Congo alone accommodates almost half of the world’s resources of cobalt, a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries, as identified in a recent United Nations report on African economic development.
African leaders are increasingly dissatisfied with outsiders exploiting the continent’s resources, processing them elsewhere and profiting without significant advantages to African economies. Taking under consideration Africa’s natural assets, this continent has enormous resources, as emphasized by the President of Kenya, William Ruto, in the course of the inaugural African Climate Summit. The summit ended with a call for fairer treatment by financial institutions, fulfilling a long-standing pledge by wealthy countries to supply $100 billion a yr in climate finance to developing countries, and introducing a world tax on fossil fuels.
Reaching a unified position amongst African Union member states, which include economic powerhouses resembling Nigeria and Ethiopia in addition to a number of the world’s poorest countries, could possibly be a challenge. Additionally, the AU has faced calls from some Africans to adopt a more assertive stance in response to coups and other crises. The rotating chairmanship, which changes yearly, also creates challenges for consistency. Nevertheless, Africa might want to present a united front if it desires to influence the G20 decision-making process, as expressed by Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, former prime minister of Niger, and Daouda Sembene, former executive director of the International Monetary Fund, of their Project Syndicate article from earlier this yr.
African leaders have shown a willingness to take collective motion. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they joined forces to strongly criticize wealthy countries’ vaccine hoarding and collaborated on massive purchases of supplies for the continent. Now, as a outstanding member of the G20, Africa’s demands would require greater attention and consideration.
Reference:
“The African Union and the G20: future geopolitical and economic implications || Business Mail in Nigeria.” Business Post Nigeria, businesspost.ng/featureoped/african-union-and-g20-future-geopolitical-and-economic implications.
Anna, Kara. “The African Union joins the G20, a strong confirmation of the existence of a continent of 1 billion people | AP News.” AP News, September 9, 2023, apnews.com/article/g20-membership-africa-economy-india-ae58459261bc2722b54da422debc5b83.
Bhattacharya, Shubhayan. “G20 Summit: The importance of joining the African Union and India’s related goals.” BQ Prime, 9 September 2023, www.bqprime.com/g20-summit-2023/g20-summit-significance-of-african-union-joining-and-indias-goals-therein.
