A young continent that’s rich in opportunities. A continent which, although affected by the same fragility as many other parts of the world, has experienced radical change and so requires a change of approach by European countries and potential partners, starting with Italy. This was Foreign Minister Emma Bonino’s comment at the Africa Day celebrations held at the Foreign Ministry today, 29 May 2013, and attended by the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, and the Ambassadors of African countries to Italy. Minister Bonino was referring specifically to the potential for renewed collaboration between Italy and Africa.
Africa is rich in opportunities, says Bonino. It’s time for a new approach.
“Africa is a young continent that’s rich in opportunities. Although it displays much fragility and many contradictions, we cannot go on viewing it through a lens blurred by past stereotypes. If Africa has radically changed, then Italy’s approach to Africa must change radically too”, observed Minister Bonino. She pointed out that this year the celebrations hold a special significance as they coincide with the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). “Africa has made enormous progress since 1963. And in the last decade in particular, it has taken an extraordinary leap forward”, explained the Minister. She described 2002, the year the OAU became the African Union, as “a watershed marking the start of a new era”. An era in which Europe and Italy can also play their part.
An Italian development model that respects the continent’s role
Italy “can play a part in marrying Africa’s new partnership ambitions with the European Union’s choices and decisions”, underscored Minister Bonino. “The complementarity between African economies and Italy’s means that we can offer Africa a development model that respects the continent’s future role”. But, she warned, “without teamwork and close coordination between the institutions and the private sector, we are unlikely to be effective in our relations with such a huge and complex continent”.
Transition processes in North Africa at risk of exploitation
However, remarked the Foreign Minister, “Africa is a continent not just of light but also of shadows. […] The transition processes in the countries of North Africa are laden with obstacles and burdened with unknowns. […] There is also a risk of exploitation by backwards-looking forces seeking destabilisation”. The repercussions of the tensions in North Africa are also affecting the countries of the Sahel, like Mali, while “the arc of instability reaching from the Atlantic to the Red Sea is a cause for concern”, explained the Minister. She pointed out, however, that “this fragile region is also sending out signals of promise, and allowing us to nurture hopes for the stabilisation of the new federal Somalia”.
Samia Nkrumah calls on Italian businesses to act boldly and invest in Africa
Signals that Europe and Italy should now act upon, with a more vigorous approach. This was the appeal voiced by Samia Nkrumah, President of the Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Center and daughter of Ghana’s Head of State, as she invited Italian companies to “be bold and innovative and come to Africa”. African countries, she observed, “are working to strengthen their institutions and want to be active trade, business and industrial partners with the rest of the world. Especially with Europe, which is so close. Both Africa and Europe could benefit from mutual understanding and cooperation in all sectors”.
