Macron: Ignoring Africa Itself Is a "Moral and Political Failure"

France – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday at the closing ceremony of the Franco-African Summit in Nairobi that attempting to resolve international crises without involving Africa is a "moral and political error." He has invited Kenyan President William Ruto to attend the upcoming G7 Summit to be held in France.

President William Ruto, host of the summit, condemned the diplomatic and financial inequalities faced by Africa globally and called for African voices to be heard, especially within the United Nations Security Council.

After the first day of the summit focused on entrepreneurs, youth, and sports, Ruto addressed around 30 African heads of state and government leaders, stating: "Africa is not seeking privileges, but fairness." He pointed out that "a continent with nearly 1.6 billion people and 54 sovereign nations" remains excluded from permanent membership in the UN Security Council—an injustice that is indefensible.

Speaking at the closing session of the first-ever Franco-African Summit held in an English-speaking country, Macron emphasized: "If we discuss solutions to crises or our ability to address them with world leaders while excluding Africa, that in itself is a moral and political failure."

He added that at the upcoming G7 Summit, to be held in Évian, a mid-eastern French city, in mid-June, "we hope […] to have a representative from the African continent, an African voice, participating in our discussions about international crises that affect us all—because Africa is also impacted by these crises." He noted that Africa is among the regions most affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Throughout the summit, Macron demonstrated his strong rapport with President Ruto. Previously, he had expressed France’s desire for Africa to have representation on the UN Security Council and better representation in global financial institutions.

At the next G7 Summit, the two presidents will meet to advance their jointly proposed plan to reform the international financial system, aimed at promoting private investment in Africa.

On Tuesday, Kenyan President stated, "The current international financial system still suffers from structural inequities," expressing regret over high borrowing costs, restricted access to certain financing channels, and biased credit rating systems that hinder investment. He asserted, "This imbalance is neither sustainable nor fair and represents one of the main obstacles to Africa’s capacity to finance its infrastructure, industrialization, or transformation."

Later that evening, in response to questions about France and other European powers’ colonial histories, President Ruto declared, "Africa will no longer allow itself to be exploited. We will no longer be anyone’s slaves—we will take control of our own future."

He stressed, "We Africans, including our leaders and businesspeople, must proactively assume responsibility for the development of our continent." He added, "Support from friends like Macron will come later. We must not blame others for our own mistakes," continuing, "Our development depends entirely on ourselves. Therefore, we should not hesitate to seek help where we can afford it."

President Ruto highlighted that Africa possesses vast untapped capital reserves, estimating long-term savings exceeding $4 trillion.

On Monday, at the end of the summit’s first day, Presidents Macron and Ruto emphasized that Africa "needs investment, not public aid." The French president announced a commitment of €23 billion in investments for Africa, including €14 billion from France, primarily driven by private investment.

In his view, this concretely demonstrates the benefits of rebuilding relations with the African continent. Since the beginning of his African tour on Saturday, he has been actively advancing this process. Prior to this, France had endured years of setbacks and tensions in its relations with several former Francophone colonies.

Kenyan President stated: "Africa is not part of the world’s problems—it is part of the solution." He cited Africa’s abundant natural resources, strategic minerals, fertile land, potential for renewable energy, growing consumer markets, and the world’s youngest population.

Ruto asserted that, thanks to its renewable energy potential, Africa has a "historic opportunity" to "lead" the global energy transition. He emphasized, "For Africa, energy transition must also be a transition toward development and industrialization."

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1865042428646407/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.