G7 Summit: AU seeks better trade collaborations with Africa
The African Union says it wants a future of “genuine and mutually beneficial relationships”with its trade partners from the G7 countries and the rest of the world.
AU’s Trade Commissioner, Albert Muchanga said Africa will not accept that it “should just continue to be a source of raw materials” for the rest of the world.
This comes as the AU’s chair has been invited to the G7 summit in Japan amid intensifying competition with China for Africa’s natural resources.
With Western powers seeking greater trade links with the continent, there have been visits to a host of African countries in the run-up to the summit from the leaders of France and Germany, as well as the US vice-president.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique at the start of this month as he sought to bolster African support for his efforts to boost the nation’s collaborations.with the continent.
Speaking in Maputo on 4 May, Kishida said: “Many countries of the so-called Global South are hurt and suffering from high food and energy prices. The cause of this issue should be traced to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Interdependence
Mr Muchanga welcomed the recognition of Africa’s problems, saying the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic is also to blame for problems that are “multi-dimensional“.
“It’s a recognition of that the North and the South want deeper interdependence, and it’s welcome.”
He added that Africa wants to get more benefits from that relationship with other countries of the world by equipping itself with the skills to keep more of the economic value from its vast natural resources.
“We are not going to continue as the historical sources of raw materials. It will not work because of a growing population, which wants opportunities for decent jobs, and that can only come from the processes of manufacturing and agro-processing,” he said.
“A good example has been given by DRC and Zambia, when they’re going to come up with a joint project on the production of batteries for electric vehicles.” The two countries are major exporters of the copper and cobalt needed for the batteries, which are in growing demand around the world.
Trade Ties
Also, the United States is trying to boost its trade ties with Africa as it seeks to tackle climate change.
During a visit to Tanzania in March, Vice-President Kamala Harris highlighted a project which will benefit from US financing, which she said was a “first-of-its-kind processing facility on the continent for minerals that go into electric vehicle batteries”.
“Importantly, raw minerals will soon be processed in Tanzania, by Tanzanians. It will help address the climate crisis, build resilient global supply chains, and create new industries and jobs,” she added.
BBC/Hauwa Abu
