Europe has explicitly committed to supporting more mineral processing and value addition taking place in African mineral-rich countries, including as part of the mineral strategic partnerships that the EU has signed with Namibia, Zambia, the DRC, and Rwanda. African governments aim to leverage growing interest in critical minerals to unlock more domestic value addition,…
Gulf powers are rapidly expanding their investments across Africa while Europe remains slow and risk averse. To remain competitive, the EU should focus on achieving what the Gulf cannot: industrial development in Africa that serves both African and European interests
After decades of extractive mining, the industrialisation of resource-rich African countries has fallen short of expectations. To change this—and give Europe a secure, diversified source of minerals—European and African countries should work together to keep more stages of mineral processing and manufacturing in Africa
The Arab Gulf states’ pursuits in Sudan keep fuelling violence. But their wealth and influence mean any lasting peace will necessarily hinge on their cooperation
Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo face a double threat—from jihadists creeping south from the Sahel and coup plotters lurking within. As northern borders buckle, the region could slip into instability and away from Europe’s reach
European investment in Africa should focus on climate-smart business. This will develop the continent’s resilient infrastructure, secure job creation and support sustainable food systems—while strengthening Europe’s hand amid geopolitical turbulence
As Africa becomes an increasingly central arena for Russia’s interests, the role of the United States and China is undergoing significant transformation. With Trump’s return to the White House, a broader US economic-military repositioning in Africa to contain external influences seems to occur, while Beijing continues to deepen its structural economic presence across the…
The EU and South Africa should accept political differences and pursue a pragmatic partnership, mutually strengthening economic and climate ties—using South Africa’s energy transition as the decisive test of this balance
The EU’s high ESG standards are strangling investment in Africa’s mining sector. A phased, realistic approach could unlock much-needed resources
Europe has positioned its high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards as central to its global partnerships, particularly in efforts to develop sustainable critical raw materials (CRM) value chains with mineral-rich African countries such as Namibia, Zambia, the DRC, and Rwanda. With Africa home to around a third of the world’s known mineral reserves,…