I'm not quite sure I understand the question when you talk about empowering these countries. I believe that these countries are not only autonomous, but also sovereign.
This is in fact reflected in the policy they are pursuing by multiplying partnerships; this is a rather disjointed policy that is not thought out in a very strategic way at the moment.
I think we need to refocus on converging interests and figure out what the converging interests are between Canada and certain specific African countries, not Africa, because Africa is basically 54 states. This convergence of interests is the basis on which we can open a dialogue and build a true partnership.
Right now I'm hearing a lot about partnerships, but I think there are many partnerships that lack partners. Building truly effective partnerships requires a real convergence of interests.