Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak about a topic as important as relations between Canada and Africa.
Since I'm not an expert on Canadian foreign or African policy, I would like to begin by raising four points that I believe are crucial in order to better understand the context of Canada's engagement in Africa.
The first point relates to Africa's rapidly changing domestic context and its international implications. This is reflected in the citizens' engagement in international issues, for example, which didn't happen before. In Africa, citizens are increasingly developing new forms of what we might call veto points over relations between their country and the outside world, particularly western countries. This is made possible by a number of overlooked factors, such as rapid urbanization; the narrowing of the digital divide; the widespread use of social media, including WhatsApp; and the development of local applications that use local languages and that are easy to access, even for people who didn't attend school. These changes are also supported by the emergence of a middle class and an educated diaspora with a growing connection to the continent.
The second point concerns the challenges posed to Canada and other western countries in Africa by emerging countries, with China leading the way. As China institutionalizes strong relations with Africa, and different emerging powers such as Turkey, India, Brazil and others follow its example, Africa is gaining political, economic and strategic leverage. As a result, it's less vulnerable than before in relation to the European Union, Canada or the United States. To illustrate this situation, my colleagues already provided the example of France, a major power in the region. France has now been almost completely expelled from the Sahel region, particularly from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Another well‑known example is the recent vote by African countries at the UN during the adoption of resolutions condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This shows that African countries are aligning themselves less and less with western positions.
The third point concerns security challenges and the resulting political upheaval in a number of regions, such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa or Central Africa. This situation can be seen either as an opportunity for stronger engagement that aligns with African expectations, or as a reason for disengagement. Here too, as my colleagues pointed out, certain countries such as Russia or Turkey are betting on going along with events. They hope that this will open up opportunities to gain influence, even if it isn't necessarily in the interest of African people. I notice that other countries, particularly in the west, generally tend to shy away from this situation and let their competitors take the stage. I think that Canada should define its policy in these types of circumstances.
The last point is related to the previous one. This point concerns what Christopher Hill, an author specializing in relations between the European Union and Africa, termed the capability‑expectations gap. An Italian colleague and I explored this issue in depth in a collective book on relations between the European Union and Africa. However, I think that it's even more applicable to Canada, as my colleague reminded us earlier. The capability‑expectations gap refers to the fact that Canada's resources, instruments, procedures and values often aren't strong or adapted enough to give Canada the opportunity to implement ambitious policies on the African continent.
To conclude, I would like to put forward three main ideas. First, given the context just described, the approaches of Africa's traditional partners are undeniably outdated in relation to the continent's current political and social dynamics. Second, any policy aimed at Africa must be adjusted to reflect its domestic and international dynamics. Third, respect and consultation must play a key role in policies aimed at Africa. Africa is changing and is increasingly seeking sovereignty and greater autonomy.
Thank you.