'Decolonising Africa-Europe relations' with Prof Carlos Lopes

17 June 2022

Portrait of Professor Ricardo Soares de Oliveira

with Professor Ricardo Soares de Oliveira
 Professor of the International Politics of Africa

Ricardo Soares de Oliveira is Professor of the International Politics of Africa at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford; Official Fellow of St Peter's College; and a Fellow with the Global Public Policy Institu...

Africa and Europe stand at a crossroads.

With several key frameworks governing their partnership being changed at fast pace, the stage is set for them to identify, understand, and overcome the self-deceit that has shaped their relations. The two continent’s key actors have an opportunity to reaffirm what was said by the region’s respective leaders in 2017: that their partnership ought to be built on a “spirit of shared ownership, responsibility, reciprocity, respect and mutual accountability and transparency.”

A lot of what has happened recently - from aggravating impacts of climate change, the 2008-2009 financial crisis, to the macroeconomic challenges resulting from a pandemic and the consequences of the War in Ukraine – aggravates the marginalisation of Africa, confirming the need for a change of approach. The colonial shadow, still marking negotiators mind sets in both sides, is trapping them into the past while overlooking the many opportunities of the future.