Energy issues, climate challenges, demographic growth… Africa has never been so much at the heart of all global issues. It remains to be seen whether, in this new world that is taking shape and in this context of a new war of powers that is being replayed on the continent, Africa will be able to thrive…
By Dounia Ben Mohamed
Though the decorations and lights still adorn our cities, the end of year celebrations are already behind us. January is starting and brings a new year full of hope… but also its share of uncertainties.
While 2022 has been marked by a, yet another, context of global crisis, namely the war in Ukraine and the upheavals it has caused, including on the continent, the resurgence or stalemate of conflicts in Africa, will not have helped the post-COVID recovery.
« Some came out more fragile than ever, others grew, and still others revealed hitherto unrecognized assets »
If the aim was to be resilient and innovative in 2021, and Africa will have done it, the objective in 2022 will be to « weather the storm ». Or rather storms. What we are, unfortunately or fortunately, used to in Africa. Indeed, we have been through it this year. Not all, not at the same pace. Some came out of it more fragile than ever, others grew, and still others revealed hitherto unrecognized assets.
The fact remains that Africa, in its entirety, has never been so much at the heart of all the issues, all the attention. While Russia, blacklisted on the international scene, confirms and diversifies its presence on the continent, the US is back, or at least showed its intention to do so at the last US-Africa Leaders Summit, while the United Kingdom, caught in the post-Brexit and post-COVID stranglehold, wants to capitalize on the Commonwealth and is going to prospect in new areas. Similarly, France, bogged down in the Sahel, more than disliked in its former colonies, is weaving new webs in East Africa. And in this game of power that is being played, or replayed, in Africa, eyes are on Asia. China, which remains the leading player, with or without debt; Japan, which is following suit; or Singapore, which wants to be the capital of climate philanthropy and also a « new » capital of world-Africa exchanges. Like Doha which confirmed its position during the World Cup that was not so boycotted after all.
That indeed is what this is all about: an Africa-world at the heart of the issues of the new world that is taking shape. Though the energy issue, a top priority, drives Africa and its immeasurable reserves, back to the center of global geopolitics, it remains to be seen if Africa will pull its weight. Like Algeria_ guest of honor at the next Davos_ coveted by all and that has made its comeback on the international scene.
“The answer depends entirely on us. And ‘us’ refers not solely to the leaders who preside over our destinies”
The question is how Africa will manage to get it right. Could it, this time – and unlike past times – benefit from this situation? The answer depends entirely on us. And “us » refers not solely to the leaders who preside over our destinies.
We are back to the famous verbal expression of the glass half empty or half full. Indeed, one can decide to look at the evolution of the world – Africa in particular – by focusing only on the most negative aspects, or on the contrary adopt a more optimistic approach by rejoicing in the progress that humanity is making every day. In this respect, Africa is not standing still.
Better still – and we all know this – Africa, the true « breadbasket of the world », has the means to feed the planet. However, it has not been able to reach food self-sufficiency. Therefore, rather than alerting us to the imminence of an unprecedented food and nutrition crisis on the continent, let us take advantage of it to finally develop our immense agricultural potential by relying on what already exists: the thousands of small players in the agricultural and rural sector, who need training in good practices and agro-technology, equipment and financing.
« Telling the success stories of those who, at a given moment, were able to see the glass half full”
Behind every crisis there are opportunities. There is simply need to know how to identify and seize them. This requires a paradigm shift… and branding: it is certainly a matter of making Africa more attractive to international investors, but first and foremost to African economic operators, young people in particular. The challenge – and it is partly ours, as a pan-African media – is to reveal this range of possibilities and, in the process, to tell the success stories of those who, at a given moment, have been able to see the glass half full.
While waiting to write the rest of the story together, I wish you all a happy and fruitful year!
