By Ayomide Otitoju
European and African leaders convened in Luanda, Angola, on Monday for a two-day summit focused on strengthening economic and security cooperation, even as urgent discussions on the Ukraine conflict overshadowed the gathering.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Kenya’s President William Ruto are among leaders attending the meeting, which comes amid tensions between the United States and Europe over Washington’s draft plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. EU officials remain wary of the proposal, initially seen as favouring Moscow.
Following talks in Geneva on Sunday between top US and Ukrainian officials on a revised version of the plan, EU leaders scheduled a special meeting on the summit’s sidelines to coordinate their response. “There is still a lot of work to be done on the 28-point plan,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb told AFP on Sunday.
The summit — the seventh of its kind — follows a G20 meeting in South Africa, where a US boycott highlighted widening geopolitical divides. It also marks 25 years of EU–African Union relations at a time analysts say Europe must redefine its approach if it hopes to retain its position as Africa’s leading partner.
Africa has become a competitive diplomatic arena, with China, the United States, Russia, the Gulf states, and Turkey expanding their influence in pursuit of minerals, energy opportunities, and political alliances. Although the EU remains Africa’s largest source of foreign direct investment and commercial exchange — with trade reaching €467 billion ($538 billion) in 2023 — it has lost ground in several regions due to historical grievances and aggressive outreach by rival powers.
“We no longer have a situation where Europe is the only partner,” said Geert Laporte of the European Centre for Development Policy Management. For the EU to stay competitive, he said, it must offer investments that generate tangible jobs and economic growth rather than relying on declarations of goodwill.
AU spokesperson Nuur Mohamud Sheekh echoed that view, stressing that African nations want “credible, implementable commitments.” Migration management, security cooperation, and Africa’s representation in global governance bodies are also on the agenda, but trade is expected to take priority as both continents grapple with the impact of US tariffs.
The EU is set to promote initiatives that boost intra-African trade — currently only 15 percent of total trade — while seeking access to critical minerals essential for Europe’s green transition and reducing reliance on China for rare earth materials. Brussels will also highlight new infrastructure investments under its Global Gateway initiative, including the flagship Lobito Corridor railway project, developed with US support to connect mineral-rich regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the Atlantic coast.
While EU diplomats describe such projects as mutually beneficial, critics argue they risk mirroring extractive practices and have yet to produce meaningful improvements for local communities.
“Investment must move from PowerPoint to the factory floor,” said Ikemesit Effiong of SBM Intelligence. “Europe’s credibility now depends on delivering projects that create real value in Africa, not just visibility for Brussels.”
