Written by: Hussein Ahmed

Abdelrazak El Kouari, a Moroccan expert in international relations and international law, said that the African-French summit held in Kenya With the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron, it can be read from another angle as an African-European summit, given that France has historically been the most present and influential country in Africa, and that the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Morocco are essential for African openness to Western and Eastern Europe.

The Kenya summit marks a shift towards a new African-European partnership and an opportunity to secure energy.

Al-Kuwari added to “Zoom Africa News”, that what stood out in that summit was the French dealings with an Anglo-Saxon country from the British colonies, and this explains the European maturity economically and strategically, because France’s presence at this summit with a country that does not have animosity towards it means a common interest for the European continent, even if the matter is outside the framework of the European Union.

He added that Kenya’s strategic location, with its coastline close to the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused a global energy crisis since the outbreak of the US-Iran war, has also contributed to the situation, primarily affecting European countries as the largest consumers of gas.

Abdul-Razzaq Al-Kuwari added that Kenya’s location on the equator and the extension of its western borders towards Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, reaching Gabon, the main source of French energy, gives France another opportunity to play the role of savior of the European continent and guarantor of supplying it with the necessary energy, and to benefit from the riches of the continent that is the richest on the globe in terms of natural resources.

The Moroccan expert added that with the changing global balance of power and the rise of other competing international economies that are moving towards imposing their economic control, most notably Russia and China, especially after their greater openness to the African economy, this has forced Western countries to reformulate European-African partnerships.

He added that the importance of this summit lies in the integration of African and European interests, and that the real gains for African countries from this summit depend on African cooperation and reducing classic conflicts and divisions that open the door to negligence and external exploitation.