Africa’s COVID-19 diplomacy reflects its commitment to multilateralism and collective action

Photo: GCIS
Photo: GCIS

Africa’s diplomatic system has adjusted swiftly to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) realities of conducting business. This is visible in the flurry of virtual consultations among decision-makers to chart common ways forward. The high number of African Union (AU)-led consultations over the past few months reflect a deep-seated conviction that collective action is the best way to address Africa’s challenges effectively.

The dire scenario regarding the COVID-19 health impact in Africa that many dreaded has not, for now, materialised, even though the number of cases presently seems to be on a rapid upward trajectory. While the available figures remain low compared to other regions, there is awareness that Africa should stay on high alert, given how quickly the virus has spread in countries with much stronger health systems.

Africa’s diplomatic system has swiftly adjusted to COVID-19, with virtual meetings on a host of issues of continental and regional importance, reflecting the continent’s commitment to collective action and multilateralism @elghassimw #C19ConflictMonitor

Unsurprisingly for Africa, the most devastating consequences are likely to be socio-economic. African economies are overwhelmingly dominated by the informal sector, which has borne the brunt as a result of the restrictive measures taken to fight the pandemic, plunging millions into deeper poverty. The formal sector has also been adversely affected.

Compounding matters further is the global economic recession, which has led to reduced demand for Africa’s commodities that form the bulk of its exports, grounded tourism and aviation-related activities, and decreased remittances from the diaspora. The pandemic has also disrupted supply chains, leading to an increase in the price of imported food and other items. The collapse of the oil price has had a mixed impact, increasing pressure on countries that rely on oil for most of their foreign earnings, without any significant boost for importers, given the global economic downturn.

Only time will provide a clearer picture of the pandemic’s overall impact on the continent. In the meantime, it is worth noting how swiftly Africa’s diplomatic system has adjusted to the new realities of conducting business, as illustrated by the flurry of virtual consultations among decision-makers to chart common ways forward. Since March, the Bureau of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government – comprising five countries with a coordination role in between ordinary sessions – has, with the participation of the AU Commission Chairperson, convened several online meetings, including some with the regional economic communities. Similar interactions have taken place in many regional and sub-regional groupings.

Like the rest of the world, the shift to online diplomacy will probably outlast the pandemic, requiring, in the African context, greater investments in infrastructure to support fast and reliable connectivity and renewed attention to cybersecurity. It remains to be seen how telecommuting, to which African international bureaucracies have resorted for the purpose of business continuity, will evolve going forward.

The high number of consultations organised over the past few months reflects a deep-seated conviction that collective action is the best way to address Africa’s challenges effectively. As part of its COVID-19 strategy, the AU has taken steps to enhance the capacity of its African Centre for Disease Control, to enable it to lead the continental fight against the pandemic.

Other AU steps include resource mobilisation for countries, with the establishment of a Response Fund to which the members of the Bureau of the Assembly alone initially pledged US$11 million. The emphasis placed by the ongoing institutional reform on self-financing has clearly spurred a new mindset.

Furthermore, the AU has engaged the African private sector – an initiative that was successfully piloted in the fight against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa a few years ago – leading to the creation of a Forum of African Business Leaders. Within that framework, the Africa Medical Supplies Platform has been launched to link countries with manufacturers to procure critical supplies. This is particularly important, given the scarcity of these supplies and their skyrocketing prices.

Finally, the AU has endeavoured to mobilise international solidarity, with particular emphasis on debt relief and the need for any vaccine against the virus to be made available to all. In this respect, the AU recently launched the Consortium for COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial to secure more than 10 late-stage clinical trials on the continent by bringing together vaccine developers and funders, as well as relevant African organisations.

From the foregoing, it is clear that Africa has fared rather well in terms of collective action. At a time when the multilateral system is facing one of its most challenging moments, the imperative for its rejuvenation cannot be overemphasised. For Africa, commitment to multilateralism is not purely a matter of principle, but also an issue of enlightened self-interest. Only in multilateral fora can the continent mitigate the imbalance that characterises the global distribution of power and ensure that its concerns are taken into account.

Africa’s response has also involved other actors. Notable here is the role of Ethiopian Airlines, which has distributed testing and other equipment donated to Africa across the continent. Civil society organisations, intellectuals and other concerned citizens are also actively engaged. A key takeaway from these initiatives is the need for Africa to undertake structural reforms to address the vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic and to regain its sovereignty.

As with any crisis, the current situation also constitutes an opportunity that the continent must seize. While Africa has shown a commitment to act collectively in confronting the pandemic, it is yet to be seen if this will translate into a renewed continental determination to confront head-on the underlying structural problems made so glaring by the pandemic, practically expedite integration and act purposefully in support of an effective multilateralism system. The period ahead should be closely monitored to get a sense of the direction of travel that will be taken.

El-Ghassim Wane is a former assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations at the United Nations, and former chief of staff and chief advisor to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. He was recently appointed as professor of international affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs (George Washington University). This is an abridged version of Covid Response Reflects Africa’s New Mindset, which was published by the Emirates Academic Academy in July 2020.

El-Ghassim Wane (Mauritania) was the chief of staff/chief advisor to the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson from October 2017 to April 2019. Between January 2016 and September 2017, he held the position of United Nations (UN) assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations. He served as the AU Commission peace and security director from 2009 to 2015, and held various other positions between 1994 and 2009 within the OAU & AU. Mr Wane holds a master’s degree in international public law/international relations and a postgraduate diploma in international and European studies from the universities of Dakar (Senegal) and Lille II (France) respectively. He was recently appointed as professor of international affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs (George Washington University).

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