European Union « Afronline – The Voice Of Africa

Civipol, the French multinational that sells security in Africa

The terrorism fever and the migrant crisis have contributed to change the international cooperation of the European Union. No longer only an instrument to close the gap with inequality, to build new commercial opportunities and for growth, the money allocated for international cooperation has also been invested to “instruct,” with lots of money, the countries with strong migratory pressure in order to stop the migrants before they cross the Mediterranean. Security beats development. Forgetting, according to some observers, the respect of human rights.

Among migrants returning from Lybia: “Our nightmare is going back home”

May14

Niamey, Bamako – As of several months ago, in Niger as in Mali, two of the principal stops of the itinerary of the migrants of the Sub-Saharan Africa towards Europe, the routes and stories of the people journeying are changing. In fact, following the arrival of the initial financing of the EU Trust Fund for Africa, created at the Euro-African meeting at Valletta in November 2015, these countries’ migratory policies are adapting to the requests of the European Union to stop or at lease contain the flow of the “Central Mediterranean”, subjecting a good part of the aid for development to signed agreements for repatriation and the externalization of the community frontiers south of the sands of the Sahara.

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Exclusive. Op-Ed: We can help the people of CAR unleash their immense untapped potential

Nov16

Brussels – On 17 November, the International conference for the Central African Republic will take place in Brussels, organised jointly by the European Union and the Central African Government. Afronline.org, in partnership with African media partners, publishes a joint op-ed by Faustin-Archange Touadéra (President of the Central African Republic), Federica Mogherini (High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission), Jan Eliasson (Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations) and Makhtar Diop (Vice-President of the World Bank).

EU aid: sustainable development at risk

Oct26

The European Union has again failed to meet its commitment to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on Development Aid by 2015. The CONCORD Aidwatch report 2016 published today, entitled ‘This is not enough’, reveals that only five countries met their 2015 targets: Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom.

Is the EU’s migration partnership approach with African countries balanced?

Oct24

Brussels – The implementation of the Valletta Action Plan and the EU Migration Compact for cooperation on migration with African countries are not perceived as balanced or as being conducted in a spirit of true partnership by all parties, writes ECDPM’s experts. This risks undermining the EU’s image as partner in the area of migration and development and may undermine principles of good donorship.

The paradoxes of a soft dictatorship

Oct17

For the second time in seven years, violent unrest has followed the presidential election in the small country of Gabon in West Equatorial Africa. The crisis started on August 28, when the candidate of the united opposition, Jean Ping (age 73), declared himself the winner of the presidential election. In the country’s capital, Libreville, people retreated into an anxious pause.