This Friday begins the Turkey-Africa summit. Despite Turkish interests for the continent, several African presidents did not make the trip.
Since this Friday, twenty African heads of state are in Istanbul. Until tomorrow, they are participating in the third Turkey-Africa Summit, organized by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The seats were expensive. Indeed, Turkey has become a partner of choice for Africa: the volume of Turkish trade with Africa amounts to 28,3 billion dollars. By 2026, Turkey also intends to double its foreign trade with the continent.
Suffice to say that the summit which is currently taking place in Istanbul has attracted the envy of African heads of state, who would see themselves as privileged partners of Ankara. Problem: The African Union Commission had to impose quotas on Turkey. In question, the "Banjul formula", which requires countries with the status of associate partner of the AU to limit the number of African leaders at summits.
For some observers, however, this “Banjul formula” is heresy. " LAfrica is aware of the many problems posed by the multiplication of its strategic partnerships. In order to rationalize to a certain extent the official representation, the African Union, at its Banjul Summit (July 2006), decided to define the modalities for the designation of African countries to officially represent the continent at conferences / summits. of these partnerships, ”said a diplomat.
However, the application of the “Banjul formula” poses a real problem: on what criteria do countries have the right or not to participate in summits? For that of Istanbul, some presidents had to cancel their visit. At the risk of miss out on new opportunities, especially economic ones.
A summit without several countries
"African countries, as a group, would benefit from adopting, with regard to their strategic partners, a well-thought-out and much better coordinated global policy," continues the diplomat. As the proliferation of partnership agreements continues, this lack of strategy or African political line could seriously compromise the vital long-term interests of the continent ”.
Especially since Turkey is not obliged to accept the request of the pan-African organization. In 2015, India had indeed decided not to respect the “Banjul formula” and to invite all African heads of state to its India-Africa summit. China had also refused to follow the recommendation of the AU Commission. The pan-African organization this time obtained from Ankara that the number of invitations be limited, by sending a letter on November 23 to the Turkish embassy in Addis Ababa.
Despite some refusals from African presidents, however, several heads of state did agree to meet with the Turkish president. Among them, the current president of the African Union, Félix Tshisekedi, but also the one who will succeed him at the head of the organization in a few weeks, Macky Sall. Other presidents, like the Algerian Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the Libyan Mohamed el-Menfi or the Congolese Denis Sassou N'Guesso and the Nigerian Muhammadu Buhari, are also on the guest list.
After a dinner in honor of their hosts, the Erdoğan couple will then give way to a day's work. Tomorrow, bilateral talks and a working lunch devoted to investments are on the summit's menu. There is no doubt that many announcements should be made. A winning bet for the African heads of state present.