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Parliamentary Portfolio Committee
WEST AFRICA PRESENTATION
Cape Town
14 September 2007
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COLONIAL LEGACY
• The colonial heritage of the region is divided between Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries
• Most of the Francophone countries retain a strong French influence
• Colonial powers still have a towering presence in the region
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POLITICAL CONDITIONS
• West Africa is currently undergoing major political and economic changes
• There are countries transitioning from conflict
• There are countries in a post-conflict reconstruction phase
• The countries face similar challenges in respect of economic development
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POLITICAL CONDITIONS
• Important strides towards democratic consolidation
• 2006 and 2007 marked by elections
• Elections were held in The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria.
• Despite problems experienced during the Nigerian elections, the elections were historic as they resulted in a peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another.
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SECURITY CONDITIONS IN WEST AFRICA
• Challenge of integrating the Sahelian communities
• Stabilising the Niger Delta region
• Challenge of monitoring unguarded, porous borders
• Proliferation of small arms
• Drug trafficking
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OVERVIEW OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
• The region is endowed with natural resources
• It has arguably the most fertile land on the continent
• Despite this, the region continues to be an exporter of primary products, losing a substantial amount on the true value of the commodities
• Trade still structured on colonial lines i.e. former French colonies are the biggest trading partners of France, the same goes for Anglophone countries
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ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
• Lack of manufacturing capacity
• The region faces massive infrastructure backlogs, which inhibits investment
• All countries ranked below 120 on the Human Development Index
• There is currently a spike in the volume of Foreign Direct Investment flowing to the region
• Investment mainly focused on the primary sector, i.e. crude oil
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SOCIAL CONDITIONS
• Challenges around sanitation, clean water, opportunistic diseases, malaria, waterborne diseases etc.
• Challenges in integration of youth into the mainstream, especially of young people affected by wars and conflict
• Challenges on the empowerment of women
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REGIONAL INTEGRATION• ECOWAS is one of the most advanced Regional Economic
Communities of the African Union
• It has a standing peacekeeping brigade (ECOMOG).
• Successfully intervened in Liberia and Sierra Leone
• French speaking countries belong to West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU) with a common currency, the CFA Franc, controlled by a regional central bank, the Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO)
• WAEMU is a also a Customs Union
• Currently in FTA negotiations with North African countries
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REGIONAL INTEGRATION• The region also has a regional development bank, the Banque
Ouest Africaine de Dévelopement (BOAD)
• BOAD finances projects in rural development, road infrastructure, telecommunications, energy, industry,
transport, and tourism. • Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and the Right of
Residence and Established signed in 1979 and ratified in 1980
• These are good building blocks towards full integration of the African continent
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SA FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS WEST AFRICA
• SA policy towards West Africa is guided by the Consolidation of the African Agenda
• This includes:
– The pursuance of friendly, mutually beneficial relations
– The promotion of peace, security and stability
– Post-conflict reconstruction and development
– Close co-operation on issues of development
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SA FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS WEST AFRICA
• South African policy is also guided by:
1. The need to use South-South Co-operation and North-South Dialogue to advance the African Agenda
2. Reforming institutions of global governance so that they place African development at the centre of their agenda.
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INSTRUMENTS OF FOREIGN POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
• Since 1994, South Africa has concluded a number of General Co-operation Agreements with countries of West Africa
• The GCA’s provide for structured bilateral engagement mechanisms such as Bi-National Commissions, Joint Commissions of Co-operation and Joint Commissions of Bilateral Co-operation.
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STRUCTURED BILATERALS• SA has structured bilateral mechanisms with following
countries:– Federal Republic of Nigeria (Bi-National
Commission)– Republic of Ghana (Joint Commission of Co-
operation)– Republic of Mali (Joint Commission of Co-
operation)– Republic of Guinea (Joint Commission of Co-
operation)– Republic of Senegal (Joint Commission of Bilateral
Co-operation)
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TRADE RELATIONS
• SA Trade relations with region dominated by import of crude oil from Nigeria.
• South Africa has a trade surplus with most countries in the region.
• SA exporting value-added goods, and importing primary products.
• Regions’ dependence on primary products limits basket of tradeable goods.
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FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
• South Africa provides large volumes of Foreign Direct Investment into the sub-region i.e. SA mining companies account for 60% of FDI Mali
• Investment dominated by mining sector
• SA companies present in Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Guinea-Bissau
• SA companies encouraged to transfer skills and technology to indigenous companies for sustainable development
• SA companies also encouraged to engage in strategic partnerships with local partners
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PRIORITIES FOR 2007
• Strengthen bilateral relations
• Strengthen co-operation in various technical, social and scientific fields
• Support efforts towards post-conflict reconstruction and development
• Encourage closer co-operation on global governance
• Intensify bilateral trade
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THANK YOU!