As global power rivalry intensifies, the European Union is seeking to reinforce its position as Africa’s long-term economic and strategic partner, with its top Africa official citing €250 billion in investment across the continent, six times China’s FDI stock.
The European Union has made a renewed case for its strategic partnership with Africa, positioning its investment, trade and development commitments as a long-term alternative in an increasingly competitive geopolitical environment.
At the first African Union–European Union Senior Officials’ Meeting in Addis Ababa on November 4, 2026, Patricia Llombart Cussac, the EU’s Managing Director for Africa at the European External Action Service, said Europe and Africa needed each other more as global relations became increasingly shaped by power politics, geopolitical rivalry and weakening multilateral institutions.
But beyond the diplomatic language, her remarks carried a clear economic message: Europe wants African governments to recognise the scale of its existing investment footprint and the value of its long-standing economic relationship with the continent.
“We invest in Africa’s future not through debt traps, but through sustainable, transparent partnerships,” she said.
She put the EU’s foreign direct investment stock in Africa at €250 billion, describing it as six times more than China’s FDI stock on the continent.
The comparison was among the most significant economic claims in her opening remarks,……..
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