As India’s historic Group of Twenty (G20) presidency was underway, India hosted the final summit on 9 and 10 September 2023. During the inaugural session of this two-day final summit of the 18th G20, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi declared that the African Union (AU) has been granted permanent membership in the group of 20 largest economies (G20) worldwide. Azali Assoumani, president of the Union of Comoros and chair of the AU, took the seat as a full member of the G20 shortly after the announcement. Over the past few months, Prime Minister Modi has been actively advocating for the African Union’s inclusion as a member of the G20. Initially, the idea was conceived after the ‘Voice of the Global South’ Summit in January 2023, in which most of the African Union’s 55 countries participated. However, the idea was put into action early in June when PM Narendra Modi wrote to his counterparts among the G20 members, urging them to grant the African Union full membership during the September summit.
[pullquote]Prime Minister Modi has been actively advocating for the African Union’s inclusion as a member of the G20. [/pullquote]
Indeed, the momentum for Africa’s representation in formal and informal global governance forums has never been stronger. And an institution representing 55 countries deserves a place on the high table of the G20 and voting rights within the bloc. The verbal support of at least eight countries, including the United States (US), Germany, Brazil, China and Russia, had already strengthened the African Union’s bid. From that perspective, PM Modi’s effort to build consensus to grant the AU full membership is commendable. And here lies the big question. While AU’s permanent membership would be crucial for a just, equitable, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance, can AU’s permanent membership in the G20 benefit the one billion odd Africans? Sixty years ago, on 25 May 1963, when the predecessor of the AU, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), was established, it symbolised African unity. Sixty years later, however, its successor organisation, AU, has repeatedly come under fire for failing to achieve that objective. The real question is whether the AU can speak for the resurgent Africa in one single voice. Their recent actions, inter alia, handling the Ukraine crisis, suggest the contrary.
On 2 March 2022, a vote on a resolution seeking the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine took place at the the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Out of 54 African countries, only 28 backed the resolution; the others either abstained or opted not to attend the vote altogether. In the process, Eritrea became the only African country to vote against the resolution. Fast forward to a year later, and with no end to the war in sight, Africa remains divided. In the latest UNGA vote that took place on 23 February 2023, there were abstentions from 15 African nations. And this time, Mali joined Eritrea in opposing the resolution as Mali has recently strengthened its military ties with Russia. Further, in June 2023, African leaders joined the crowded group of peacemakers attempting to mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On June 16 and 17, a high-level African delegation of seven people visited Russia and Ukraine. The delegation was headed by the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and included the leaders of Comoros, Senegal, Zambia, and Egypt. Representatives from Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville were also part of the delegation.
[pullquote]African leaders joined the crowded group of peacemakers attempting to mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.[/pullquote]
As the delegation had meetings with both the leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the delegation encouraged them to start a dialogue that would lead to a peaceful resolution. They also outlined a ten-point peace plan to end the war. The peace plan, however, appeared to be more of a wish list. Concerning the result of the mission, there is little chance of Russian forces withdrawing from Ukraine, as demanded by the delegation. In light of the continent’s growing food crisis, the only success the delegation expects from the mission is the continuation of grain exports and the shipment of Russian fertilisers.
These seven individuals, who came from different regions of Africa, were expected to provide a representative sample of African opinions on the war and initiate a dialogue between the two leaders. However, many observers complained that three of the seven countries, South Africa, Senegal, and Uganda, are biased in favour of Russia, putting the neutrality of the mission under question. Despite the criticism and the fact that peace remains elusive, this peace mission unquestionably constitutes a huge step towards Africa taking centre stage in global politics. Throughout the Ukraine crisis, African countries reacted based on their own national interests. This has also been presented as the rise of African realpolitik. Nevertheless, the fact remains that finding a common African position continues to be excruciatingly difficult. Moreover, the absence of the AU’s leadership in the mission raises the biggest question mark on the AU’s claim to represent this vast continent.
[pullquote]The AU is putting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement into practice in order to establish a single market on the continent.[/pullquote]
The AU was established on the core principles and shared values of African unity, solidarit,y and consensus. However, the success of the AU, so far, seems neither commensurate with its potential nor reflects any shared value. For instance, the AU is putting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement into practice in order to establish a single market on the continent. In May 2019, the AfCFTA came into effect. Although some experts are still optimistic, the glacial progress has led many analysts to conclude that the CFTA is “dead in the water”. It is essential for AU members to put up a unified front in international affairs. Extreme poverty, political unrest, and threats to peace and security constitute daunting challenges for the continent—all of which require global cooperation and coordinated action. The AU must unite, work together, and act collectively in a way that reflects Africa’s unique needs. This cannot happen if member states speak with discordant voices. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is an excellent example where, after several rounds of discussions in different forums, the African House remains divided. Another illustration of disharmony among its members is that the AU acknowledges Western Sahara as a member state even though it is not recognised by two-thirds of its members. Again, during the 2022 annual summit of the AU, there were so many disagreements over Israel’s observer status in the African Union that the discussion had to be postponed to avoid an irreversible rift among its members.
Being a permanent member alone won’t bring any benefit to Africa. First of all, in order to participate in a global forum like the G20, the AU would need to hold unified viewpoints on economic and development concerns pertaining to the continent. Further, the AU chairperson’s office will likely require a sherpa, who will have a team of experts to research and articulate African perspectives on issues at the global and continental levels. The Sherpa track is one of the G20’s main functioning modes, and it would be essential for the AU to have a sherpa, if it wishes to significantly benefit from organisations that engage in global governance, such as the G20. Hence, the level of resources that African nations are willing to devote to the AU Commission will determine how effectively the AU can voice a whole gamut of issues emanating from the entire continent in those bodies.
[pullquote]The AU chairperson’s office will likely require a sherpa, who will have a team of experts to research and articulate African perspectives on issues at the global and continental levels.[/pullquote]
Therefore, as it joins the G20, the AU needs to do some much-needed, in-depth soul-searching. When the organisation cannot unify on a single issue, how will it be able to represent and negotiate the interests of 55 different nations? Once the pomp, ceremony, and rhetoric have been removed, the AU needs to evaluate its readiness to assume greater responsibilities at the global level and analyse how it can optimise its membership to benefit Africa. Undoubtedly, the move was the right step towards a just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance. And Permanent membership at the G20 will surely bring Africa some much-needed political and economic clout. Now, the African Union must utilise this opportunity to lead Africa towards a better and more prosperous future.
Samir Bhattacharya is Senior Research Associate at Vivekananda International Foundation
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Samir Bhattacharya is an Associate Fellow at ORF where he works on geopolitics with particular reference to Africa in the changing global order. He has a ...
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