HFX BOARD AND NOTES FROM THE NATO SUMMIT

Africa has a thing or two to learn from NATO, writes Joshua J. Omojuwa

The Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) just reappointed me to its board. It was a unanimous call by the other board members. Unlike my first appointment in 2021 when I had no idea what was coming, this time, I witnessed it in play. Because multiple terms aren’t guaranteed — just look at what people do to get another term of office — whilst this was always coming, it is not something I take for granted.

I joined a board that had Ambassador Cindy McCain and Major Gen. Tammy Harris (rtd) — two extraordinary women advancing opportunities and security around the world — it has been great spending a lot of my term on the board with the founder and President of HFX, Peter van Praagh. Peter’s vision and commitment has helped to build the world’s foremost global security summit, outside of the conventional ones hosted by organs of the United Nations and multilateral bodies. We have also been blessed with the erudite leadership and wisdom of our Chair, Janice Stein; the Vice Chair, Ambassador Mark Lippert; our treasurer, the lively and inspiring Ahmet Taçyildiz and other members, Mexico’s very own Prof. Luis Rubio and Croatia’s fourth president, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. As partners, I could not have asked for a better group of people.

I took notes at several private dinners, including one organized by the HFX, on the sidelines of the 2024 NATO Summit, its 75th Anniversary and during sessions at the NATO Public Forum. If I was not an African, it would have been difficult to note an African perspective amidst conversations primarily focused on the 32-member countries of the alliance and their allies, including Ukraine itself, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia who all had representatives at the public sessions.

Without a doubt, NATO is committed to helping Ukraine in the war started by Russia since February 2022. “Helping Ukraine” here should not be assumed to mean that Ukraine is being necessarily done a favour, as most of the member states see a direct link between a defeated Ukraine and the security of their countries. So, while Ukraine is not officially covered by Article 5 of the founding NATO treaty — the principle of collective defense — it is without a doubt seen as an essential frontier in protecting member states, especially those who share geographic proximity with Russia.

As part of that understanding, Ukraine will get delivery of the first batch of F-16s which according to the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, are being transferred to Ukraine and will be available for use this summer by its forces. The transfers were reportedly made from Denmark and the Netherlands. Blinken said, “those jets will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression”, during his session at the Public Forum, just before Austin reiterated the same thing. At no point did it feel like Ukraine was being done a favour; this was delivered with the understanding that it was a cause as much for the United States, the European Union and Ukraine itself.

This sense of shared fate is missing in Africa. Other than vain commitments to unity, we do not see that we share a common need to thrive and prosper as a collective. That if one of us is poor, the rest of us will be pressured by the poverty of our neighbours. A telling reflection of this shared interest is the resultant spread of terrorism across the Sahel, a phenomenon that has meant that the affected countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad on one hand had to work together to build a collective engagement against the threat. It is unfortunate that amidst these threats, countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger decided this was the time to break out of ECOWAS, forming their own Confederation of Sahel States. Russia’s hands have been suspected behind this move, whilst the rest of the continent, including the African Union, pretend to be uninterested.

If rich and powerful countries like the United States and its European allies consider themselves stronger together, what is it with Africa and our refusal to at least borrow from what is working elsewhere? The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) remains mostly a thing on paper without a substantive deployment of its objectives. We appear to be waiting to be shepherded by yet another foreign intervention to see that our best bet when it comes to lifting the lot of our people out of poverty, advancing their safety and security is in seeking for ways to build together. Instead, we prefer to be dragged along the positions and interests of individual foreign allies. All for the little gains that end up costing us more, individually, and collectively.

Whilst this was a NATO Summit with Africa clearly not on its agenda, I sat in enough rooms this week to know that, except there is an African or an ally of Africa in the room to call everyone’s attention, Africa really does not get to feature even in non-geographically restrictive conversations . It is almost an unintentional disappearing of the continent, primarily on account of the little it is currently able to contribute when it comes to global security and prosperity.

Matter of fact, Africa becomes a big European issue primarily when the conversation gets to the challenge of immigration on the European continent. On this subject matter, Europe knows that it must work with Africa, to help spread more opportunities on the continent. Because as with its defense of Ukraine, its immigration challenge, which is helping to inspire one of the fiercest challenges by the extreme right, will probably get worse without seeing African countries as partners in their own journey.

That said, like the Ukrainians learned earlier on before they got help, you are ultimately on your own. And if others must come to your aid, they’d likely do more when they see you are already advancing your own cause.

 Omojuwa is chief strategist, Alpha Reach/ BGX Publishing