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Home > News > Op-ed | North-South Security Cooperation: Securing Africa to Ensure Global Stability

Published on 28 December 2024 / Peace

Op-ed | North-South Security Cooperation: Securing Africa to Ensure Global Stability

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In a op-ed published in L'Opinion, former Ugandan Prime Minister Mr. Amama Mbabazi, former Malian Prime Minister Mr. Moctar Ouane, former British Prime Minister Theresa May's Chief of Staff Ms. Fiona Hill CBE and the Brazzaville Foundation 's Founding Chairman Mr. Jean-Yves Ollivier underline the urgency of investing in enhanced security cooperation to respond to common threats and build a more stable future. Read it below.

In the context of increasing geopolitical tensions, violent conflicts, persistent terrorism, and the unprecedented scale of illegal migration, it is urgent to reform the international order to enable Africa’s emergence and guarantee shared security through a reimagined North-South collaboration.

 

Africa's security is indispensable to global stability. Investing in security cooperation between Africa and its international partners, particularly those in the North, is not only crucial but also a cost- effective way to prevent major crises impacting both hemispheres. We must build a new cooperation model founded on mutual respect and solutions tailored to African and global realities.

An Inter-African Security Response: A Global Imperative

Today, Africa faces multidimensional insecurity, from institutional instability to rampant terrorism, particularly in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. Traditional Western military interventions have too often failed to restore lasting peace. For instance, insecurity in Sahelian countries is exacerbated by a lack of resources and coordination between states. This highlights the necessity of rethinking security approaches.

 

Creating an inter-African initiative, supported by international partners, represents a concrete and sustainable solution to these challenges. Such an initiative would aim to strengthen the sovereignty of African states by respecting their integrity and helping them secure their own territories. By supporting an alliance of this magnitude, Northern countries can help create a safer environment without increasing their own military commitments. This would be an effective tool to optimize resource use while fostering North-South dialogue based on trust.

A New Economic Order and Fairer Access to Resources

Security is inseparable from economic development. A significant portion of investments bypasses Africa due to an exaggerated perception of risk, leading to demands for higher returns, which hinders essential development investments. It is imperative to rethink this approach and promote fairer investments by reducing this risk perception. This will enable Africa to unlock its potential by attracting more capital to strengthen its infrastructure and development.

 

However, Africa's economic transformation must go hand in hand with a fairer cooperation with major economic powers. Unilateral climate restrictions penalize Africa during its energy transition, while it should benefit from solutions adapted to its realities. Diversifying partnerships and facilitating access to development credit are thus critical challenges. Northern countries must take responsibility by enabling more flexible and less restrictive financing mechanisms.

A Multilateralism Fit for Current Challenges

Multilateralism, as it is currently practiced, has become inadequate to address contemporary challenges. The UN, in particular, has been criticized for its inability to integrate Africa meaningfully into global decision-making. The continent, representing over one billion people, deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and its participation must be expanded within international forums such as the G20, which recently integrated it into the G21. This change, while positive, can only be a first step toward deeper reform of the multilateral system.

 

The erosion of multilateralism is further exacerbated by crises in the Sahel, competition among powers, and the massive exodus of young Africans. Only a more inclusive international governance, reflecting the realities of the 21st century, can prevent the fragmentation of the global system and ensure lasting peace for all.

Towards Strengthened and Respectful North-South Cooperation

It is time to reinvent North-South cooperation, not as a dependency relationship but as a dialogue among equals, founded on mutual respect. Africa’s security is not a problem it must solve alone. By investing in security cooperation adapted to the continent’s realities, Northern countries are working not only for a more stable Africa but also for a safer world.

 

Africa’s emergence within a new international order, through better representation and increased security support, is a strategic necessity to ensure a shared future. As crises globalize, Africa must be recognized not as a mere recipient of aid but as an indispensable strategic partner. The time has come to build, together, a future where security, development, and cooperation define North-South relations.

 

Signatories :

- Mr. Amama Mbabazi, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda ;

- Mr. Moctar Ouane, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Mali

- Fiona Hill CBE, former Chief of Staff to British Prime Minister Theresa May;

- Jean-Yves Ollivier, Founding Chairman of the Brazzaville Foundation.