The upcoming Russia-Africa Summit in July is the latest in a long list of gatherings by global powers aimed at ‘winning friends and influencing people’ across Africa. It follows last year’s United States-Africa Leaders Summit, the European Union-African Union (AU) Summit, Tokyo International Conference on African Development, and the 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
In the wake of COVID-19, ‘summit diplomacy’ has become a key tool for furthering geopolitical aspirations. These events, although not new, have assumed greater significance as competition between global powers intensifies. But aside from the pomp, pageantry and public relations, do they work?
Historically, summits have been viewed in a dim light – criticised for their lack of substance and for perpetuating imbalanced power dynamics. But lately there is a clear attempt to move beyond the cosmetic into something more tangible. What’s driving this shift?
Africa has emerged as a…