South African President Cyril Ramaphosa changed how people think about Africa and its countries at a meeting called the New Global Financial Pact Summit in France.
He said, “We are not asking for handouts,” and he was supported by other African leaders.
This idea was well-received by the audience, which included leaders from Europe, like French President Emmanuel Macron, who organized the meeting, as well as important financial and economic groups like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Ramaphosa remembered that a group of seven African countries, including Zambia, Comoros, the Republic of Congo, Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, and South Africa, went to Ukraine and Russia this month. They strongly spoke out about how the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is hurting Africa. This conflict is making the prices of food and fertilizers go up, and that’s not good for Africa.
Africa should not be thought of as a place that requires charity. We want to be treated fairly,” President Ramaphosa said to the group of leaders. He stressed the shared request to reopen the Black Sea Channel in order to make the global market for crops and plant nutrients more stable.
The African leaders came together with a shared goal. They said they weren’t there to beg, but to show how important they are globally. They believed their countries are now important in the world’s money markets.
Ramaphosa is unhappy with the international community for not keeping their promises. He talked about a $100 billion fund that was discussed before and said it wasn’t given as they said. He thanked Germany and the United States for trying, but said African countries felt let down.
“We felt like we were people asking for help,” he admitted, talking about Africa’s difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some countries in the Northern Hemisphere kept a lot of vaccines for themselves, which made African countries feel left out and not important.
He also mentioned that the anger grew when the plan to make vaccines in Africa was not supported by other countries at the World Trade Organization.
Ramaphosa asked a question to the world: “Is it more crucial to prioritize people’s lives or the money made by big pharmaceutical companies?”
Ramaphosa finished his speech by urging for real steps to fulfill the commitments made to Africa. He said, “It’s time for action to come from those promises.”
The strong words from African leaders show that the continent wants to be treated as an equal partner in global matters. They won’t agree to be seen as less important anymore.