Rome: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for a “new page” in relations with the continent, centered on energy and halting migration across the Mediterranean, during an African leaders’ meeting held in Italy on Monday.
A much-hyped strategy for Africa centered on a “non-predatory” approach inspired by Enrico Mattei, the post-war founder of Italy’s state-owned oil firm Eni, was revealed by Meloni, who came to power in 2022 on an anti-migrant ticket.
Under the so-called Mattei Plan, Italy is to be seen as a vital link between Africa and Europe, supplying energy to the north in exchange for agreements to reduce migration.
“A Bridge for Common Growth” was the name of the summit held at the Italian senate, which brought together politicians from over 25 countries, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and officials from the World Bank and United Nations agencies.
Resolving that the “destinies” of Europe and Africa were linked, Meloni said that her commitment to working together “as equals — far from any predatory temptation, but also from that charitable approach to Africa that is ill-suited to its extraordinary potential for development”
She stated that Italy, a former colonial power in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, and what is now Somalia, wants to collaborate with African countries to “write together a new page in our relations”.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chair of the African Union Commission, Senegal’s Macky Sall, Tunisia’s Kais Saied, Congo-Brazzaville, Eritrea, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe’s presidents were among the guests.
Ministers from a number of other nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Algeria, and Chad, represented themselves.
Africa was “willing to discuss the content and implementation” of the proposal, according to AU spokesperson Faki, but “we would have liked to have been consulted beforehand.”
Moving “from words to deeds” was his goal, he continued, saying that making “promises which are often not kept” was insufficient.
