Dr. Ahmed Askar‏‏

As major international actors seek to deepen their engagement with Africa, summit diplomacy is starting to play an increasingly prominent role on the continent. In 2026 alone, there are more than twelve<a href="https://issafrica.org/pscreport/psc-insights/africa-s-foreign-policy-must-focus-on-continental-needs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Africa</a>-focused summits scheduled to take place with international partners, reflecting a growing recognition among African states that such partnerships can help enhance the continent’s international standing and influence.These summits carry added significance in 2026, a year marked by profound shifts in the international system. Africa has not been immune to these changes, particularly amid intensifying geopolitical competition and the growing efforts of external powers to recalibrate their priorities and strategies toward the continent. International powers are seeking to secure strategic interests, especially as global competition over access to Africa’s abundant critical minerals continues to intensify.Against this backdrop, summit diplomacy has been recognized as an important diplomatic tool. Although far from new, it has acquired renewed relevance as a mechanism for advancing the influence of both major and middle powers across Africa. As a result, it has become a key instrument for furthering geopolitical ambitions and securing a strategic foothold on the continent.The origins of this diplomatic approach can be traced to the 1970s, when France launched the France–Africa Summit in 1973. Japan followed with the launch of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in 1993, while the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was established in 2000, the same year the European Union held its first Africa summit in Cairo. Other powers subsequently <a href="https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/africa-eye-summit-diplomacy-33162" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">launched</a> similar initiatives, including India and Turkey in 2008, while United States convened the first U.S.–Africa Leaders Summit under President Barack Obama in 2014. Italy, Hungary, Indonesia, and several others later followed suit. The 2026 calendar is particularly crowded with summits and forums taking place amid growing geopolitical competition across Africa. Addis Ababa hosted the second Italy–Africa Summit in February 2026, while Paris partnered with Nairobi to launch the <a href="https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/opinion/editorials/africa-must-move-from-summit-diplomacy-to-actual-delivery-5463282" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">France–Africa Summit</a> in May 2026, marking the first such gathering held outside the traditional Francophone framework. Meanwhile, the <a href="https://news.az/news/why-did-india-postpone-the-india-africa-summit-and-what-does-it-mean-for-global-diplomacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fourth India–Africa</a> Summit, originally scheduled to take place in New Delhi from May 28–31, 2026, was postponed due to concerns over the spread of Ebola in several African regions. The U.S.–Africa Business Summit is expected to be held in Mauritius from July 26–29, 2026, while the Germany–Africa Summit is scheduled for November 23–25, 2026. Libya is also expected to host the fourth Turkey–Africa Summit during 2026. Looking ahead, the tenth Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is scheduled to take place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2027.Geopolitical ObjectivesAfrica+1 summits continue to expand as new external actors increase their engagement with the continent. At their core, these gatherings are driven by geopolitical objectives linked to influence-building, status enhancement, and access to Africa’s vast resources. Both established and emerging powers are seeking to advance these goals through summit diplomacy. The main drivers behind the continued growth of such forums include the following:1. Africa’s Geostrategic Importance: The international community increasingly recognizes Africa’s strategic importance, making it <a href="https://afripoli.org/africa1-summits-a-closer-look-at-the-geometry-of-global-diplomacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">impossible to exclude</a> the continent from discussions on critical global issues, including the future of energy, technology, and industry. Africa plays a growing role in advanced industries and high-tech sectors due to its abundant reserves of critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are contested by both established and emerging industrial powers.Africa is also one of the world’s fastest-growing regions in terms of population and economic potential, while boasting of some of the most promising emerging markets and strategic resources globally. Its demographic trajectory and resource base are expected to make it an ever more <a href="https://issafrica.org/iss-today/africa-and-summit-diplomacy-global-powers-turn-on-the-charm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influential bloc</a>, with Africans projected to account for nearly a quarter of the world’s population by 2050. Consequently, major powers view cooperation with Africa as a strategic necessity and use summit diplomacy to strengthen political, economic, and security ties with the continent.2. Efforts to Revive Western Influence in Africa: Recent years have witnessed a noticeable decline in French influence across West Africa and the Sahel. France therefore used the Nairobi Summit in May 2026 as an opportunity to recalibrate its relationships with African partners.&nbsp;Similarly, since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to keep pace with intensifying geopolitical competition in Africa. Washington hosted <a href="https://www.eurasiareview.com/15072025-trumps-africa-summit-a-geopolitical-gamble-cloaked-in-awkward-diplomacy-oped/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a mini-summit</a> in 2025 with leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, and Mauritania, while preparations continue for the U.S.–Africa Business Summit in July 2026. These efforts reflect broader attempts to reinforce the U.S. presence in Africa, counter growing Chinese and Russian influence, and prevent Beijing from dominating access to Africa’s critical minerals.3. Competing International Agendas on the Continent: Through these summits, competing <a href="https://cisanewsletter.com/index.php/summit-diplomacy-the-new-scramble-for-africa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">external powers</a> are increasingly seeking to advance their own agendas across Africa in ways that support their strategic interests over the medium term. Continued engagement through summit diplomacy helps secure vital interests for external actors, but it may also contribute to growing competition among international powers. In some cases, these competing interests could generate tensions that affect stability and security across parts of the continent.4. Reshaping Partnerships with Africa: Major powers recognize the importance of securing African diplomatic support within international institutions and multilateral forums. This has become increasingly important amid the complexity of global crises, from the Russia–Ukraine conflict to the Iran war in the Middle East, both of which have intensified efforts to mobilize international backing for divergent stances on these conflicts.As a result, major powers are using summit diplomacy to present themselves as <a href="https://cisanewsletter.com/index.php/summit-diplomacy-the-new-scramble-for-africa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">preferred partners for African countries</a>, particularly in strategic sectors such as economic development, security cooperation, and critical minerals.5. Securing a Strategic Foothold: Recent escalation in the Middle East has further increased Africa’s strategic value, particularly with regard to maritime corridors, chokepoints, and key ports. This is especially evident in East Africa and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.Consequently, external powers are pursuing <a href="https://frenchside.co.za/focus-on-summit-diplomacy-for-africa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economic and security agreements</a> to strengthen economic ties and facilitate access to strategically important regions, including security arrangements around key maritime routes.&nbsp;6. Countering Anti-Western Narratives: External powers increasingly seek to leverage Africa’s demand for development assistance, investment, and infrastructure projects by attaching political, economic, and governance-related conditions to cooperation agreements.At the same time, many Western actors believe that continued African dependence on international partnerships can help contain nationalist and anti-foreign narratives that have gained traction in recent years. Such sentiments have become particularly visible in parts of the Sahel following the wave of military coups that began in 2020 and the rise of new military-led elites. These developments are often viewed as challenges to long-standing international interests that have historically relied on Africa’s resources and strategic importance.Diverging AssessmentsSummit diplomacy also provides African leaders and governments with opportunities for direct dialogue and cooperation across a range of areas, including conflict management and resolution. From the African Union’s perspective, these summits reflect the continent’s broader repositioning within the international system. Many observers argue that African participation in Africa+1 summits serves several <a href="https://www.orfonline.org/research/summitry-as-a-tool-of-diplomacy-the-case-of-the-forum-on-china-africa-cooperation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strategic objectives</a>, including attracting foreign investment, diversifying international partnerships rather than relying on a single external partner, and providing African leaders with a platform to voice concerns regarding issues that directly affect the continent, such as debt and financing. These forums also offer some leaders an opportunity to enhance their international profile and diplomatic standing.However, others take a more critical view of Africa+1 summits, arguing that they often position Africa as a <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2023/08/16/africa-should-push-back-against-one-plus-africa-diplomatic-summits/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recipient of assistance</a>, thereby reinforcing existing power asymmetries between African countries and external partners. Critics contend that such gatherings enable major powers to secure greater access to African resources—including oil and critical minerals—through agreements and memoranda of understanding that do not always deliver meaningful benefits to African societies.Moreover, many observers believe that these summits often appear disconnected from the everyday realities facing African populations, raising questions about the credibility of the commitments and declarations issued by participating leaders. Consequently, some view them less as effective institutional platforms capable of delivering tangible outcomes and more as diplomatic showcases aimed at shaping public perceptions.&nbsp;Criticism has also intensified regarding perceived Western disregard for African strategic priorities, alongside attempts to advance external agendas that serve narrow national interests at the expense of African development objectives. Some analysts even argue that these summits have gradually evolved into instruments through which major powers seek to influence African leaders and secure their alignment in broader geopolitical rivalries.Against this backdrop, calls have grown across Africa for the continent to be treated not as an arena for geopolitical competition or a prize contested by external powers, but as a collection of sovereign states with full ownership of their resources and the right to choose their partners on the basis of mutual benefit. Advocates of this approach argue that such partnerships are more likely to promote sustainable development and advance shared interests in the years ahead.A Key Diplomatic ToolOverall, Africa+1 summits remain a crucial institutional platform for diplomatic engagement between African states and international partners. Nevertheless, questions persist regarding their effectiveness and their ability to generate mutually beneficial outcomes, particularly given the continued tendency of some external actors to overlook African priorities and development needs, as well as the limited translation of summit pledges into tangible results on the ground.Despite these concerns, such summits are likely to remain a recurring feature of Africa’s international engagement in the years ahead. Their continued expansion reflects their growing importance as a key manifestation of geopolitical competition on the continent, while participating powers are expected to remain committed to these forums as an important strategic tool for consolidating influence in Africa amid rapidly evolving international dynamics.

How the Africa+1 Summits Are Building New Partnerships in Africa?