'Off-Axis Relations': Experts Explain Benefits of Closer BRICS-Africa Ties
14:23 15.12.2023 (Updated: 18:07 15.12.2023)
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BRICS-based cooperation on the African continent is developing on an equal footing, unlike the historical performance of Western countries in the region, according to experts interviewed by Sputnik.
Brazil has established many commercial and technological agreements with African countries, mainly through the efforts of left-wing governments, as well as universities and public and private companies, Kaue Lopes, Professor at the Brazil's State University of Campinas, explained.
For him, cooperation with countries in the Global South tends to be more horizontal, especially with nations that have some kind of connection to Brazilian history.
"In general, we can see a tendency to transform relations away from the old metropolis-colony axis," Lopes opined.
Lopes, a visiting researcher at the Latin American and Caribbean Center at the London School of Economics and Political Science, added that different countries produce different commercial products, which facilitates exchange.
This month, the Kenyan market opened to Brazilian rice; in August, the two countries reaffirmed their cultural integration; and in March, the Brazilian Senate approved the Brazil-Kenya Education Agreement.
For the President of the Afro-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Rui Mucaje, the relationship between the two countries has been strengthened by initiatives on both sides. He believes that Brazil can strengthen itself by sharing strategic sectors and contributing to Kenya's food security, for example.
Guided by the Ubuntu principle, which means "I am because we are," Mucaje remarked that it is possible to cooperate commercially while respecting the guidelines of the Blue Economy [sustainable development of coastal resources] in the agricultural, tourism, energy and construction sectors.
"These areas represent valuable opportunities for Brazilian companies and institutions in Kenya," he pointed out.
"It is also important that Brazil reciprocates. One example: Kenya is one of the world's largest producers of tea, but has difficulty exporting to Brazil. This highlights the need for Brazilian policies to facilitate the entry of Kenyan products into the national market. Trade relations between countries should be seen as a two-way street," Mucaje said.
Professor Kaue Lopes pointed out that Brazil has been exporting manufactured goods to African countries, such as frozen foods and cookies.
As a result, there has been a growing rapprochement with other African countries. In August, Brazil and Angola signed seven cooperation agreements; in April, a food security cooperation project was signed with Mozambique.
This rapprochement intensified during the administrations of Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva, according to Lopes, but has been a common scenario since the military dictatorship.
"The Geisel [Brazilian president from 1974 to 1979, during the military regime] government was the first to recognize Angola's independence. This already means a strategic and geopolitical orientation towards the countries of the South, in a South-South relationship that is beginning to take shape," he emphasized.
According to Mucaje, Brazil has one of the largest diplomatic networks on the African continent and has always supported emerging nations.
Importance of BRICS in Global South
The intensification of commercial and political relations between African countries and the nations of the Global South has become increasingly important, especially in the 21st century, according to Lopes, who highlights the relevance of this phenomenon, especially with regard to the BRICS countries, a group made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which play a certain leading role.
According to him, China has played a crucial role for decades, with an aggressive strategy in the search of raw materials to boost industrialization, which has led the Asian dragon to sign numerous bilateral agreements with African countries.
"In many of the continent's major economies, the Asians have become the main import partner," the expert opined.
Lopes noted that although China is not the primary export partner for all African countries, its presence is significant in terms of imports, providing both raw materials and manufactured goods.
As for concerns about the influence of these countries, Lopes questioned the narrative of co-optation or neo-colonialism, especially in the case of China.
"I don't think so, because colonization presupposes a colonial institution; that's the basis of colonization, a relationship of colonial exclusivity, completely asymmetrical exploitation and military violence," he noted.
"These relationships are not symmetrical, but the fact that they are not symmetrical does not mean that there is colonization, neo-colonialism, or co-optation of interests. There are bilateral agreements built in which African leaders have agency in these agreements and they determine what is important for their countries," Lopes argued.
For him, such terms delegitimize the ability of African leaders to defend their own national interests, including strategies to reduce vulnerability.
The professor pointed to the untapped potential of African countries, which is beginning to be unblocked by countries in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, or in the Arab world, such as the United Arab Emirates.
"When they say that Africa is the last frontier of capitalism, that's what they mean. There is a potential of 1.2 billion people on the continent," he outlined.
He emphasized the difficulty of generalizing relations, since each African country responds to foreign relations in a unique way. India, for example, stands out in East Africa because of its social and geographical proximity.
"There are countries that have modulated their discourse for the 21st century, like France, but continue to have very imperialist practices," the expert revealed.
"In Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and other countries colonized by France, there is a great rejection of any kind of relationship with that country. Even the civilian population is very much in favor of strengthening relations with other countries, such as Russia. This shouldn't be seen as some kind of manipulation or something, we have to understand the reasons that led to this," he remarked.
According to Mucaje, Brazil has a certain regional leadership in Latin America and has historically advocated for the inclusion of African countries in important global forums such as the G20.
"Thanks to the joint efforts of India and Brazil, the African Union was included, representing the 55 countries of the continent, each with its own characteristics and challenges," he stressed.
Mucaje pointed out that Russia had also been present in the liberation struggles of various countries, "which has culminated in extensive cooperation in various sectors, including vocational training," while South Africa had shown the world with a history of social struggles.
For him, the creation of BRICS represents a major shift in global geopolitics. The growing inclusion of African countries in the group – first South Africa in 2010, and more recently Egypt and Ethiopia – has been a "remarkable development."
"BRICS now brings together more than 40% of the world's population and more than 25% of the world's wealth. This highly important forum reflects the aspirations of several African nations and proposes the formation of a new world order that gives a voice to countries that have historically been excluded from global decisions and that share similar realities and solutions," Mucaje emphasized.
Nevertheless, he believes that in addition to the BRICS powers, Africa still has "indispensable" cooperation with Western countries.
"During my experience in Angola and my travels on the continent, especially in Rwanda, I realized that international cooperation can be crucial in reducing conflicts," the expert said.
"Unfortunately, many of these conflicts, exacerbated by external influences, have turned into wars and genocides, deeply affecting relations between nations. In my view, the process of 'co-optation' is not the most effective strategy in the current African context. History teaches us that it is unity that promotes peace in Africa and throughout the world," he outlined.
Africa's Current Challenges in Trade Relations
Africa has a growing market, driven by population growth, but there are challenges, especially due to low consumer power, Arno Gleisner, director of foreign trade at the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services, told Sputnik.
"Many African countries have political problems, ethnic and other conflicts, including wars. Payment difficulties are also recurrent in the region, but the continent is rich in natural resources and its industrial production is very low," he said.
According to him, there are high imports of manufactured goods and demand for engineering and goods.
"When a construction company does a job in an African country, it also imports, or gets other service providers in the area to import, complementary Brazilian products," the official remarked.
However, he understands that trade flows with former European colonial powers are still very strong.
"Connections and procedures, both commercial and logistical, facilitate negotiations and payments. Proximity is a clear advantage for European countries," Gleisner asserted.
Still, he believes that South Africa, as part of the BRICS, is already a natural bridge to non-Western countries, despite logistical difficulties.
In addition, India has an "advantage in relative proximity and the existence of a population of Indian origin with a high level of participation in trade; it has many traders of Indian origin."
Russia, on the other hand, has had greater political and economic influence, especially during the Soviet era.
As for Brazil, he noted that there might be a rapprochement in the coming years.
"Brazil has also had a greater involvement in goods and services, but it's possible that things will pick up again, as there are many Brazilians with a solid knowledge of African market relations," Gleisner predicted.
On the other hand, professor and researcher Kaue Lopes pointed out that technological cooperation can also pose a commercial threat, since all countries are competitors. For example, cocoa is native to the Amazon basin, according to records from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), but it performs very well in Mesoamerica and also in African countries.
"Ivory Coast and Ghana are the two largest cocoa producers in the world," he disclosed.
Brazil has historically supported other countries – like when Embrapa sent researchers to West Africa to help grow cotton – However, this may lead to future competition.
"It's a complex situation from a political and economic point of view," he stressed.
"We are currently building these agreements, [...] different orders of cooperation, but also knowing that there is a potential for competition further down the line," Lopes added.
In conclusion, Mucaje noted that there is a need for more trade initiatives between different countries.
"Currently, trade cooperation between Brazil and Kenya has not reached its full potential," he said. "It is therefore important to promote more trade initiatives. These are an essential form of diplomacy and should be increasingly promoted in a global context, with the aim of strengthening ties and developing both countries."
