Lomé hosted Friday the opening of an extraordinary summit of the African Political Alliance (APA), bringing together ten African member states and representatives from Gulf countries - notably Kuwait and Qatar - to discuss the continent's response to the Middle East crisis and its far-reaching consequences for African economies.
At the heart of the discussions lies a concrete and immediate concern: the Strait of Hormuz © Mena Today
Lomé hosted Friday the opening of an extraordinary summit of the African Political Alliance (APA), bringing together ten African member states and representatives from Gulf countries - notably Kuwait and Qatar - to discuss the continent's response to the Middle East crisis and its far-reaching consequences for African economies.
The session was opened by Togo's President of the Council Faure Gnassingbé, who set the tone with a frank assessment of Africa's vulnerability to global disruptions it has no hand in creating.
At the heart of the discussions lies a concrete and immediate concern: the Strait of Hormuz.
The blockade has disrupted the flow of oil, gas and fertilisers, commodities on which African economies depend heavily. While the signing of a preliminary US-Iran agreement has improved maritime traffic, the situation remains far from resolved, and African countries are watching closely.
Africa's Broader Vulnerability
Gnassingbé went further, expressing concern that future global crises - not just this one - will continue to penalise African economies as long as the continent lacks genuine diplomatic weight on the world stage. It is a recurring and uncomfortable truth: Africa suffers the consequences of conflicts it did not start, in regions it does not control, through mechanisms it has no power to influence.
That is precisely why the African Political Alliance was created. Founded at Togo's initiative in May 2023 and grouping Angola, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Libya, Mali, Namibia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania and Togo, the APA was built around a single conviction: Africa must stop being a spectator of global events and start becoming an actor.
Friday's summit - with Gulf states at the table - is a step in that direction. Whether it translates into real influence remains the harder question.
By Nabil Al Blooshi
The body of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was lying in state in a vast hall in Tehran on Friday as clerics, officials, foreign dignitaries and other mourners paid their respects after his 37-year rule.
The World Bank has announced the appointment of Dahlia Khalifa as Division Director for the Middle East Department, covering Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. She succeeds Jean-Christophe Carret, who served in the role for four years.
NATO leaders gather next week in Ankara, where Europeans aim to set aside strife with U.S. President Donald Trump over Iran and Greenland and show they are stepping up to defend the continent as Washington cuts back on its commitments to the alliance.
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