How African countries can join forces with an emerging Global South partner

To maintain resilience as a new multipolar world emerges, countries must adapt their foreign relations strategies to manage political and economic risk. Colombia, a country traditionally focused on its ties with the United States, Europe, and Latin American neighbors, is now turning its attention towards Africa. After a 26-year hiatus, the country has announced that a high-level delegation of some 60 representatives will be visiting South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia on Friday. The delegation, representing both public and private sectors, will be led by Colombia’s first Vice President of African descent, Her Excellency Francia Márquez, as part of the country’s 2022-2026 Africa Strategy. The 8-day visit not only reflects a strategic diplomatic shift for Colombia but also an opportunity to leverage the unique contributions of its Afro-Colombian population in fostering stronger relations with African countries.

With an economy similar in size to South Africa, Colombia has emerged from a decades-long armed conflict to becoming a dominant player in trade in the Western Hemisphere. Thanks to its strategic location, the country acts as a bridge between North and South American countries, joining Mexico, Chile, and Peru as part of the Pacific Alliance—a Latin American trade bloc with a combined population of 230 million people that makes up approximately 38 percent of Latin American and the Caribbean’s GDP.

Colombia reimagines its foreign policy, leveraging the African diaspora as diplomatic change agents

After a historic 2022 election in which Colombia transitioned to a popular government led by President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Márquez, the political will for genuine engagement with Africa has never been more lucid than in Petro’s very own presidential inauguration speech, in which he emphasised:

“We will seek greater alliances with Africa, where we originate from; we will seek an alliance of Afro-descendant communities in the Americas.”

During her election campaign, Márquez also expressed the African idea of ubuntu under the banner of “Soy porque somos” (“I am because we are”) to promote solidarity between communities. When the Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), visited Colombia in February on a work agenda to find alternatives to strengthen the economy, she discussed with Márquez a vision of for the country’s relationship with Africa.

Today, Colombia boasts the second largest population of African descent in Latin America after Brazil. According to the latest census data, Colombians of African descent constitute around 10% of the country’s population—a figure highly contested by civil society organizations who believe it to be a vast undercount equivalent to “statistical genocide” in a country where historical estimates put the figure as high as 26% of the population, according to Colombia’s National Plan for the Development of the Afro-Colombian Population. Notwithstanding, this demographic plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between Colombia and Africa; their cultural and historical ties, language skills, and personal exchanges with the African continent make them natural ambassadors for fostering stronger relations. As evidence of this strategy, three renowned Afro-Colombian leaders have already been named as diplomats on the African continent: María del Rosario Mina Rojas, Ambassador to South Africa; Pedro León Cortes Ruiz, in Kenya; and Daniel Garcés Carabalí, in Ghana.

Challenges and opportunities for Africa

Building stronger ties with Colombia will not be without challenges. Colombia lags considerably behind countries like Brazil in trade and political ties with Africa. Colombia’s trade relationship with Africa in 2022 was still notably small, and no African country ranked among Colombia’s top 30 trading partners. Linguistic and cultural differences, logistical barriers, as well as a perception issues and unfamiliarity on both sides of the Atlantic may throttle the development of deeper ties in the short term. Moreover, Colombia must balance its relationships with traditional partners while pursuing new alliances, ensuring that it does not alienate its long-standing allies in the process.

Despite these challenges, African countries should maximise the opportunities for cooperation with Colombia as a function of their national interests. For African countries, partnering with Colombia can provide access to Latin American markets, expertise in areas such as infrastructure development, agriculture, tourism, and knowledge transfer. For Colombia, increased trade opportunities, knowledge exchange, and collaboration on global issues like climate change and security can help diversify its economy and reduce dependence on traditional partners.

Countries such as Rwanda, have important experiences to share on improving gender equality and innovative post-conflict economic transformation. Meanwhile, Kenya can build a common voice with Colombia on environmental issues with its recent rise in leading climate change discussions across Africa. Kenya and Colombia are also well-positioned to design and implement innovative solutions to mitigate climate risks that can serve as a model for the rest of the world. At the moment, the only direct flight connections between South America and Africa were via Angola or Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, could provide a new route to Colombia to help improve connectivity, tourism, and business travel. Beyond increased market access for its products and services, South Africa can share experiences about its reconciliation processes and provide technical assistance in different areas of strength such as: infrastructure, research and development, as well cooperation in areas such as education, culture and the arts.

From an African Union perspective, Agenda 2063’s seven key aspirations align harmoniously with the Colombian administration’s current focus on peace, security, equality, and environmental protection. The AU also recognises the important role of the African diaspora, officially designated as the Sixth Region of Africa, in the development of the continent. This provides an opportunity to mobilise the Spanish-speaking diaspora to actively participate in the development of Africa, by creating platforms for dialogue, exchange, and skills transfer. Engagement with Colombia also provides an opportunity to advocate for the rights of its Afro-Colombian population, by addressing issues such as racism, discrimination, as well as their historical economic and social exclusion.

In these unprecedented times of pandemic, climate change, supply chain, and monetary risks, the need to reinvigorate South-South cooperation has never been more pronounced. As our continent and other Global South countries such Colombia seek to overcome the final remnants of colonialism and exploitation, now is the right time for African leaders to seek genuine partners. It is only by leveraging our joint strengths and aspirations that we can effectively face the challenges of the 21st century.

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Recognised as the Global Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Under 40 and the African Travel Top 100 Global Tourism Personalities in 2019, Fabien Anthony is an accomplished tech entrepreneur, special advisor on international cooperation, and current Chairman of the Pan-African Council, a global leadership and strategic development organisation dedicated to the advancement of Africa and her Diaspora.