Spain's Bold New Strategy for Africa: Will It Succeed?

To strengthen ties with Africa and fill the European void left by France, Spain has launched a medium-term strategic plan focused on the African continent. 

This initiative builds on Spain’s balanced approach in recent years and its positive reception by African nations.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled the plan, which aims to boost economic and diplomatic relations with Africa over the next three years while developing “legal pathways” for migration.

During an event in Madrid on December 5, 2024, Sanchez stated that his country seeks to begin a new era in its relationship with the African continent, grounded in equality. 

The socialist leader emphasized that Africa is already a key partner for Spain and that its importance will only grow in the coming years. He also noted that Spain’s trade with Africa now surpasses its trade with Latin America.

The strategic plan outlines 100 initiatives, including strengthening “political dialogue” with Africa by opening new embassies and consulates and establishing an institution aimed at offering “academic opportunities” for African youth.

It also proposes a “professional mobility strategy” to create a migration model that benefits countries of origin, migrants, and host nations, according to the Prime Minister.

The event was attended by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, and ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray.

Other attendees included Senegal’s Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, Abdourahmane Sarr, as well as African diplomats, European representatives in Spain, members of the Spanish government, academics, business leaders, and civil society figures with ties to Africa.

Bilateral Cooperation

Mauritanian President and African Union Chairperson Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani emphasized that Spain’s new strategy towards Africa will play a pivotal role in enhancing cooperation between the two sides.

In his address at the event, Ghazouani highlighted that the strategy lays the groundwork for building an ideal partnership that ensures mutual benefits. He reaffirmed the African Union’s readiness to collaborate with Spain to implement the plan effectively.

He noted that the scale and complexity of challenges faced by both parties—ranging from climate change and security to migration and other aspects of sustainable development—demand deeper and more robust cooperation within the framework of this strategic partnership.

Ghazouani stressed that this strategy, developed through collaboration and participation, allows both sides to better identify shared priorities and maximize their respective potentials in a spirit of solidarity and integration.

Amid global transformations, he underscored Africa’s urgent need for strong and dynamic partnerships rooted in mutual respect and a shared commitment to achieving common interests, particularly under the Spain-Africa Strategy for 2025–2028.

He identified key shared priorities, including human development, addressing the impacts of climate change, advancing clean energy solutions, combating terrorism, and managing irregular migration flows.

Ghazouani called on Spain to support regional economic integration by promoting the African Continental Free Trade Area, fostering mutually beneficial investments, and aiding the Sahel region in tackling ongoing challenges.

However, he added, “We must establish follow-up mechanisms to ensure that the commitments made here quickly translate into tangible realities for our people.”

Concluding, he expressed confidence that this meeting would mark a critical turning point in Spain-Africa cooperation. “Together, we can—and must—build a model partnership that benefits both sides.”

Vision Evaluation

Africa has become a target and ambition for all major countries, including those in Europe. As a result, Spain has started strengthening its partnerships with African nations, according to Abbas al-Wardi, a professor of public law at Mohammed V University in Rabat.

Al-Wardi told Al-Estiklal that Madrid does not want to signal that its goal is purely economic. This is why Spain’s new strategy places a strong emphasis on cultural and educational cooperation and youth development.

“This is indeed a very positive strategic vision, but it is short-term,” he argued. “It will not be sufficient to build the foundation or bridge that Spain seeks in its relationship with Africa.”

He attributed this to the strategy’s short-term scope and the existence of other obstacles to partnership, such as the tense relations between Africa and several European countries, particularly France.

This tension stems from France's historical actions in Africa, including continued interventions after the end of direct colonialism.

The law professor stressed that it is essential to send positive signals to build mutual trust between the new parties involved in the strategy.

He also said African countries geographically closer to Spain will have a unique position in this partnership, as geography plays a crucial role in political relations.

“This is why it must be considered in framing bilateral or multilateral relations, as we saw, for example, that the tensions between Spain and Morocco in the past were short-lived.”

These tensions were resolved after Madrid’s recognition of “the Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara” and its support for the autonomy proposal as a solution to the ongoing dispute in the region.

Spain's Interests

Spanish media have confirmed that the new strategy serves Spain's interests in the context of global competition to seize opportunities presented by the African continent.

In this regard, La Moncloa said Africa's stability and progress have become a strategic interest for Spain.

This is why Spain has worked to strengthen its relations with the continent, which is undergoing an economic, political, and social transformation.

The outlet highlighted Africa's growing influence in global affairs and its increasing awareness of its significance, which led Pedro Sanchez to declare that Spain seeks to embark on a new chapter in its relationship with the continent, based on equality.

It emphasized that the new Spanish-African strategy aims to guide Madrid’s actions on the continent, focusing on partnership, mutual respect, and mutual benefit.

The five main objectives of this new strategy, as outlined by Sanchez, include enhancing the Spanish-African relationship through deepened knowledge, dialogue, and facilitating joint action.

Secondly, the strategy focuses on economic development and youth empowerment. Thirdly, it seeks to establish closer ties between African and Spanish communities and economies.

Fourth, it aims at cooperation to strengthen capacities in justice and security matters. Lastly, the strategy promotes coexistence with open African communities and strong institutions.

The outlet pointed out that one of the key aspects of the strategy is that it is, for the first time, designed with a continental perspective, without distinguishing between countries.

However, special attention is given to Spain's immediate neighbors, namely North and West Africa, and the Sahel region.

Another distinguishing feature is that Spain presents itself as an EU member state ready to take on a more prominent role in guiding and implementing Brussels' policy towards Africa.

Spain also seeks to leverage European policy tools more effectively to support development and strategic objectives across the continent, in line with agreements made with African partners.

Comprehensive Objectives

Spanish political analyst Oscar Garrido Guijarro confirms that the Spanish government has set as one of its foreign policy goals the expansion of its presence in the Sahel and West Africa regions, while also aiming to establish a foothold in the Sub-Saharan region.

In an article published on The Diplomatic Spain on November 6, 2024, Guijarro emphasized that the strong cooperation model between Spain and Senegal, covering diplomatic, commercial, security, defense, and cultural matters, is intended to be expanded to include the Southern African region.

He pointed out that while Western influence in the region, represented by France, is waning, Spain has strengthened its position over the past two decades in West Africa as a modest yet reliable partner.

This is especially evident in the continuous call for cooperation between both parties in the region to promote growth and socio-economic prosperity.

Spain has also demonstrated its ability to build equal partnerships in the region and has successfully avoided being seen as a new colonial actor, according to Guijarro.

He further emphasized that in addition to Latin America and the Maghreb, Spain has now made Sub-Saharan Africa a priority in its foreign policy.

“Spain is making efforts to build exemplary relationships with African countries, positioning itself to become a significant and influential player in the region,” the political analyst concluded.

African Appreciation

In the month preceding the signing of Spain’s new strategy, the Senegalese news outlet APAnews reflected on the partnership between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Spain for the 2024-2027 period, which is part of a sustainable development dynamic.

On November 7, 2024, the website added that this partnership aims to ensure positive transformation in agriculture, energy, gender equality, and infrastructure, thus paving the way for inclusive and equitable growth.

“Both Spain and ECOWAS reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation by reviewing the shared priority programs for the 2024-2027 period,” APAnews reported.

This initiative seeks to consolidate efforts in several strategic areas to foster comprehensive and sustainable development in West Africa.

As part of this enhanced cooperation, a technical working session was held on November 5, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria, bringing together the Directorate of External Relations and technical agencies from ECOWAS and the Spanish Cooperation Office.

The session reviewed the activities and programs related to the 2024-2027 priorities, focusing on several key areas, including rural development, sustainable agricultural food systems, food security, access to clean energy, gender equality, and women's empowerment, communication, infrastructure, as well as inclusive economic development and institutional strengthening.

This collaboration aims to address the region’s specific challenges while fostering resilient, inclusive economic growth, continuing Spain’s support for the ECOWAS organization’s integrated development efforts in West Africa.

The outlet reported that by reaffirming their mutual commitment, ECOWAS and Spain aim to lay the foundations for lasting cooperation, which is expected to bring tangible changes to the lives of West African populations.

It further stressed that strengthening this cooperation through shared goals and technical exchanges reflects the desire to better meet the needs of ECOWAS member states.