A global concerted effort is needed to stop irregular migration from Africa to Europe

On Sunday, the European Union (EU) signed an $8 billion aid package with Egypt in Cairo. Its objectives are to curb irregular migration across the Mediterranean to Europe, to support North Africa’s struggling economy, and to foster cooperation in the following areas: Border control, trade and security. There are growing concerns that Egypt, home to 9 million migrants, could be inundated with even more migrants from conflict-affected neighboring countries hoping to reach European shores.

Strengthening relations between the EU and Egypt and the slump in Cairo’s economy are both welcome measures. But stopping the flow of illegal migrants from Africa to Europe will require more than strengthening borders. To do so, we need to decipher the real causes that drive migrants to make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean. I urge EU leaders to think deeply about why these migrants are risking their lives to seek refuge in other countries.

Africa’s dangerous tipping point of political instability and rampant stagflation is forcing Africans to migrate. Today, there is an urgent need to help Africans resolve conflicts. After all, military coups flourished in Africa in 2023, with coups erupting in Niger and Gabon in July and August, respectively. In December, a coup attempt also occurred in Guinea-Bissau. Prior to this, coups occurred in Mali (August 2020), Chad (April 2021), Guinea (September 2021), Sudan (October 2021), and Burkina Faso (January 2022). Most of these military takeovers occurred in former French colonies in West and Central Africa, leading some to characterize the region as a “coup belt” region.

Millions of Africans are currently in need of humanitarian relief. More than 20 million people in Ethiopia are in urgent need of food assistance. The situation has worsened in Sudan, with the United Nations warning on March 15 that 5 million Sudanese were at risk of starvation. More than four million Sudanese have fled their homes and thousands have been reported killed or injured since Sudan entered major conflict in April. An estimated 4 million Sundanese people live in Egypt.

I can feel that pain because I live in Africa. Many African countries are currently mired in economic quagmire, street protests, and renewed violence. Sadly, extreme hunger is affecting children in Ethiopia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Madagascar, Lesotho, Niger, Guinea-Bissau and Chad. These countries are in a spiral of extreme conflict and are at increased risk of starvation.

There are three reasons behind the outbreak of conflict in Africa: domestic problems, opportunism (as seen in flawed elections and corruption), and colonial exploitation that prevents Africa from escaping poverty. included. The spillover effects of the Russia-Ukraine war and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are also adding to the dire situation in many economically challenged African countries and exacerbating food insecurity on the continent. There is. There are also concerns that the Gaza war could lead to an influx of people into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula through Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians have fled.

In his 1963 masterpiece africa must unite, Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s founding prime minister, wrote, “It is impossible to separate Africa’s problems from the problems of the world as a whole.” Africa today is witnessing unprecedented changes and challenges due to regional conflicts, economic stagnation, global instability, and conflict between the West and East. These factors are exacerbating the dire economic situation in which many African countries are engulfed.

Hunger and economic dependence on superpowers pose the greatest threat to Africans. African countries are accumulating external debt at a rapid pace, taking advantage of abundant low-cost international credit for budgetary support and balance of payments support for the promotion of development plans. Africa’s heavily indebted countries are struggling to service their debts and facing pressure to increase spending amid currency collapse.

The political and economic grievances of Africans are so great that they cannot be resolved alone. It is a moral obligation for the Global North to help Africans emerge from the economic turmoil that is causing conflict. Rich countries should more actively adopt political strategies to promote peace between Africa’s conflicting factions, including debt relief initiatives that enable Africans to adopt effective development plans. This can be achieved by introducing

The future of an economically stable Africa that can support its children depends on how quickly the international community can extricate Africa from its current debt crisis. The trajectory of African policy by world leaders needs to change from a primary focus on security to one that also includes the fight against hunger. Because only by helping Africans cope with hunger can we guarantee the safety and security of Africa, and the world.

Mohamed El Bendery is a freelance writer based in Egypt. His commentaries have appeared in major international media and he is the author of the following books: “Ugly Americans” in the hearts of Arabs: Why do Arabs hate America?

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.