Among others, France’s President Emmanuel Macron has echoed these calls, saying “we must give African economies some breathing space”. It is debatable, however, whether breathing space is what African economies need. Most governments’ economic responses to COVID-19 have been aimed at preserving the status quo and facilitating a return to normal. Yet that status quo – built on centuries of unequal global economic structures – has done little to promote prosperity in Africa. Secondly, African governments could work together through the African Union and regional blocks to expand the continent’s credit facilities.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 17, 2020 09:33 UTC