German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made his inaugural visit to Africa with a three-nation tour that began in Senegal and concluded in South Africa. His trip came a little over three months after a visit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was abruptly cut short by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ongoing crisis there and its geopolitical ramifications—including for food and energy security, international security and the future of the international system more broadly—were prominent features of Scholz’s visit. Niger, a critical regional security partner and a major transit point for irregular migration across the Mediterranean, is set to become the linchpin of France’s counterterrorism mission in the Sahel. And South Africa, a continental heavyweight with Africa’s third-largest economy and a hydrogen industry that is becoming increasingly attractive to European countries, serves as a continental hub for many German companies.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 27, 2022 17:50 UTC