German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has resuscitated the frantic effort to rebuild the EU’s waned diplomatic and commercial presence in Africa in the face of growing Chinese and Russian influence in one of the fastest-growing regions of the world.
Scholz’s May 4–May 7 official visit to Ethiopia and Kenya—the second to the continent in less than a year since taking office—saw him making the case for the African Union (AU) joining the G20, discussing economic cooperation and global challenges such as climate change.
But coming amid the raging conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine—and in the wake of the two-year war in Ethiopia—the German chancellor’s visit has been varyingly appreciated by critics….