Ottawa may scrap the place of particular envoy to Africa, regardless of Home of Commons and Senate committees calling on the federal government to provide the function a better precedence and extra assets to capitalize on a projected financial growth on the continent.
“Each time I talk about Africa, it’s like speaking right into a vacuum as a result of I really feel like individuals’s eyes are closed to this continent,” Sen. Amina Gerba mentioned in a French-language interview.
“We shouldn’t restrict ourselves to only Europe or simply Asia. We have to open ourselves as much as different markets, and the fastest-growing markets at this time are in Africa.”
On June 3, World Affairs Canada introduced it will exchange its ambassador to the African Union when Ben Marc Diendéré’s three-year time period wrapped up this 12 months. In March 2025, in its final weeks in workplace, the Trudeau authorities appointed Diendéré as a particular envoy for Africa.
The brand new function was a part of the Trudeau authorities’s Africa Technique, which known as for Canada to shift its coverage for the continent away from a concentrate on overseas support and improvement and towards deeper financial engagement with the continent and its younger inhabitants.
The technique got here out shortly earlier than an election name after years of delay, and the Trudeau authorities supplied no new funding for the technique.
In an announcement, World Affairs Canada didn’t say whether or not the particular envoy place will proceed as soon as Diendéré retires from the overseas service.
“The roles of everlasting observer to the African Union and Particular Envoy to Africa are distinct and maintain separate mandates. (A) future announcement concerning the Particular Envoy for Africa will probably be made in the end,” wrote division spokeswoman Thida Ith.
The overseas affairs committees of the Home of Commons and Senate each have urged Ottawa to do a greater job of defining and supporting the place.
The Home committee launched its report final Friday. It famous that in testimony in January, Diendéré advised MPs he was supported by just one Canadian diplomat and one regionally employed worker in Addis Ababa.
That report additionally cited testimony from final December by College of Calgary professor Chris W. J. Roberts, who mentioned the positions of particular envoy for the continent and particular envoy for safety points within the Sahel area “have added titles to overworked ambassadors and their tiny staffs with none corresponding extra monetary or human assets.”
The Senate committee heard comparable issues and urged Ottawa to stipulate “the mandates and goals” of each envoys.
“The committee encourages the federal government to offer extra info on the respective roles and priorities of the particular envoys, and make sure that they’ve the assets essential to fulfil their goals,” the Senate committee reported.
The federal government has not responded for the reason that Senate report was issued in December. Gerba mentioned she finds that “actually stunning.”
Each the Commons and Senate stories argued Canada has failed to totally capitalize on a long time of typically optimistic relationships in Africa.
Gerba, a Quebec senator who grew up in Cameroon, mentioned she fears Canada is lacking alternatives in commerce and infrastructure on the continent, significantly as Prime Minister Mark Carney pushes to double commerce with international locations exterior the U.S.
She mentioned Canada ought to lead commerce delegations to Africa and have a plan to capitalize on financial development within the medium and long run. Each different main buying and selling nation, from China to France, is making headway on the continent, she mentioned.
“What’s stunning is that we don’t see what different powers are doing in Africa. We’re combating to type partnerships in Europe and Europe is now combating to determine itself in Africa. Most of our G7 companions are already current in Africa, as a result of that’s the place the motion is at this time,” Gerba mentioned.
“We’ve got particular envoys in nearly all essential areas of the world. We don’t have any in Africa.”
Gerba mentioned there was some progress in latest weeks, citing International Affairs Minister Anita Anand welcoming the heads of the African Continental Free Commerce Space and the African Growth Financial institution to Ottawa.
She famous Canada additionally just lately endorsed a Moroccan plan on the way forward for the Western Sahara area. Gerba mentioned Morocco has seen that situation as an irritant with Canada for years and it seemingly halted talks on a commerce deal. In April, Anand introduced Canada had endorsed Morocco’s coverage and mentioned she plans to go to the nation “within the coming weeks.”
Diendéré’s substitute as envoy to the African Union, Annika Allman, has a background in worldwide improvement. That has some enterprise advocates questioning whether or not Canada’s concentrate on the continent is shifting again to its typical concentrate on support over commerce.
“Appointments are among the many clearest indicators governments ship about their priorities,” the Canadian Centre for African Affairs and Coverage Analysis wrote in a short final week.
“If Africa is to be seen principally as a strategic companion, Canada’s illustration ought to more and more mirror experience in commerce, funding, finance, and market improvement. As a substitute, Ottawa has as soon as once more turned to the event institution.”
Gerba mentioned she gained’t weigh in on whether or not Canada is reversing its pivot towards commerce in Africa till she sees outcomes. She famous the continent is ready to account for one-fourth of humanity by 2050.
“Different continents will probably be in decline, so the place are we going to prosper? The place are we going to promote?” she requested.
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