Article from Diplomatika magazine – N°03 : By Hamidou DIOP Journalist specialist international economic cooperation
The history of international relations is marked by ruptures that redefine power relations and redistribute the maps of global influence. Today we live in one of these pivotal periods.
Geopolitical tensions, fragmentation of value chains, technological rivalries, energy transition, climate imperatives and the artificial intelligence revolution constitute an international order whose contours remain uncertain. In this new configuration, Africa is no longer only observing the changes of the world; It gradually becomes one of the most coveted and decisive spaces.
With a population that will exceed two billion inhabitants in the coming decades, strategic resources essential for industrial and digital transitions, creative youth and a continental market that is being structured thanks to the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTAAf), the continent has considerable assets.
However, these potentials will only lead to sustainable prosperity if they are accompanied by a strategic vision capable of transforming comparative advantages into genuine levers of economic and diplomatic power.
It is precisely from this perspective that economic diplomacy is now a priority. For a long time limited to trade promotion or the search for foreign investment, it has now become a central instrument of the foreign policy of States.
It mobilises diplomatic networks, economic actors, financial institutions, research centres and companies around a common objective: to defend national interests while strengthening international partnerships.
For African countries, this represents a historic opportunity. Economic diplomacy is no longer simply about attracting capital; It also aims at promoting technology transfer, developing infrastructure, building industrial capacity, securing supply chains, supporting exports, promoting innovation and improving the competitiveness of national economies. It thus becomes a pillar of economic sovereignty.
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