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THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE: TWO ELEPHANTS, ONE ROOM?
By Francis Lee-Saunders
When the weekend-long Munich Security Conference
(MSC) kicked off on 17 February, two things were
already clear. First, a new global world order could
be in the offing, and second, the United States (US)
would find a way to top the agenda. That these two
things are directly related is not a coincidence.
The conference discussed key global
security issues, elevating the US – but
leaving Africa in the blindspot.
Global leaders – mostly from Europe and the
US – descended on Munich, Germany to attend
the premier world security conference. From the
onset, there was scepticism about what lies ahead.
The accompanying Munich Security Report 2017
titled, ‘Post-truth, post-west, post-order?’ reflected
some of this, and outlined how complex challenges
confronting the West really were. These include the rise
of (dis)information and fake news; leaking of classified
information; the reality of (forced) migration; violent
extremism; health security; and defence innovation.
These issues are of particular significance to Africa,
but in the corridors, halls and meeting rooms of the
conference, Africa was far from the forefront of people’s
minds. This despite the fact that there has been a noted
surge in forced migration since 2013 from conflict
hotspots in Africa, particularly from the Sahel, North
Africa and the Horn. While many African migrants
remain within the continent – with Ethiopia currently
housing close to 750 000 refugees – tens of thousands
do make their way to Europe.
Migration discussions failing to include African
views could lead to ill–informed responses
Any mass migration discussion that fails to include a
platform for Africa could only lead to insufficiently informed
responses. While the European Union (EU) has recognised
the need to engage with African countries on stop-gap
measures, and is working to find sustainable solutions
to mass migration, this requires active partnerships and
real coordination. A forum such as the MSC could have
benefited from a focused discussion on migration that
directly involved African policymakers and experts.
Africa is also particularly vulnerable to violent
extremism. With experiences spanning from Boko
Haram in the west to al-Shabaab furthest east, several
African countries have had to deal with the reality of
terrorism for decades. This is often exacerbated by
poor governance structures, increased inequality and
marginalisation. Understandably, the threat that Da’esh
poses in the Middle East has dominated conversations
about terrorism in recent years. However, side-
lining Africa in discussions about violent extremism
leaves a blind spot in the collective consciousness of
policymakers trying to craft suitable responses.
In crisis mode, though these issues were discussed, the
main concerns for many remained Trump and whether
the West would remain a hegemon. Policymakers, experts
and activists could not escape that the conference was
happening at a time of perhaps the greatest uncertainty
in modern global politics. Whether it was talk of Syria,
Russia’s dominance, Ukraine, violent extremism – or the