Diplomatist Magazine DIplomatist September 2018 | Page 52

GROWING
INTEREST OF THE
UK IN AFRICA
BY AMRITA DHILLON* AND CRISTINA GONSALEZE**
B
ritish Prime Minister, Theresa May, visited South Africa and a number of
other countries in the African mainland as part of her tour to strengthen
bonds with the continent post the Brexit; a move which comes as the
European Union’s ex-president raises a question on Britain’s existence. The
impact of Brexit on its Africa policy could be traced in 2016 when a planned
trip by the then UK Prime Minister David Cameron was cancelled with just
fi ve days’ notice because of the Brexit referendum and its results.
For her visit, PM May had chosen Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. None
of these countries are on the United Nations' list of Least Developed Countries
(LDCs). That is one of the expected reasons she choose them. They are bigger
economic players in the continent and also emerging economies; there is more
to be gained from the commercial relations with them.
52 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 9 • September 2018, Noida