Building a new state is a difficult task. Following the declaration of independence on 9 July 2011, and its peaceful separation from the north, South Sudan is facing this great political challenge: stable state structures have to evolve and economic and social infrastructures are needed so that the country can develop. The German government was one of the first to recognize Africa’s 54th state and pledge its support. “The day of independence also marks the official beginning of diplomatic relations with the Republic of South Sudan,” said Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle immediately after the South Sudanese people had voted in favour of establishing an independent state. In June 2011, a few weeks before independence, the Federal Foreign Minister had already gained a picture of the situation with visits to Khartoum and Juba. During his visit he emphasized that Germany wants to support peaceful and good-neighbourly relations between the two Sudanese states.
South Sudan is the youngest state in Africa, and Germany aims to create a new basis for its cooperation with this continent. In June 2011 the Federal Government laid the foundations for a fresh chapter in German-African partnership with its new Strategy for Africa. The strategy, which dovetails with the EU Strategy for Africa and emphasizes coordination with national and international organizations, is designed to bolster the cohesion of the Federal Government’s policy on Africa.
From the beginning of 2011, under the leadership of the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, a total of ten ministries collaborated intensely to work out the contents of the strategy. This was preceded by extensive consultations between the ministries, the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag, industrial and trade associations, political foundations, non-governmental organizations, cultural mediators, churches, trade unions and research institutes. The result is a practical guide for an effective policy on Africa which intends to do justice to the continent’s heterogeneity.
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who presented the strategy at the Federal Foreign Office in June 2011 shortly before his journey to the Sudan, made the objectives clear: the aim is to take account of Africa’s growing importance and its increasing self-responsibility, and to develop this potential together in close partnership. “Africa is without doubt a continent of great opportunities,” said the Federal Foreign Minister. He said Germany offers Africa a partnership between equals. Germany is interested in cooperation beyond long-outdated donor-recipient structures – in order to support Africa’s own efforts and thus help Africans to help themselves. However, such pressing problems as poverty and hunger, corruption, diseases such AIDS and malaria, internal state conflicts and ethnic tensions, should on no account be overlooked in this context.
In the 66-page document, the Federal Government’s involvement in and with Africa is divided into six main areas and common interests: peace and security, good governance, the rule of law, democracy and human rights, the economy, climate and environment, energy and raw materials, and development, education and research. The strategy places special emphasis on the idea of “peace and security” and conflict prevention. For example, Germany supports the setting up of a crisis alert and early-warning system for the African Union and a stronger African presence on the United Nations Security Council. In addition to this, the Federal Government also wants to promote the development of democracy in Africa as a lasting basis for stability and development. It is particularly pushing for respect of human rights and the abolition of the death penalty, and is calling for an end to the recruitment of child soldiers and an end to the persecution of homosexuals.
Another aim is to make better use of the possibilities of economic cooperation. For about a decade now, Africa’s economy has been growing at around 5% each year and has experienced a marked increase in foreign investment. At the moment more than 600 German companies have subsidiaries in Africa with 146,000 employees. Germany also supports the further opening of European markets to African products. In more concrete terms, the economy should become more interesting for companies active, for instance in the renewable energy sector, where Africa has a lot of promising potential with wind, hydropower and geothermal energy. The promotion of clean energy supplies through increased cooperation is also seen as a contribution towards environmental and climate protection as well as the preservation of Africa’s biodiversity. In this respect, Germany also wants to support sustainable forms of agriculture and, as the largest bilateral development partner for water supplies, it wants to help improve water management. In the area of energy and raw materials comprehensive cooperation is projected along the lines of the partnership with Nigeria. In the eyes of Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, it is not just a question of accessing raw materials. Collaboration would also increase the state revenues of the supplier countries and contribute towards the modernization of the economy in Africa.
Finally, the Strategy for Africa highlights cultural involvement and educational cooperation as a further key area. Cultural and educational policy is supported above all by the work of the Goethe-Institut, initiatives such as the Schools: Partners for the Future (PASCH) network and Action Africa. This programme is designed to increase scholarship offers, language courses, student exchanges and sports promotion, to promote the qualification of specialists in culture and the media, and to strengthen academic collaboration.///
