Africa-Spain Relations

As Africa rises again on the radar of global powers, Spain, at the southern tip of Europe, does not want to be left behind in this race. The third Africa-Spain Summit was held in Madrid from July 6-8, 2025. Bringing together representatives from many African countries like Ivory Coast, Togo, and Somalia, the summit is seen not only as a diplomatic meeting but also as a determined move by Spain to increase its influence on the continent.

These annual summits, the first held in 2023 and the second in 2024, reveal Spain's deepening strategic interest in Africa. Previous meetings addressed multifaceted issues such as infrastructure projects, agricultural cooperation, port modernization, digitalization, support for women's employment, and partnerships within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The main goal of the 2025 summit was to elevate trade relations to a new level, with various memoranda signed to increase the bilateral trade volume of approximately $35 billion achieved in the first half of the year.

Spain, one of the world's largest economies (ranking within the top 15 countries according to 2024 data), aims to become more visible in the African market. Key sectors for this purpose include construction, renewable energy, water treatment, and the pharmaceutical industry. Particularly, renewable energy and infrastructure investments play a critical role in expanding Spain's economic footprint in Africa.

Trade data clearly illustrates this growing relationship. According to 2024 data (Trade Map), African countries imported $20.7 billion worth of Spanish products throughout the year. During the same period, exports from Africa to Spain reached $35.7 billion. These figures show that a two-way economic relationship is developing and that Africa is seen not only as a market but also as an important supplier. While Morocco remains Spain's largest trade partner in Africa, countries like Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, and South Africa are also prominent partners.

However, relations are not developing solely on an economic plane. The presence of immigrants of African origin in Spain also constitutes the social dimension of this rapprochement. Today, nearly 2 million Africans live in Spain. These communities are transforming the demographic structure of Spanish society and reminding us that ties with Africa need to be strengthened not only at the state level but also between peoples.

Strategic pivot to Africa in Sánchez Era: A Search for a New Alliance

Spain's interest in Africa is not new. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, this interest has transformed into a more systematic, ambitious, and regional strategy. Sánchez's three-day West Africa tour in 2024 was one of the most symbolic steps of this transformation. This trip, covering Mauritania, The Gambia, and Senegal, was not merely about friendly contacts; concrete issues such as migration management, security cooperation, and economic partnership were addressed.

During the visits, topics like readmission agreements, border security cooperation, and education projects for migrants were discussed, aiming to control flows from regions that are sources of irregular migration. Infrastructure investments, renewable energy projects, and port development were also on the table.

Following these visits, on December 5, 2024, the Spanish government took a crucial step that would mark a new era in its Africa policies: the "Spain-Africa Strategy 2025–2028". This document is significant as it places Spain's policy towards Africa within a comprehensive and institutional framework for the first time. The outline of the strategy document shows that Spain has set long-term goals for its relations with Africa.

This strategy attributes special importance to Sahel countries, in particular. The Sahel is both a corridor where migration routes converge and a geography closely watched by Europe in the fight against terrorism. The weakening of France's influence in Africa suggests that Spain is striving to fill this void.

However, Spain, with its not-so-clean colonial record, is likely to be approached with caution by continental leaders. Although Spain's colonial past in Africa is very small compared to other European countries, this past is actually linked to Spain's own global decline. Having lost its colonies in Latin America, the Philippines, and the Caribbean at the end of the 19th century, Spain, with its diminishing power, could only claim its "share" in Africa belatedly. The inequality and dependency relationships prevalent in Latin America today also point to another facet of Spain's colonial legacy.

Quiet Colonialism: The Latin America-Africa Connection

When Spain is mentioned, the first colonial geography that comes to mind is not Africa, but Latin America. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spain turned its attention across the Atlantic and established a colonial empire that lasted for hundreds of years across a vast geography from Mexico to Argentina. Similarly, in the 19th century, there was a strong Spanish presence in Asian and Caribbean regions like the Philippines and Cuba.

However, by the end of the 19th century, Spain began to rapidly lose this vast empire. After the war with the US in 1898 (the Spanish-American War), it lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. This defeat became a symbol of Spain's decline as a global power. Latin American countries had gained their independence much earlier, at the beginning of the 19th century.

Following these dramatic losses, Spain turned its direction towards Africa. At the 1884–1885 Berlin Conference, where the continent was divided among Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany, Spain was left with only small but symbolic areas like Western Sahara and Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea passed to Spain through an agreement with Portugal in 1778; however, effective colonial administration began in the second half of the 19th century. In the system established on Bioko Island and the Río Muni region, Catholic missionaries and plantation economy came to the fore; the local population faced exploitation and discrimination. The country, which gained independence in 1968, still carries this legacy as the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa.

As in Mexico or Peru, the control established in Equatorial Guinea through Catholic missionaries, plantation economy, and language (Spanish) bears the traces of "cultural colonialism." However, instead of an overt economic exploitation model like in Latin America, Spain is establishing indirect influence in Africa through companies (Repsol's oil investments, Endesa's energy investments) and development projects. This situation justifies the term "quiet colonialism" and also offers an important opportunity to compare Spain's historical role on the two continents.

Another sensitive issue in Spain's Africa policy is the Western Sahara issue. The 2022 decision to recognize Morocco's annexation of the territory in 1975, while ignoring the independence struggle of the Polisario Front, left Spain facing criticism under international law.

In Morocco, a Spanish protectorate was established in some northern cities (Ceuta, Melilla, Tétouan). This status still causes occasional serious tensions with Morocco, as Ceuta and Melilla are considered Spanish territory.

In which areas is Spain investing in Africa?

Although Spain is not yet at a level to compete with China, Germany, or the US in high technology, it has significant expertise in renewable energy (especially solar and wind power), water desalination systems, agricultural irrigation technologies, and construction engineering.

There are no strong indications of a direct focus on Africa's critical minerals (cobalt, lithium, rare earth elements); but it is likely to become more active in this area soon as well.

Spanish agriculture offers a significant opportunity for cooperation with Africa in areas such as olive oil, citrus fruits, seed production, and cold chain technology.

European Approaches to Africa

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also held an Italy-Africa Summit in Rome in 2024. However, this summit attracted attention more for its tone than its content. Meloni's rhetoric was shaped around the goal of preventing African migrants from reaching Europe. The presented projects and the Mattei Plan were more aimed at protecting the interests of Italian energy giants (like ENI) in Africa. The genuine development goal or long-term cooperation vision was weak; and the committed budget was quite limited. This caused the summit to find little resonance among African leaders.

In contrast, the language of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Madrid Summit was more cautious and constructive. Although he focused on the migration issue, he presented it not only from a security perspective but within a framework of economic development, education, and workforce development. He showed diplomatic courtesy to build trust in Africa and tried to convey a message of a more equal partnership.

Nevertheless, one point needs to be underlined: Sánchez has not yet announced a major financial package or investment budget for Africa. Plans have remained at the level of cooperation and declarations of intent. This may have raised the question in the minds of some African leaders: "The intention is good, but where are the resources?"

As of today, Spain is not placed in the same category as countries criticized for a heavy colonial legacy like France, or those drawing reaction due to harsh migration rhetoric like Italy. The perception is still distant, but not negative. Spain's belated but more cautious steps have earned it a relatively softer image in Africa. However, maintaining this positive perception will only be possible through projects that truly transfer resources and produce effective results on the ground in the coming period.

This article was originally published in Independnet Türkçe, on July 16, 2025.

https://www.indyturk.com/node/761917/t%C3%BCrki%CC%87yeden-sesler/madrid-zirvesinin-ard%C4%B1ndan-afrika-i%CC%87spanya-ili%C5%9Fkileri

 

This article was originally published in Independent Türkçe, on July 16, 2025.

https://www.indyturk.com/node/761917/t%C3%BCrki%CC%87yeden-sesler/madrid-zirvesinin-ard%C4%B1ndan-afrika-i%CC%87spanya-ili%C5%9Fkileri