The EU-Africa summit ended in Lisbon with among other proposals, an ambitious strategy to ensure real political, global and people centered partnership that will see Africa relate with Europe as an equal, receive mutual benefit, have her interests represented in international institutions and be treated as one bloc.

As Europe seemingly rediscovers Africa’s importance, pertinent questions prevail: Is Africa ready to see herself as an equal partner with Europe? Is she ready to revise non win-win deals? Does she have an agenda to front in the international arena? Is she ready to act as a bloc? 

Hiruy Amanuel, Former Ethiopian Ambassador to Germany, observes that a genuine EU-Africa partnership in true sense is far fetched. “The most vivid and recent example is the case of the release of five Europeans who were kidnapped in the border area with Eritrea. Once they were released, the world forgot about the eight Ethiopians who were kidnapped with them,” Hiruy says.

From the foregoing, it is clear that it is no celebration time for Africa. Europe’s acceptance to hold the summit after seven years of boycotting is driven by an agenda. The EU, Africa's largest commercial partner with a trade total of more than $315 billion in 2006, is afraid of China’s growing relations with Africa that saw Beijing hold a summit for 45 African leaders to celebrate a tenfold increase in its  trade with Africa.

Although this relationship is strengthening Africa's negotiating position, China’s ‘unconditional’ trade too has an agenda. Africa should think through foreign agenda and position herself to be an economic powerhouse and hub of the 21^st century.