Ms. Rabia Nazir
(Research Associate) Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad
Pakistan and Africa relations are chronically embedded with some emotional settlement back from the anti-colonial hassle.Africa had been brutalized by the colonial empire, until the extrinsic intervention occurred when there was no tribunal or any typical clan warfare before. The treatment African States panned by colonial empire of slave states destroyed their immunity to have structural changes which went into structural oppression. After the independence of Pakistan, the great diplomatic support to Africa in their liberation movement was seen. Despite their benevolent relations with each other, lack of radiance was being requiredin accordance with their hindered capability within their relationship. As now, Africa is now rapidly growing in the economic market and known for their rich mineral resources.
Pakistan and Africa trade is imperceptible in the context of strengthening each other by springing them into new essential policies. As now the global village is expanding its path in the international arena and indicating each small country so is Pakistan foreign policy. In 2017, Pakistan introduced a ‘Look Africa’ policy which emphasis the outlook of bilateral relations among them.
Several issues have emerged which can be tackled out through free and fair consent of both states by analyzing accurate senses present within their countries.
Africa is the state with many substandard financial constrain and a neglected country as well which needs to be highlighted. However, Pakistan is slightly engaging into bilateral relations through thirteen missions in fifty-four countries of Africa. Pakistan’s delegation visits to Africa are also a great initiative for figurative significance over the Look Africa Policy. Nonetheless, Pakistan efforts in United Nation Peace keeping missions serves safe heavens to African state in eradicating terrorist activities by non-state actors.
Furthermore, various sectors of both states have to be look over in their concern of exchanging resources and generating revenue out it. The economic, political, cultural, social and strategically importance of both states has a great significance which needs to an ultimate source of boosting their relationships.
Lack of Utilizing in Basic Assets
Pakistan and Africa are rich in mineral resources but in this comparison, Africa wins the game. Thus, African hindrance in the basic assets is defines by Tom Burgis that African Continent is formally the poorest but reasonably the richest one. Burgis in his book ‘The Looting Machine’ while travelling around Africa, he found different kleptocratic government of not knowing the actual significance of the country rich resources. During the colonial era, Africa was slashed back into lack of advantages to utilize their naturally existing tools. The western powers had eliminated the approach of political and commercial powers and divided them into bourgeon class. However, Africa was left into vein and the only way to live was to extracted wealth from mines and oilfields. But now as Pakistan plans to look deep into the relations with Africa could abolish the colonial trauma from the minds of African Continent. Keeping in view the exchange of resources and assets
Taking the term along as poorest continent with rich resources has much to do with the economy of the entire region. As presence of rich resources, Africa lacks to utilize the assets that how to benefit from it. Diversification in the trajectory of economy determined as a new way which determines the expansion of trade. Pakistan also depends on foreign expenditure but efforts to remove such deficit would be expected to back on its position. Recently, trade agreement between Pakistan and Kenya was over their investment in socio-economic, information sector technological advancement, ending tariff barriers and other relatable issues regarding. The bilateral trade tends to increase by at least $1.25 billion by deploying banks and embassies within the regions. But trading is not as such fast like it has to be in this globalized world and the agreements is only set forth to one country which needs to address all along.
Other lack in liability of wealth, technological advancement, no strong military, no proper governance system, and media injustice, poor understanding of world, inadequate science and engineering education, endless poverty, endless internal conflicts is major problems of Africa. However, Pakistan can somehow facilitate in those terms as it does not lack too much in the assets and have a significant potential to cope with any difficulty.
Collaborative Efforts
As per known that Pakistan’s collaborative effort has been forefront in United Nation Peace Keeping missions to maintain peace and stability in the continent and known to be the third largest contributor. Every year, Pakistan UN peace keeping mission is held in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in which the soldiers eagerly pledge their life for perpetuating in peace and stability around. Africa needs to acknowledge the efforts of Pakistan and their collaborative exercise should be the co-concern of the continent to have stable relations among each other.
Another collaborative effort of Africa is that Pakistan enjoys the statues of African Union. To be a part of one’s continent is leverage towards different approaches and now Pakistan is reviving the thought that Africa should be the full member of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in order to endowed with their rich resources and in return generate revenue for African Continent.
Furthermore, Pakistan was the first country to support Kenya, Zimbabwe and other countries of Africa in Eritrea independence movement during their phase of libration struggle. In 1994, Pakistan also pledged to put her efforts in attaining apartheid laws and diplomatic mission junctions. The reasons behind their collaborative effort explain truly their recognition of the African Continent
Conclusion
Pakistan and African states had suffered from the same situation since their inceptions, both faces infrastructure and unemployment issues. The decolonization of African countries from the European colonial empire and Pakistan separation from India leads them to political independence but they failed to attain economic sovereignty. At initial stage those seems to be the no way out issues but later then they started resolving for Pakistan, whereas the issues for the entire African states were difficult but not impossible, there is a long way for African states to resolve the issue. The major issues African states faced are poverty, unemployment, media injustice, lacks of resources exploitation and lack of science and technological advancements.
Pakistan and African states completely understand each other’s condition. They have also collaborated on several domains like trade and industry. Pakistan has also stood up on international forums for the rights of African states. Pakistan has also played a significant role in UN peacekeeping missions which was also being applied on African countries. The international lobbies trying to tumble down the rise of Africa and placing them in debt, for the sake of affecting the resource of Africa.
Pakistan has friendly relations with some of the African states but not with all of them. So, Pakistan and African states need to establish diplomatic relation with each other Pakistan needs to support the African states for being the part of the project like CPEC-China Pakistan Economic Corridor or BRI-Belt and Road Initiatives. In the way, the trade for the African states would be increased which would helped them to generate revenues. Memorandums of Understandings need to be signed between Pakistan and African states bilaterally on education, trade, economic and industry sector. For example the Banana’s of Congo are of the export quality but they were not being exported to other countries due to the lack of knowledge of the states or lack of resources, so the collective efforts of both the countries would set the path for the country to generate higher revenue through her agriculture sector. Pakistan’s agricultural sector is the back-bone of the country and the larger GDP of the state depend on the revenue produced by the agriculture.
So, Pakistan can play the role of an instructor for the African states and can guide them regarding the correct use of resources. Direct flights between Pakistan and African flights should be merely focused by the states. The export of the African countries to Pakistan are confined which also need to expand. There is no concept of tourism within the many African, largely because of the intimidate security situation of the region, but if there is joint exercises made by the Pakistan and African countries armies, to ensure the territorial security. Peace is the utter most need of the world it is not only the sake of Africa or Pakistan, the other countries need to bring the situation of African continent in the limelight and should reach to the possible decision. So the region which is highly rich in resources could be stable and produced much higher income for them and it would definitely benefit other states in the world via trade.
