The European Union and Africa

In 2010 looking back the first decade of the new millennium saw the European Union deploy nine security missions to the African continent, quoting the European Security and Defence Policy. None of these had any direct link to radicalisation of religion. Unlike the numerous United Nations security missions that European states had previously contributed to, these were part of a grand strategy designed to link the African Union and the European Union in a process of trans-regionalism defined as a unique organisational infrastructure (joint secretariat for research, policy planning, preparation and coordination of meetings and implementation of decisions). The rationale being that security and its associated peace and stability are the basis for sustainable development in other areas. In 2018 looking back finds an altered picture due to the necessity to respond. This paper will look at the view from 2010 and the view from 2018 to follow aspects of EU-Africa security relations. It will explain the 2010 development of trans-regionalism detailing the security missions and the 2018 EU-Africa cooperation through multiple frameworks that now also focus on migration and terrorism due to radicalization with a religious cause. These frameworks include: the Cotonou agreement, the joint Africa-EU strategy, the EU Council three regional strategies for the Horn of Africa, Gulf of Guinea and Sahel. Africa-EU relations also take place through formal dialogues, such as the EU-Africa summits. At the core of interest is European Security and efforts to solve migration and terrorism but the humanitarian aid is also provided as it has been identified as a catalyst.