EU-Africa Cooperation on Security, Peace and Humanitarian Aid in the Post‑Cotonou Era: An Asymmetric Partnership

The context for Africa-EU relations has been experiencing a period of change. Geopolitical, economic, environmental, demographic and cultural factors have all contributed to uncertainty in the relationship between these long-standing partners. This chapter discusses how the EU-Africa partnership has transformed in the post-Cotonou era, focussing on two key strands of the relationship: cooperation on peace and security and in the domain of humanitarian aid. In investigating the discourse and practice of EU-Africa relations in these two policy areas, we explore continuities and changes in the nature of the partnership. This chapter makes two main arguments: First, we consider that asymmetry in EU-Africa relations has not grown in the post-Cotonou era, but it has not lessened either, despite the intensified rhetoric of creating a ‘partnership of equals’. This can be seen in the three dimensions of partnership we analyse: participation, power and promises. Second, we observe a narrower focus on actors that present a potential threat to Europe and European interests, and less emphasis on human security.