Subsaharan Africa / Comment
The Africa Plan within Spain's Foreign Policy Initiatives in the Fight against Terrorism
11/01/2007 By Luisa Barrenechea
The fight against terrorism is multidimensional and complex and diverse actors participate in it. Consequently, the most effective role the Spanish foreign policy should play in this counterterrorist strategy in sub-Saharan and central Africa should be thoroughly analysed.
The creation of the 2006-2008 Africa Plan has caused certain “confusion” in traditional agents of development cooperation particularly due to its link with political and economic interests (such as the migratory flow controlling policy) and has been justified by the government with political, economic, development cooperation, migratory and corresponsibility reasons when multilaterally treating global problems, such as the terrorist threat or environment conservation.
Created with broad objectives in relation to the fight against poverty, democracy and human rights consolidation, economic exchanges and investment promotion, cooperation for flow control, participation in the development of the European Union towards Africa, cultural cooperation and stronger Spain's projection on this continent, it is an ambitious policy of a wide scope for the limited margin of three years foreseen for its implementation.
The Africa Plan includes essential issues for the continent, such as the fight against poverty or the reduction of pandemics, already reflected in the Master Plan of the Spanish Cooperation 2005-2008.
All these needs and problems undoubtedly fit in the policy of Spanish cooperation in Sub-saharan Africa; however, there is an issue that so far was not tackled by the Spanish foreign action in this geostrategic area: the fight against terrorism.
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Keywords
North Africa Poverty reduction Spain Sub-Saharan Africa Terrorism West AfricaBio author: Luisa Barrenechea
