Italy seeks new Africa partnership at summit

ROME — Italy hosted a summit of African leaders on Monday where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for a “new page” in relations with the continent, focused on energy and stopping migration across the Mediterranean.

Meloni, who came to power in 2022 on an anti-migrant ticket, unveiled a much-hyped plan for Africa focused on a “nonpredatory” approach inspired by Enrico Mattei, the postwar founder of Italy’s state-owned energy giant Eni.

The so-called Mattei Plan hopes to posit Italy as a key bridge between Africa and Europe, funneling energy north while exchanging investment in the south for deals aimed at curbing migration.

Meloni said the plan would initially be funded to the tune of 5.5 billion euros ($5.9 billion), some of which would be loans, with investments focused on energy, agriculture, water, health and education.

Representatives from over 25 countries attended the summit at the Italian senate, dubbed “A Bridge for Common Growth”.

Italy, a former colonial power, wants to work with African nations to “write together a new page in our relations”, Meloni said.

African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said Africa was “willing to discuss the content and implementation” of the plan, but said, “We would have liked to have been consulted beforehand.”

Calling for deeds

Faki added that the African side would have liked to be consulted on the strategies in the Mattei Plan.

“I insist on the need to move from words to deeds,” he said. “We can no longer be content with promises, which are often unfulfilled.”

Rome holds the presidency of the G7 group of nations this year and has vowed to make African development a central theme.

Meloni said the Italian plan would start with a series of pilot schemes, from modernizing grain production in Egypt to purifying water in Ethiopia and providing training in renewable energies in Morocco.

Meloni wants to transform Italy into an energy gateway, capitalizing on demand from fellow European countries seeking to slash their dependence on Russian gas.

Critics said the plan appears too heavily focused on fossil fuels and they have called instead for a renewable energy drive to supply the needs of the more than 40 percent of Africans who have no access to energy at all.

Rome’s plan is to swap energy investments for efforts to curb migration.

Meloni, leader of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, has vowed to stop migrant boats from North Africa.