BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- On the occasion of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit in Algiers on March 2nd, François Bikoro, an ambassador of the Pan-African cause, expert, and Cameroonian journalist, discusses the urgent need for an African stance in the international gas market. According to him, the Algerian gas model should serve as an example for other African countries in developing this sector, which would only be viable through the restoration of their sovereignty over their natural resources.
Question: What is the role of Africa in the international energy scene?
On the African continent, we have two major gas-producing countries, namely Algeria and Nigeria, while witnessing the emergence of a new generation of emerging gas-producing countries in recent years. These include Mauritania, Senegal, and Mozambique, which have proven resources.
The shifts in the international gas market require African countries to strengthen their cooperation to position themselves in the energy landscape by taking advantage of the current investment-friendly upstream gas situation. Rich in natural resources, Africa is now obliged to completely change its worldview and the evolution of geopolitics and its weight in reshaping the international energy map.
This is where Algeria’s role as an African leader comes in, as it possesses both expertise and natural wealth, in addition to a geostrategic position close to the European market. The Algerian gas model is the most successful on the continent, resulting from decades of work and struggle and should serve as an example for African countries.
During the GECF summit in Algiers, one of the issues discussed by gas-producing countries was the sovereignty of countries over their underground resources. This is a fundamental question that concerns many countries on the continent. To what extent are African countries able to restore their sovereignty over their gas resources?
There is a growing desire to reclaim the continent’s wealth, which has long been exploited by foreign powers. In this sense, the sovereignty of African countries over their resources is inevitable. Indeed, cooperation, unified action, and above all, intra-African solidarity have been fundamental issues for a long time. However, today, with the evolution of geopolitics, we see a growing awareness among African countries of the imperative to control the continent’s wealth by its own people. This process has begun to take shape, but it must be acknowledged that the result will not be immediate. Furthermore, this sovereignty would only be valid if accompanied by other factors. For example, in the past, it was foreign powers that invested in the entire energy, gas chain, so it is normal that they impose their own rules at the end of the scale. Here again, I will come back to the Algerian example, which now has a say in the international gas market. Sonatrach is the leading African company and one of the largest oil groups in the world. It operates throughout the production chain in Algeria, and this, in my opinion, is the strength of the Algerian gas industry which, I repeat, should serve as an example for emerging African countries in the gas market.
What do you think of European countries using the climate issue as a means of pressure on producing countries?
There are debates in which African countries should not get involved. Africa’s share of greenhouse gas emissions is minimal compared to industrialized countries. The situation is currently in our favor, and we must take advantage of the situation we are experiencing by allowing countries with gas to sell it at a better price.
What about solidarity and cooperation within Africa in this field?
The Algerian-Nigerian rapprochement, reflected on the ground by the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project, is an indication of unity, solidarity, and cooperation that should be institutionalized. Now, to generalize intra-African cooperation, several factors come into play, particularly political ones. It must be understood that political issues in Africa are often very complex, and each country has its own realities. Therefore, we must proceed slowly to achieve fruitful cooperation among our countries. As we speak, the levels of development among African countries are not the same, so it is a matter of achieving a certain balance for us to speak of cooperation. For example, Algeria’s weight in the international gas market is not the same as that of Cameroon. That is why we must support emerging gas-producing countries on the continent to form a strong African bloc to defend our interests on the international stage. It is time for us to do this today because the market frenzy is only temporary, and it favors African countries. If we do not do it now, in a few years, the market will stabilize, and we will realize that we missed a golden opportunity.
Interviewed by: L’Algerie Aujourd’hui
https://lalgerieaujourdhui.dz/francois-bikoro-ambassadeur-de-la-cause-panafricaine-expert-et-journaliste-camerounais-le-gazoduc-transsaharien-est-un-indice-dunite-quil-faudra-institutionnaliser/
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