Press release: Lisbon summit 'betraying Africa'

10.12.2007: Representatives of civil society from Africa and Europe meeting alongside the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon, Portugal have released the following statement:

	Protest activities against EU-Africa Summit, Lisbon

We the representatives of civil society meeting in Lisbon, Portugal wish to register our profound concern at the direction which is being taken by the EU-Africa Summit. Claims that the summit will usher in a new partnership between the two continents have been exposed as false. Far from solving the challenges currently facing African nations, the summit threatens to betray Africa and condemn future generations to long-term economic, social and environmental crisis.

Despite consistent criticism from people's movements across Africa and from civil society in Europe, the EU has persisted with its aggressive agenda to pressure African governments into signing Economic Partnership Agreements which will destroy their development prospects and the environment. We condemn this aggression against the sovereignty of African nations, and call on the member states of the EU to recognise the right of the peoples of Africa to determine their own development paths.

We condemn the extreme pressures which have been exerted on African governments to sign up to agreements which are not in the interests of their countries and regions. We applaud the resistance of the African peoples in the face of this EU offensive, and with them we call on all African leaders to represent the genuine interests of the continent and to resist any further threats to their future development.

We call for a new and equal partnership between the EU and Africa based on full enjoyment of human rights and on economic strategies which put the needs of people and the environment before the interests of capital. European corporations are leading actors in the plunder of Africa's strategic natural resources, which has fuelled environmental and human catastrophe in the DRC and Sudan, among others. While the Summit seeks to expand the freedom of European capital within Africa, it also seeks to restrict the free movement of African peoples and their rights to life and livelihoods. We condemn Fortress Europe and all racist asylum and immigration laws which institutionalise discrimination against the peoples of Africa. We, the representatives of civil society in Africa and Europe, are committed to building a genuine partnership based on solidarity and cooperation between our peoples."

Signed: The member organisations of the Africa Trade Network and Seattle to Brussels Network

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WEED is member of the Seattle to Brussels Network which is a pan-European network of social movements and campaign groups fighting corporate control of EU trade policies.
The Africa Trade Network is the umbrella network of trade and economic justice campaigners from 36 countries across Africa.

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