Don't Agonize, Organize: Africa's Strategic Response to the Davos Wake-Up Call

There has been quite the reaction to the speech of the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney at Davos, where he acknowledged that the post war architecture of multilateral cooperation is no longer fit for purpose. His admission that the rules based order is ruptured and perhaps beyond repair served as a terrifying wake up-call for many in the West. Yet, for those of us in Africa, it was merely a description of a lived reality. My reaction to the speech is that African leaders, scholars, and institutions have been articulating these same arguments for decades, often more bluntly, with very little support from the global north to drive reform. That it has taken the stature of a G7 Prime Minister for the international community to finally pay attention underscores, in my view, the very hypocrisy the speech itself sought to expose. For decades, Africa has consistently called out the asymmetries embedded in the global governance system. It is a system that proclaims universality but often practices selectivity and applies rules rigorously against some while ignoring or conveniently suspending for others. From the Ezulwini Consensus on UN Security Council reform, to repeated African Union decisions on international justice, to contemporary debates on global finance, climate, and health, the message has been consistent. The current global order disproportionately privileges what Prime Minister Carney termed the ‘hegemons’ and their co-travellers, while simultaneously subjugating, denigrating, and exploiting those at the margins. In the financial sphere, credit rating agencies continue to dictate how African countries access global capital, frequently exaggerating risk perceptions and raising borrowing costs regardless of fundamentals. In international justice, the story is the same. Selective referrals and immunities have greatly impacted the legitimacy of institutions meant to embody universal accountability. In the health arena, the trajectory is not any different. The COVID-19 pandemic saw the promise of global solidarity collapse into what many have described as “vaccine apartheid,” as intellectual property regimes and supply hoarding trumped human lives. Despite expectations that lessons had been learned, the fraught negotiations around the pandemic agreement reveal that equity remains more rhetorical than real. The paralysis of the UN Security Council in the face of genocides, territorial incursions, and abductions has further exposed a system whose balance of power reflects 1945 more than the realities of today’s world. It is widely acknowledged that trade rules were intended to favour the interests of the developed market economies that established them. What is new is not the structural injustice, but the complete abandonment of even the pretense of restraint. As Prime Minister Carney admitted, quoting Václav Havel, the great hegemon has simply ‘taken down the sign.’ The fear that hegemons will brazenly use military might, financial dominance, and technological control to pursue narrow interests is no longer imagined; it is a lived reality. The adage cautioning against ignoring danger just because it hasn’t crossed one’s doorstep resonates in the current climate. That moment of reckoning has arrived for many middle powers who are now urgently seeking solidarity grounded in a fidelity to values. The illusion of distance has shattered. I agree with Prime Minister Carney’s call for solidarity without a doubt. Yet, any meaningful demand for such unity must begin with inclusion, particularly of those who have historically been excluded from crafting the rules that govern them. This is the essence of my argument. If the current order has indeed ruptured, as Carney argues, Africa must not wait for an invitation to proactively engage as a system-shaping actor alongside the middle powers, which, as listed in his speech, is currently skewed towards Europe, parts of Asia, and the Middle East. To achieve this, however, the continent must first address the critical constraints on its bargaining power. Africa’s external bargaining power will always be weakened by unresolved internal contradictions. African leaders must urgently address what Amani Africa characterizes as “a new era of insecurity and instability, fraught with open-ended struggles sustained by political fragmentation, economic incentives and geopolitical rivalry.” Factors such as macro-economic indiscipline, policy inconsistency, the weak implementation of continental decisions, and fragmented representation in global forums continue to provide convenient excuses for exclusion and marginalization. Resolving these issues must not be viewed merely as appeasement of external actors, but rather as a fundamental drive for continental reforms that strengthen Africa’s hand in global negotiations. Ultimately, the reputation of a “house in disarray” offers leverage to others that will inevitably be exploited to the continent’s detriment. Strengthening the African Union is no longer optional; it is an existential necessity. African countries possessing significant demographic, economic, and political weight must work together in the collective interest. Crucially, the continent must accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. In the current geopolitical climate, no single African country can succeed in isolation. However, a unified market of nearly two billion people offers formidable leverage in any emerging global arrangement that no hegemon can ignore. Without a consolidated economic base, Africa will continue to negotiate from a position of weakness, regardless of the moral clarity of its arguments. We must prioritize intra-African trade, build resilient economies, and strengthen continental final institutions. To transform the continent, it is vital to invest in infrastructure and services, such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), a new initiative that enables trade settlement in local currencies. We must also champion home-grown initiatives such as the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI) to pool resources and capital to fund the continent’s development objectives. Furthermore, to boost trade, deepen integration, and enhance financial stability, the African Union should accelerate the establishment of the three key financial institutions outlined in Article 19 of its Constitutive Act: the African Central Bank, African Investment Bank, and African Monetary Fund. I believe they are central to the continent’s financial security and sovereignty. Africa’s strategic relevance will be determined by our capacity to manage our internal affairs with credibility. This position is currently compromised by the perception that continental institutions are unable to effectively resolve protracted peace, security, and socio-economic challenges. This diminishes not only the continental institutions but the continent’s global stature. While Prime Minister Carney’s speech signaled a ruptured global order, this is not a moment for despair. As the late, great Pan-Africanist Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem famously admonished, “Don’t agonize, organize!” This moment demands disciplined, clear-eyed engagement, first with ourselves and then with the rest of the world. The intensifying competition for influence among the hegemons must not relegate Africa to a prize to be won, but rather compel us to assert ourselves as a capable, equal actor on the global stage. Africa must pursue strategic pragmatism, calibrating its relationships on the basis of tangible benefit to its people, shared respect, and mitigated risk. We must be intentional in leveraging our inherent interdependencies: our critical minerals, growing markets, youthful demography, and collective geopolitical weight. Seizing this moment cannot rest solely on continental institutions and political leaders. It must be a collective effort. Africa’s scholars and experts must generate the frameworks and ideas that shape global debates. African media must also amplify African perspectives beyond crisis reporting. Also, civic actors must insist that continental unity delivers tangible outcomes for citizens. The global order is in flux, and silence or fragmentation will come at a huge cost. This is not a time for retrospective vindication. If the old system is indeed collapsing, Africa must ensure it is not merely saying “we warned you,” but actively shaping the architecture of what replaces it, confidently, collectively, and on its own terms.

Disclaimer: This article contains the independent views and opinions of the author. It is not intended to represent, and should not be interpreted as representing, the official stance, policy, or position of any institution, association, or entity with which the author is professionally or personally connected.