Senegalese lawmaker Mamadou Lamine Diaïté stated on Monday, May 18, 2026, that the rapid reshaping of the global geopolitical landscape presents a complex mix of deep risks and strategic opportunities for Africa and the broader Francophone world.
Speaking at the opening of the 32nd Africa Regional Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) in Dakar, Diaïté observed that the world has fundamentally shifted as major powers fiercely compete for resources, markets, and strategic corridors. This shifting balance, marked by prolonged and reigniting conflicts from Europe to the Middle East, has placed the African continent squarely at the center of intensifying international rivalries.
This new centrality is highly dualistic for Africa’s future development. On one hand, Diaïté framed the continent’s growing strategic importance as an opportunity, fueled by its dynamic youth population, vast natural resources, expanding domestic markets, and critical geographic position. On the other hand, he issued a stark warning that this exact same visibility attracts predatory foreign interference, amplifies regional instability, and threatens to weaken states with fragile state institutions. Consequently, he argued that African parliaments now bear a historic responsibility to navigate these vulnerabilities and actively protect state stability.
To counter these pressures, the Senegalese MP advocated for a major expansion of parliamentary authority into domains traditionally monopolized by government cabinets. He firmly asserted that overseeing military budgets, auditing security cooperation agreements, and questioning foreign alliances do not constitute executive interference, but rather represent the normal and indispensable exercise of legislative oversight. Ultimately, Diaïté urged Africa to leverage the APF framework to forge a unified diplomatic front, calling for a Francophonie of conviction rooted in actual African realities that can project a clear, coordinated, and coherent voice on the global stage.
TE/lb/abj/APA