Institute for Security Studies Papers - Volume 2009, Issue 189, June 2009

Important changes have been occurring in the ill-defined area of partnership in Africa, mainly in the context of the African Union's quest for development as well as peace and security on the continent. The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the implication of these partnerships as well as its long-term development objectives and, subsequently, to evaluate their relevance to the present economic conditions of African countries. This paper also attempts to analyse Africa's strategic partnerships: the Africa-Indian Forum Summit, Africa-Europe Summit, China-Africa Cooperation Forum (South-South) and the Africa-South America cooperation (South-South). Furthermore, the paper tries to address the political, economic, cultural and social development that have a potential to shape the African society and its implication on peace and security agenda on the continent.