EU-Africa: SADC Trade Hits EUR 52B, Mozambique Mission Extended, DRC Sanctions Bite
EU-SADC Trade Partnership: EPA Delivers Record Growth
The SADC-EU EPA (covering Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa) recorded EUR 52 billion in bilateral trade in 2025, a 26% increase since the agreement's 2016 entry into force. In March 2025, SADC and the EU launched an EPA Information Portal to improve market access. The EU has mobilised EUR 195.9 million across ten SADC regional projects spanning peace/security, agriculture, trade, digital transformation, and infrastructure.
EUMAM Mozambique: Mandate Extended to December 2026
The EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM Mozambique) received a six-month mandate extension to 31 December 2026, decided mid-May 2026. Over 40 training programmes have been delivered to 1,200 FADM personnel, with 300 currently in Commando/Marine QRF regeneration cycles. The European Peace Facility delivered its final equipment batch in March 2025 — non-lethal materiel including ballistic protection, vehicles, ambulances, boats, drones, and a field hospital. Portugal and Mozambique have jointly requested a longer extension of no less than two years.
EU-South Africa Summit: Critical Minerals and Green Hydrogen
At the 8th EU-South Africa Summit (Cape Town, 13 March 2025), the parties launched negotiations for a Clean Trade and Investment Partnership targeting clean energy, critical raw materials, and green hydrogen. A EUR 4.7 billion Global Gateway package was announced. South Africa controls 91% of global PGM reserves essential for green hydrogen production. Pretoria's 2025 Critical Minerals Strategy mandates local beneficiation, creating tension with EU raw-material access priorities. South Africa continues to hedge between EU decarbonisation partnerships and BRICS+ arrangements.
EU Response to DRC Crisis: Sanctions on Rwanda
On 17 March 2025, the EU Council sanctioned nine individuals and one entity: three Rwandan Defence Force generals, M23 president Bertrand Bisimwa, intelligence chief Desire Rukomera, and a gold refinery processing illicitly extracted Congolese gold. The EU suspended defence consultations with Rwanda. M23 withdrew from peace talks citing sanctions as an obstacle. Rwanda severed diplomatic ties with Belgium. The peace process remains deadlocked between competing Luanda and Doha mediation tracks.
EU Election Monitoring and Democracy Support
The EU deployed Election Observation Missions to Malawi's 2025 general elections and issued critical statements on Tanzania's 2025 elections citing irregularities and voter intimidation. Team Europe Democracy received EUR 2.8 million in 2025 funding (total EUR 7.8 million) for the SPEC project strengthening Pan-African electoral observation capacities.
Zimbabwe Sanctions: Progressive De-escalation
On 17 February 2026, the EU Council renewed Zimbabwe restrictive measures until 20 February 2027, maintaining the arms embargo while lifting all travel bans and asset freezes. Zimbabwe Defence Industries was delisted in 2025. The regime now consists solely of the arms embargo — reflecting incremental EU re-engagement while maintaining leverage on security-sector reform.
EU-AU Luanda Summit: EUR 150 Billion Investment Pledge
The 7th EU-AU Summit (Luanda, 24-25 November 2025) endorsed progress on the EUR 150 billion Global Gateway Africa-Europe investment package and committed to an Africa-Europe Green Energy Initiative targeting 50 GW of renewables for 100 million people by 2030.