Special correspondent of the pan‑African magazine “Le Label Diplomatique” and Expert at the Dakar Forum – Héribert‑Label Élisée ADJOVI
Among the 600 events planned in 2026 for Sino‑African human and cultural exchanges, the 2nd West Africa Forum was held in Dakar on Monday, April 27, 2026, under the theme: “Sharing Experiences on the Governance of China‑Africa Cooperation Relations.”
One day was not enough to revisit all aspects of the theme. Nevertheless, participants from West African countries and other regions of the continent, through about twenty fifteen‑minute presentations, examined the implementation of measures taken by China following the latest Forum on China‑Africa Cooperation (FOCAC 9), held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, 2024.
The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks by Mor FALL, Director General of the National School of Administration (ENA) of Dakar, an address by YE Hailin, President of the China‑Africa Institute, introductory speeches by SUN Xueqing, Vice‑President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, SONG Yuehong, Vice‑President of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and President of Contemporary China Press, Professor Charles Romain MBELE of the University of Yaoundé, H.E. LI Zhigang, Ambassador of China to Senegal, and the opening speech by Ibrahima GUEYE, Chief of Staff to the Senegalese Prime Minister. All speakers highlighted 70 years of Sino‑African cooperation, recalling that in May 1956 China established its first diplomatic relations with Africa through Egypt under President Gamal Abdel Nasser—one year after the historic Bandung Conference (April 18–24, 1955), which gave birth to the Non‑Aligned Movement, one year before Ghana’s independence in 1957 under President Kwame Nkrumah, and two years before Guinea’s independence in 1958 under President Sékou Touré.
Speakers emphasized the importance of this forum as a follow‑up mechanism to FOCAC 9, enabling West African experts and colleagues from other regions to assess the state of cooperation and make recommendations for better implementation of projects jointly initiated between China and African states. Two panels were organized: the first on “Governance and Strategic Partnership,” with seven presentations on “Strategy Alignment” and “Multilateral Governance”; the second on “Governance of Investments and Sustainable Projects,” with ten presentations on “Project Governance,” “Green Governance and Digital Development,” and “Human Exchanges and Training.”
Key recommendations included:
1. Senegal’s commitment to support the creation of a China‑Africa Institute within ENA Dakar, with technical and financial assistance from China, support from sub‑regional and continental organizations, and involvement of the West African academic community and beyond. 2. The need to establish a strategic partnership in higher education, research, and innovation to encourage scientific exchanges and mutual understanding between peoples. 3. The need for Africa to build a common vision of cooperation with China, while China already has a clear vision of its cooperation with Africa. 4. The establishment of a mechanism for implementing and monitoring the forum’s recommendations. 5. Better coordination among African countries for strategic alignment in their cooperation with China. 6. Advancing national industrialization policies, without which economic and trade relations with China will remain asymmetrical, with Africa largely supplying raw materials and consuming manufactured goods. 7. Joint efforts to ensure African countries meet eligibility criteria more effectively and quickly for Chinese funds dedicated to industrialization, notably the China‑Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund). 8. Involving the African private sector in future editions of the West Africa China‑Africa Forum. 9. Strengthening governance of cooperation relations, accelerating the transfer of skills and technologies in cybersecurity, digital energy, renewable energy, and energy transition, in line with commitments made by President Xi Jinping at FOCAC 9. 10. Including security cooperation in such forums, recognizing that China and Africa are already engaged in co‑production of security beyond traditional defense cooperation, thus requiring the involvement of security actors in future editions.
At the closing ceremony, YE Hailin, President of the China‑Africa Institute, and Mor FALL, Director General of ENA Dakar, both emphasized the relevance of expert analyses on the governance of China‑Africa cooperation, the importance of the recommendations, and the need for a monitoring mechanism.