Italy offers 'bribe' to Africa in exchange for stopping migration!

The summit, titled "Italy-Africa: A bridge for common growth," was attended by heads of state, government leaders, and ministers from nearly 40 African countries, as well as representatives from the European Union, the African Union, and major international organizations.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a 5.5 billion euro investment program at the summit.

According to a report by the BBC, Meloni stated that thanks to the "Mattei Plan," which is based on cooperation in areas such as energy, agriculture, health, and education, Africans would be offered "an alternative consisting of job opportunities, education, and legal migration routes."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also recalled the EU's "Global Gateway" project, which envisions 150 billion euros in investment for Africa, and said, "The Mattei Plan is an important contribution to this new phase of the EU-Africa partnership."

The coalition government led by Meloni came to power in the 2022 general elections with a promise to stop migration from Africa, but the number of migrants arriving in the country through irregular routes increased significantly in the right-wing coalition's first year in power.

In her speech at yesterday's summit, Meloni said she intends to both wage war on human traffickers who transport migrants to Europe and "guarantee young Africans the right not to be forced to migrate."

On the other hand, the content of the Mattei Plan, which Meloni has been mentioning since the early days of her administration, remains unclear.

The Prime Minister spoke of some pilot projects and examples at yesterday's summit, but the Italian press pointed out that these projects had partially been initiated previously.

The government's 5.5 billion euro pledge is also expected to come from other funds in the existing budget rather than a new fund.

'WE ARE NOT BEGGARS'

African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, who attended the summit in Rome, accused Italy of not consulting them while drafting these plans.

Sitting right next to Meloni at the summit held in the Italian Senate, Mahamat said, "Mr. Prime Minister, we would have hoped to be consulted on the Mattei Plan. Africa is ready to discuss the framework and methods of implementation. We need to move from words to action; we are not satisfied with broken promises."

Reacting by saying, "We are not beggars," African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamat stated that they want a "paradigm shift for a new partnership model."

The Mattei Plan, prepared by the Italian government to "be a bridge between Europe and Africa," takes its name from Enrico Mattei, the founder of the Italian energy giant ENI.

Enrico Mattei is remembered for his policy of giving African countries a larger share of profits in energy collaborations.

The death of Mattei, who lost his life in a plane crash in 1962, is still the subject of conspiracy theories in Italy regarding the international energy sector.

The Meloni government argues that cooperation agreements with African countries under the Mattei Plan will be based on forms of "equal cooperation" rather than "predatory models."

However, criticism has come from the opposition and parts of the press regarding the fact that the details of the plan are still unknown and the insufficiency of the funds.

Many national newspapers featured the "We are not beggars" and "Listen to us too" remarks of African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on their front pages today.

News Source: 12punto