The name of Enrico Mattei as a ‘guarantee’ of the objectives of the Italian plan for Africa: an “equal collaboration” project launched by the government, “trying to involve Europe”. Sergio Mattarella outlines the government plan around these three cornerstones – inspiration from Mattei, collaboration between equals and involvement of the EU – in his talks in Accra with his Ghanaian counterpart Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Meeting that follows Akufo-Addo’s visit, in July 2023, to Rome, where the Ghanaian head of state and government also returned in January for the Italy-Africa conference. But in the talks, the two presidents had the opportunity to address various issues of regional and international politics.
First, there is concern about the crisis in the neighboring Sahel, following military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. An unstable area due to the presence of jihadist forces and in which Russia seems to have strong interests. It is also for this reason that Mattarella, in the joint declarations, is keen to underline how Italy stands alongside Ghana and the African democracies, a model for the stabilization of the area. There are several fronts around which Rome and Accra intend to increase cooperation: the economic sector, but also the cultural one – explain the presidents – as well as that of security and the fight against illegal immigration and the phenomenon of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Ghana was the leader of independence against colonialism and this deserved sympathy and Italy’s closeness”, says Mattarella, in his greeting to the delegations. “Thank you for mentioning Enrico Mattei”, he adds, addressing Akufo-Addo. “The choice of Mattei’s name for the plan that the Italian government launched is not accidental – he clarifies – and it is because Mattei was a friend of Ghana, of West Africa and of the African continent against every form of colonial exploitation” in favor a “collaboration on an equal level and to protect local resources, and this is the objective of the Mattei plan which aims to be collaborative according to the indications, needs and proposals defined by the governments of the various countries of the African continent”. The Mattei plan, insists the president, recalls “a protagonist of the friendship between Africa and Europe and for the independence of Africa”. Mattarella speaks only of the immigration issue. “We need to tackle the migratory phenomenon together which must be converted from a disorderly phenomenon, managed by human traffickers, to a phenomenon with legal and agreed upon entries – he states -. It is an important objective”.
“I want to reassure President Sergio Mattarella that Ghana will collaborate in the elimination of illegal immigration, in the fight against terrorism, in the fight against the effects of climate change”, guarantees Akufo-Addo. “I want to reiterate the friendship that binds us, which is a solid friendship”, says Mattarella. “Together we are for multilateralism, for a world marked by dialogue, comparison, collaboration and not opposition. Even more so in this period of turbulence and serious crises we must reiterate that humanity’s perspective is not that, it is dialogue , collaboration between countries and that in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the path of war is wrong.” It is necessary, he continues, “to work towards a strengthening of the United Nations. The challenges we face as humanity, especially with regards to the climate, require great international collaboration. They are impossible in opposition”.