The Practice of Soft Power in Africa-EU Relations: Is it Optimal or One-Sided?

The paper provides an analysis of the practice of soft power from institutional and continental perspectives with a specific focus on the Africa–European Union relations. It examines the question “is the use of soft power optimal or one-sided in the context of Africa-EU relations or is it applicable to member states or regional and subregional organizations and institutions?”. It provides a critical review of how soft power has shaped complex relations looking at the various levels and theoretical underpinning in the nexus of the relations in the context of African Continental Free Trade Area. The paper examines the Africa-EU relations from a historical perspective through various frameworks of cooperation at individual state and regional level with the ultimate objective of assessing the effectiveness and to determine to what extent soft power has shaped the relations. This paper, although restricted to soft power, is of the view that analysis of Africa-EU relations from the smart power lens provides a pathway. This view is shaped by the realization that smart power is critical particularly in a fast-faced world and how it impacts the foreign policy implementation. This research paper is relevant in offering a framework for analysis of relations from an institutional perspective and particularly within the context of complex interdependence and cooperation among regional and global organizations as they strive to deal with common global challenges within and outside of their scopes or mandates. The paper contributes to literature and ongoing scholarly debates on regional organizations and international institutions as agents of soft power.