Historical Sequence of Relations between Africa and Spain
The southern coasts of Spain and North Africa were areas of commercial and cultural exchanges since ancient and medieval times, especially between Islamic Spain, Morocco, and North Africa. After the fall of Andalusia in 1492, relations evolved from cultural exchange to conflicts and struggles among European powers, with Portugal and then Spain seeking footholds on the northern and western coasts of the continent. At the dawn of the Age of Discovery in the 15th century, Spain became one of the first European powers to explore and colonize parts of Africa, initially focusing on northern areas by controlling coastal cities like Ceuta and Melilla and engaging in Portuguese campaigns along the Atlantic coasts of Morocco. Spain competed with European countries like Portugal and France in West Africa and tried to consolidate its presence in the Maghreb and the Sahara through direct presence or support for local rulers during the 16th and 17th centuries. Morocco played a mediating commercial role between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, but increasing European competition along the Atlantic weakened Morocco’s role and increased Spanish intervention in the region.[1]
Prospects for African-Spanish Relations
Recently, Spain’s presence in Africa has diminished compared to other powers, retaining influence in some areas such as the western Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and Equatorial Guinea. Relations have shifted from a colonial framework to political, economic, and cultural partnerships based on economic development, combating irregular migration, security cooperation, and knowledge exchange. Key areas of Spanish presence in Africa include:
1- Relations with West African countries:
In August 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia, recognizing these countries as gateways for migration towards the Canary Islands due to their Atlantic coasts, which migrants from Central Sahel, West Africa, and the Gulf of Guinea increasingly traverse. Migrants cross to the city of Nouadhibou in northwestern Mauritania to start their journey to the Canary Islands and Europe. This route has gained importance after the decline in irregular migration to Italy due to security measures in the Mediterranean. Spain has strengthened its partnerships with Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegal through economic and security cooperation. Around 440 Spanish companies operate in Mauritania, and over 10,000 Mauritanians work in Spain, reflecting strong economic and social links. Spain continues to support police cooperation with Gambia, focusing on maritime border monitoring to enhance security and combat organized crime. Madrid has also advanced cooperation with Senegal in the field of irregular migration, with security collaboration dating back to 2000 during increased migration flows to Spain, including information sharing and coordinated border control against smuggling networks. This approach underlines Spain’s attention to developing sustainable partnerships with West African Sahel countries covering development, security, and migration to achieve shared interests.[2]
2- Equatorial Guinea:
Relations between Spain and Equatorial Guinea have evolved significantly over eras, influenced by historical ties, shared interests, and contemporary geopolitical dynamics. Diplomatic ties now extend politically, economically, and culturally, with the two countries engaged in dialogues on issues of mutual concern like combating terrorism and organized crime. Spain supports enhancement Equatorial Guinea’s security capabilities as part of its efforts to promote stability in Africa. Economically, trade agreements facilitate exchange of goods, with Spain exporting machinery, vehicles, and food products, while importing oil and gas from Equatorial Guinea. The trade balance remains in favor of Equatorial Guinea due to its natural resources. Recently, Madrid has worked to diversify economic partnership into infrastructure, agriculture, and technology, especially after adopting a new cooperation framework in 2021 focused on sustainable development and encouraging investments in renewable energy, telecommunications, and healthcare, aligned with a broader Spanish strategy to boost stability and development across Africa.[3]
3- Spain’s Strategy 2025-2028:
In December 2024, Pedro Sánchez announced a strategic plan to strengthen economic and diplomatic relations between Spain and Africa over the next three years and to develop legal migration pathways. The plan includes 100 measures, notably enhancing political dialogue through opening new embassies and consulates and establishing an institution intended to provide academic opportunities for African youth. It establishes a professional mobility strategy designed to create a migration model benefiting countries of origin, migrants, and destination countries. It seeks to provide a vibrant platform gathering government and private sector representatives from both sides in discussion sessions and bilateral meetings. Spain leverages its geographical proximity to Africa to intensify trade cooperation, with trade volume reaching approximately 30 billion euros in the first half of 2024, indicating significant growth potential.[4]
4- The Third Africa-Spain Summit:
As a continuation of the strategic partnership and fruitful cooperation between African countries and Madrid, Spain hosted the third Africa-Spain Summit in Madrid from July 6 to 8, 2025, under the slogan “Spain and Africa: A Global, Sustainable, and Inclusive Partnership.” The summit included high-level participation from African governments, including Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Somalia, alongside with Spanish officials. The summit aimed to double investment and trade opportunities, by focusing on strategic sectors such as construction, renewable energy, water desalination, and pharmaceuticals. The first day featured five roundtables with about 70 speakers discussing the building of sustainable and balanced economic relations benefiting both sides. Participants emphasized developing strategic partnerships enhancing economic connectivity, expanding investments, supporting security cooperation, and regional integration aligned with the Spain 2025-2028 strategy.[5]
Forward-Looking Vision
Based on the Spanish plan, the future of relations with Africa suggests efforts to deepen political and diplomatic cooperation by opening new embassies and sectoral offices to enhance direct communication and institutional partnership. It envisions organizing periodic summits, official visits, and strengthening partnerships with the African Union and regional organizations like ECOWAS. Both sides are expected to strengthen economic and trade integration, leveraging Africa’s rapid economic growth and regional integration opportunities, especially within the African Continental Free Trade Area. Spain encourages investment in Africa to promote shared development and sectoral growth in renewable energy and culture. The focus also extends to human and social development by directing investments toward education, health, youth and women empowerment, and combating poverty and irregular migration, seen as shared challenges requiring sustainable and comprehensive responses. Further cooperation in security and counterterrorism is considered vital for achieving stability needed for development and investment, especially in the Sahel and Africa broadly.
Conclusion
African-Spanish relations embody an advanced model of contemporary strategic partnership that transcends traditional international relations frameworks. These relations form a dynamic bridge connecting shared history and common future aspirations, reflecting recent shifts in Spanish policy toward Africa, particularly through the 2025-2028 strategic plan. This plan acknowledges Africa as a vital pillar for economic growth and regional and international security. It integrates multi-dimensional policies covering trade, sustainable development, security cooperation, and migration management in line with legal and humanitarian norms.
Clearly, the future of African-Spanish relations holds vast opportunities for joint growth and prosperity, while also presenting complex challenges requiring collaborative academic, political, and developmental policy efforts to overcome. It is recommended to continue intensive research to evaluate the ongoing strategy’s implementation outcomes and analyze its impact on development indicators and political-economic integration levels. Emphasis should be on local capacity building and enhancing cultural exchange as foundational elements for sustainable partnership. Future studies should explore innovative cooperation mechanisms including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and youth and women empowerment, contributing to crafting a sustainable and inclusive African-Spanish growth model.
References:
[1] العربي بنرمضان، سياسة المغرب الإفريقية: حصيلة التاريخ المشترک وإکراهات التدخل الإسباني خلال القرن الخامس عشر الميلادي، دورية كان التاريخية، يونيو 2018، متاح على الرابط الآتي: https://journals.ekb.eg/article_121693.html
[2] محمد عادل عثمان، إسبانيا وقضية أزمة الهجرة غير الشرعية من غرب إفريقيا بين التحدي والفرصة، قراءات أفريقية، سبتمبر 2024، متاح على الرابط الآتي: https://n9.cl/ayh2l
