EU seeks deeper security ties with African partners

Llombart Cussac is hosting a three-day meeting of the EU’s 46 ambassadors across sub-Saharan Africa, which began on Tuesday, 10 November. The gathering is focused on strengthening what EU officials call the bloc’s “strategic partnership” with Africa. Defence and security cooperation, alongside the EU’s Global Gateway investment programme, topped the agenda.

The former EU ambassador to Morocco said the Union’s approach differed from that of a donor. “This is the European Union as a geopolitical actor,” she said, describing the kind of relationship the bloc wants to continue building with African countries.

Nairobi was chosen because Kenya is one of the EU’s closest African partners, serves as a regional hub for east Africa and hosts the bloc’s diplomatic operations in the region, Llombart Cussac said. Kenya and the EU held a formal defence and security dialogue earlier in November. They are also marking 50 years of diplomatic relations throughout 2026.

Security cooperation with Kenya is “a dynamic area of our cooperation,” said Andreas Peschke, the EU ambassador to Kenya.