As European Union Foreign Ministers prepare to convene in Brussels on May 21, bishops from Africa and Europe have jointly issued a strong call for a reset in EU-Africa relations—one rooted in justice rather than aid, and in mutual dignity rather than exploitation.

In a joint statement released on May 15, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) expressed deep concern over a growing shift in Europe’s priorities. What was once envisioned as a mutually respectful partnership now risks reverting to old patterns of extraction and economic dominance.

Reflecting on five years of engagement, the bishops lamented a retreat from solidarity toward policies focused primarily on Europe’s strategic and commercial interests. As a result, African lands, waters, and resources are once again being treated as commodities, jeopardizing local ecosystems and communities. In the name of Europe’s green transition, projects marketed as environmentally friendly are pushing environmental and industrial burdens onto African shoulders. “This is not partnership,” the bishops declared. “This is not justice.”

Invoking Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the bishops spotlighted the urgent cries of both the earth and the poor—echoes that ring especially loud in Africa. The statement criticized economic systems that favor profit over people, warning that hunger and environmental degradation are worsening not from lack, but from imbalance and exploitation.

Among their key demands is the protection of farmer-managed seed systems essential to Africa’s food sovereignty. They also called for an immediate end to the export of Highly Hazardous Pesticides to African countries—chemicals banned in Europe but still sold elsewhere under a troubling double standard.

COMECE and SECAM emphasized that Africa’s future cannot be built on aid that masks injustice. Instead, they urged the AU-EU partnership to rise to the moment: to elevate local voices, uphold environmental stewardship, and embrace African civil society and indigenous communities as true partners—not symbolic participants.

The bishops’ message is clear: Africa needs not charity, but justice—real, principled cooperation that respects its people, land, and future.