The TICAD Summit, taking place on 20 and 21 August in Yokohama, was supposed to be, as usual, a platform for strengthening Japan-Africa cooperation and mobilising essential investment for the continent.
But once again, the forum has been subjected to attempts at political manipulation, in an attempt to impose the presence of the Polisario separatists, to the detriment of Africa’s real interests.
Alerted by Morocco, the Japanese government took a clear and firm decision: no invitation was extended to representatives of the so-called ‘rasd’, an entity not recognised by the United Nations and even less by Tokyo.
The Japanese authorities pointed out that TICAD is a framework for inter-state cooperation, reserved for sovereign states recognised by the UN.
As such, Japan has never invited separatists to its summits and does not intend to depart from this principle.
But the Algerian manoeuvres did not just fail with the Japanese host.
They also provoked an unprecedented reaction on the African side.
No fewer than 18 African countries joined forces with Morocco to send a written protest to the Japanese authorities, categorically rejecting the presence of the separatists.
In so doing, these African states denounced an ‘unacceptable’ attempt to politicise a forum devoted exclusively to development.
They added that the pseudo ‘rasd’ ‘has nothing to contribute to the work of TICAD.
This collective reaction marks a turning point.
For the first time, such a large group of African countries has publicly and in writing opposed the intrusion of the separatists into an international framework.
It reflects a growing frustration with Algeria, which is accused of exploiting African forums for its political agendas, to the detriment of the continent’s economic and social priorities.
Never before has the Polisario’s presence been so costly and humiliating.
In Yokohama, it emerged as the ‘undesirable’ par excellence: ignored by the Japanese host, rejected by a broad African front, and deprived of any legitimacy in a forum where crucial partnerships for the future of the continent are taking shape.
TICAD, which was intended to be a forum for mobilising investment and partnerships, has confirmed the obvious: Africa has no more time to waste on sterile quarrels imported by Algeria.
The message sent out from Yokohama is crystal clear: the time has come for economic integration, constructive cooperation, and shared development – not the ideological manoeuvring of the past.
