A Study of EU-Africa Relations Under the Guise of Post-Colonial Collaboration: Focusing on the Treaty of Rome(1957), the Yaoundé Convention(1963), and the Lomé Convention(1975)

This study seeks to elucidate the political motivations and historical context underlying the active promotion of EU-Africa cooperation by Western European states, including France, as a mechanism for sustaining economic dependency in the Postcolonial era. By conducting a detailed analysis of key agreements such as the 1957 Rome Treaty, the 1963 Yaoundé Convention, and the 1975 Lomé Convention, this research examines the extent to which EU-Africa cooperation—ostensibly framed in terms of “interdependence” and “mutual cooperation”—functioned as a means of perpetuating colonial structures of economic and political influence. A central argument of this study is that, unless Europe fundamentally repudiates its colonial legacy and associated ideological frameworks, the institutionalized EU-Africa partnership will remain subject to critiques as an extension of imperialist ambitions or a manifestation of Postcolonial hegemony. While European integration is frequently characterized as a “peace project” designed to ensure stability in postwar Europe, this research underscores its dual nature, revealing how it simultaneously operated as a strategic instrument for maintaining European dominance over its former colonies. By critically engaging with the often-overlooked dimensions of European integration history, this study seeks to expose the uncomfortable historical continuities that challenge prevailing narratives of European unity and progress.