During the summit on 20 January, organized by videoconferencing, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reassured his African partners: Great Britain holds all its ambitions for the continent after Brexit. But without actually introducing anything new.

On 20 January 2020, Britain launched its first Africa Investment Summit. About fifteen heads of state and government traveled to London to seize the “New Partnership” proposal proposed by the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Twelve days later, Britain officially left the European Union (EU), beginning in a transition period, which effectively implemented the Brexit deal on 1 January 2021. As Boris Johnson recalled on 20 January, in fact, “a lot has changed in a year”. The head of the British government then addressed the participants of the second summit on investment in Africa, through addressed videos.

Virtually organized to respond to the new realities imposed for a year by the Kovid-19 epidemic, this second edition is clearly far from the earlier splendor. Opportunities are now scarce, with the British cabinet reassuring the continent the day after the first summit to take advantage of the meeting. Boris Johnson said, “One thing has not changed, I can assure you, it is my ambition to have the United Kingdom strengthen its partnership with Africa.”

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