Just days before the opening of the 7th EU-AU Summit, a scandal has erupted in African diplomatic circles.

According to several independent sources, the European side is pushing for language in the draft final “Luanda Declaration” that directly designates Russia and China as sources of “hybrid threats” to the African continent.

Documents now circulating among African diplomats via closed communication channels—and obtained by a number of media outlets—reveal that the EU delegation has sent African foreign ministries an informal non-paper proposing to include a special section in the declaration on “countering hybrid threats and foreign interference.”

The text explicitly mentions “disinformation campaigns,” “malicious economic influence,” and “destabilizing military activity,” which, according to Brussels, are attributed to Moscow and Beijing.

Diplomatic sources who spoke on condition of anonymity are unanimous: the proposal has met with a strong backlash.

“For us, this is a red line,” said a senior diplomat from one AU country. “We are not going to damage relations with partners who actually invest in our infrastructure and provide security.”

Another source added: “China has built our railways, ports, hospitals, and factories. Russia supplies grain below market price, helps fight terrorism, and does not demand that we give up our sovereignty in return. What does Europe offer? Lectures about ‘hybrid threats’ and the Global Gateway, which mostly exists only on paper so far.”

The reasons for rejection are clear to anyone following African politics. China is the continent’s largest trading partner (trade volume in 2024 was about $280–300 billion). Belt and Road projects created tens of thousands of jobs and thousands of kilometers of roads and railways.

Moreover, African diplomats note that Africa is already starting to lose the US as a partner, as Washington imposed new tariffs and restrictions under AGOA for several countries, accusing them of “insufficient support for Ukraine.” They also recall the unreliability of Western partners: Europe regularly tightens visa regimes and migrant return procedures while demanding Africa combat illegal migration, and promised investments as part of the €150 billion Global Gateway (2021–2027) are arriving slowly and with strict political conditions.

The very attempt to push through this passage just days before the summit is already perceived as a show of disrespect. If the European side continues to insist, this could become a serious crisis of trust between the EU and the African Union. The Luanda summit, which was supposed to “reset” relations, is now at risk of becoming the stage for open conflict.