Europe Is Getting Ready to Fight for Africa

By Ezekiel Malone • June 18, 2026

Europe is looking for deals in Africa, covering security, energy and infrastructure partnerships. These moves may look benign, but they carry deep prophetic significance.

Africa is a strategic battleground between competing power blocs. Russia, China, Iran, Turkey and the Gulf states have expanded influence across the continent while Europe, long seen as a former colonial power, is trying to reintroduce itself as a respectful partner.

For students of Bible prophecy, this trend is not just a diplomatic story. Daniel 11 describes an end-time clash between a radical Islamic power led by Iran and a future united European military force. The prophecy specifically names Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia as being drawn into the Islamic camp—placing Africa at the center of the coming confrontation.

Europe’s New Pitch: Partnership, Not Patronage

Brussels is trying to shed its image as a donor or former ruler and present itself as a practical, equal partner.

Russia and Turkey have relied heavily on military-first interventions.
China has gained ground by presenting itself as a partner rather than a patron.
Europe is now trying to compete by offering trade, infrastructure, investment and “dialogue.”

The Sahel shows why this matters. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger recently pushed out French and European influence and welcomed Russia. But instability has persisted. The European Union is now trying to rebuild bridges by acknowledging that past engagement sounded more like a “series of monologues” than a real dialogue, as EU Sahel envoy João Cravinho put it.

Europe’s most powerful export may be respect. Many African governments resent Europe’s colonial legacy and are looking for partners that treat them as sovereign equals. It appears Brussels has recognized that tone and posture are strategic assets.

Why Africa Matters to Europe

Africa already matters economically to Europe: 7.7 percent of Europe’s imports come from Africa, and 6.4 percent of its exports go there. Trade has risen more than 27 percent over the past decade.

But the stakes go far beyond trade.

Security: Russia, China and Iran are all expanding their influence in Africa, raising the risk of Europe facing military threats from the south as well as the east.
Shipping: North and East Africa sit near critical routes such as the Red Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar.
Migration: African instability and the resulting immigration into Europe have repeatedly contributed to political crises in Europe.
Resources: Europe needs energy, minerals and raw materials if it wants to act independently of the United States.

With all these impacts, European governments increasingly see Africa as essential to the EU’s survival as a world power.

Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made the Mattei Plan a centrepiece of Italy’s Africa policy. Named for Enrico Mattei, the Italian energy executive and politician who saw Africa as a decisive arena between East and West, the plan aims to deepen partnerships with African nations, especially in North and East Africa.

Italy wants to become Europe’s reference point in Africa. The plan overlaps with the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, which seeks to fund infrastructure, energy and digital projects abroad as a counterweight to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Its key areas of focus include:

Energy and electrification projects
Transport corridors linking African regions to global markets
Digital infrastructure, including undersea cables and artificial intelligence initiatives
Migration, security and defence cooperation
Agriculture and local supply chains

Europe’s funding still trails China’s by a wide margin. Beijing has poured enormous sums into Belt and Road projects. Europe’s challenge is not just to spend more but to offer an alternative that African leaders actually trust.

The Red Sea Flash Point

Europe’s focus on East Africa and the Red Sea is especially significant. The region sits beside one of the world’s most important shipping corridors. Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen have shown how quickly maritime disruption can threaten global trade and European energy security.

The EU has extended Operation Aspides, its Red Sea naval mission, and committed new funding to protect maritime flow. The logic is simple: Europe cannot allow Iran or its proxies to hold the Red Sea hostage.

Kenya

Kenya stands out as one of Europe’s most promising partners.

It is politically more stable than many regional neighbors.
It is close to the Red Sea theater.
It is open to Western engagement at a time when other states are turning east.
It is fighting al-Shabaab, a jihadist group aligned with Iran’s interests.
It wants to become an African technology and AI hub through projects such as Konza Technopolis.

Germany has called Kenya its closest partner in the region. France has hosted African leaders there despite Kenya not being part of its former colonial sphere. Italy has placed Kenya inside the Mattei Plan through an action plan covering trade, security, defense and AI. The EU has also granted Kenya preferential trade access, making it an “anchor” partner in East Africa.

Prophetic Warning

Europe’s friendlier face toward Africa should not be viewed as harmless. Bible prophecy shows that Europe will eventually fight and defeat Iran and then exploit African peoples and resources.

Ezekiel 27 describes a future European commercial system trading in African wealth and human beings. Revelation 18 gives the same warning about a powerful end-time economic bloc built on luxury, commerce and exploitation.

Just as Italian moves into Africa preceded both world wars, today’s European push should be seen as a warning. Africa is again becoming a strategic battleground.