Shenzhen, China – The African Union’s Permanent Representative to China, Ambassador Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, has called on African countries to take greater control of their vast critical mineral resources by prioritizing local processing, value addition, and industrialization to ensure the continent derives greater benefits from the global energy transition.
Speaking at the China Forum on International Legal Cooperation in Shenzhen, China, Ambassador Bah stressed the need for reforms in global governance systems, including the architecture governing resource value chains, arguing that Africa must play a stronger role in determining how its critical minerals are priced and utilized.
He emphasized the importance of establishing regional value chains on the continent to promote the processing and beneficiation of mineral resources, while also advocating for increased technology transfer to accelerate Africa’s economic transformation agenda.
Ambassador Bah noted that Africa possesses significant deposits of lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, and platinum-group metals, all of which are essential to the global shift toward clean energy. However, he warned that without deliberate action, the continent risks remaining a supplier of raw materials while higher-value manufacturing and processing continue to take place elsewhere.
“Can the world pursue a green transition while reproducing the economic structure in which Africa supplies raw materials and others capture most of the value?” he asked, adding that Africa’s stance is clear and unequivocal: “That pattern must change.”
To address these challenges, the AU envoy proposed the creation of a China-Africa Critical Minerals Legal Cooperation Framework aimed at strengthening legal and institutional cooperation between the two sides.
The proposed framework would include model legal and contractual provisions for critical mineral investments that balance investor confidence with Africa’s development priorities. It would also establish agreements on responsible mining practices and supply chain governance, while promoting cooperation in technology transfer, geological mapping, and skills development.
Other key components include the establishment of a standing mechanism for the prevention and resolution of China-Africa commercial disputes through negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration, as well as enhanced collaboration among African and Chinese legal practitioners, regulators, judges, arbitrators, and academic institutions.
Ambassador Bah situated the proposal within the African Union’s broader development agenda and existing continental frameworks, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Africa Mining Vision, and the 2025 Africa Green Minerals Strategy, all of which advocate for greater value addition and industrialization across Africa’s mineral sector.
He also highlighted the strategic role of the African Minerals Development Centre, describing it as a key institution for linking mineral extraction to processing industries, strengthening regional supply chains under AfCFTA, and advancing research and development across the continent.
On legal cooperation, Ambassador Bah underscored that Africa’s objective is not to harmonize or replicate legal systems but to foster “complementarity, mutual respect and legal interoperability” between African and Chinese frameworks.
He said such an approach would enable a rules-based partnership that combines China’s capital and technological expertise with Africa’s resources and growing markets under arrangements that support the continent’s industrialization and long-term development goals.