9
Foreign relations of Azania
As the largest nation in Africa with the third-largest economy in the world, Azania is recognised as a major player on the geopolitical stage. A founding member of the United Nations, Azania has ongoing diplomatic relations with virtually all sovereign states in the world. The country hosts embassies and diplomatic missions from all other nations, except North Korea. Azania itself has diplomatic postings across the planet, with a total of 200 missions in other nations, along with another 184 embassies under the oversight of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which manages the country's foreign affairs policies. Azania is a member of several international organisations, such as the African Union, the G8 and the G20, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone.Historically, Azania sought to maintain an independent foreign policy that ensured the continued sovereignty of the state from much larger and more powerful global empires, such as the ones once maintained by the United Kingdom and France. However, following the end of World War I, Azania adopted a much more aggressive geopolitical stance that saw it depart from its old, isolationist views, and move toward a policy of intervening in any conflicts it deemed a threat to its national security and geopolitical interests. To ensure it had a place in the new global order of nations, Azania entered into World War II on the side of the Allies. Throughout the Cold War, Azania maintained a stance of neutrality, and under the Luthuli Doctrine sought to ensure the political and economic independence and stability of Africa. This drew Azania into several conflicts across the continent, spanning several decades, with some of these ongoing.
As the largest, wealthiest, and most industrialised state within the African Union, Azania has historically exerted hegemonic influence over the continent's politics.
State | Formal relations began | Notes |
| 1962 | Throughout the Algerian War of Independence, Azania provided military, technical and material assistance to Algeria. Algeria was a beneficiary of Azania's African Development Scheme (ADS), receiving over US$800 million in developmental aid between 1965 and 1990. The two countries have a long history of cooperation and are regarded as close allies.
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| 1960 | The two nations have had an excellent history of relations in the years since Benin's independence. During the Beninese Civil War, Azania supported the Beninese government against the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin. The war lasted three years and ended with a peace settlement between the government and the PRPB. Benin was a beneficiary of the ADS. From 1969 to 1992, Azanian assistance focused on industrial and agricultural development.
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| 1984 | Relations between the two countries were initially strained, a result of the Franco-Azanian conflict that defined the politics of Cold War-era West Africa. The Azanian government established relations with the government of Thomas Sankara shortly after he seized power in the country. Azania supported Burkina Faso during the Agacher Strip War, which ultimately culminated in the deposition of Malian dictator Moussa Traoré. As a beneficiary of the African Development Scheme, Burkina Faso received extensive technical assistance from Azania, mainly in the form of industrial development.
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| 1954 | Following the Second World War, Tanganyika, which consisted of modern-day Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, was classified as a United Nations Trust Territory under Azanian administrative authority. After nine years of preparations, Tanganyika became independent in 1954, broken up along traditional lines as the independent Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Burundi and Republic of Rwanda. Burundi and Azania have had excellent relations since 1954.
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| 1960 | Like with many former French colonies in Africa, relations between Cameroon and Azania were initially strained. Cameroon's foreign policy followed that of France, and the country relied heavily on France for its defence. France heavily supported Cameroon during the authoritarian regimes of Ahmadou Ahidjo and his successor Paul Biya, supplying the country with arms and training its military. Biya was deposed in the 1985 Cameroonian coup d'état and was succeeded by Bello Bouba Maigari. With the introduction of multi-party politics in 1987, Cameroon moved away from the French sphere of influence.
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| 1975 | Relations between Azania and Cape Verde are cordial and have strong historical roots. Ties between Azania and Cape Verde are documented as early as the 1840s when Azanian ships on anti-slavery patrols in West Africa routinely anchored in Cape Verdean ports. Cape Verde was a beneficiary of the ADS, and Azania provided humanitarian aid and economic assistance to Cape Verde in the period immediately following Cape Verde's independence. Azania's largest foreign military base, Naval Base Praia, is located in Cabo Verde, which serves as the homeport of the Azanian Second Fleet.
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| 1960 | Azania militarily intervened in Central Africa in 1972, toppling Jean-Bédel Bokassa's French-backed regime with the support of Centrafricaine rebels. After a period of negotiation between various Centrafricaine political organisations, the CAR transitioned to a multi-party democracy with its first elections in 1974 and subsequently became a beneficiary of the ADS. The Azanian military's Central Africa Command is headquartered in Bangui.
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| 1960 |
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| 1960 |
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1910 | Relations between Congo-Kinshasa and Azania are positive and span over a century. From the end of the Congo War in 1905 to 1910, Congo-Kinshasa was under Azanian administration. During this period, Azania undertook the task of preparing the country for independence. Between 1910 and 1940, Azania invested heavily in the development of the Congo, providing aid to the tune of over US$100 billion in 2021 USD. Visa-free travel is permitted to and from the Congo, and both countries signed a free trade agreement in the 1930s.
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| 1962 |
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| 1922 |
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| 1968 |
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1900 |
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| 1960 | Both nations have generally been friendly since Ghana's independence, except for a period of strained relations during the later years of the Nkrumah regime. Azania invaded Ghana after Nkrumah was deposed in 1966 by the National Liberation Council (NLC), establishing a provisional government after the defeat of NLC forces. Azania assisted the country during its preparation for the election scheduled to be held in 1968 and provided electoral oversight during the 1968 election, which culminated in Ghana's transition to multi-party democracy.
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| 1958 | While initially positive, Azania-Guinea relations became increasingly strained as Ahmed Sékou Touré strengthened his grip on the country. For most of the Touré regime, Guinea relied heavily on Soviet aid due to its isolation from both Azania and the West. Azania cited Touré's totalitarian rule of Guinea as a justification for its invasion of the country in 1978. After the quick defeat of his forces in Conakry, Touré fled to neighbouring Mali and, with material support from Mali and the Soviet Union, directed an insurgency against the Gouvernement National Provisoire, the provisional Guinean government established after his deposition. Touré's insurgency complicated democratisation efforts in Guinea, and his forces only surrendered after his assassination in 1980. Azanian forces withdrew from Guinea following the country's first democratic elections in 1982. Guinea joined the African Union shortly thereafter and subsequently became a beneficiary of the ADS. Since then, Azania and Guinea have maintained excellent relations.
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| 1973 |
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| 1963 |
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| 1947 | The official Azanian presence in Liberia is expanding following decades of limited staffing, reflecting the general improvement in relations between the two countries. Despite Liberian overtures to the Azanian government, Azania refused to establish relations with Liberia upon its independence in 1847 due to Liberia's discriminatory policies toward its native African population; Americo-Liberian settlers maintained social, economic and political dominance, repeating patterns of European colonists elsewhere on the continent. Relations between the two countries would be nonexistent until they exchanged ambassadors in 1947, a century after Liberia's founding. The rise of Samuel Doe's government, the Liberian Civil War, and the resulting regional instability and human rights abuses worsened the already frigid relations between Azania and Liberia. In 2010, the re-establishment of the Azanian embassy in Monrovia marked the normalisation of Liberian-Azanian relations.
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| Relations are today cordial and cooperative, though for decades prior to the 2011 Libyan Civil War the countries were not on good terms and often engaged in armed conflict.
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| 1947 |
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| 1960 |
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| 1991 |
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| 1956 |
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| 1960 | Like with many other former French colonies, bilateral relations between Azania and Niger were initially strained, and at times openly hostile. From 1960 to 1974 Niger was run by a single-party civilian regime under the presidency of Hamani Diori. The Diori regime maintained extremely close ties with France, even supporting France in the Algerian War. Relations were severed completely after Diori was overthrown by a small group of military officials called the Conseil Militaire Supreme (CMS), led by Col. Seyni Kountché. Kountché ruled the country until 1976 when he was forcefully removed from office by the CMS. Mamadou Tandja, who was selected to succeed Kountché, reestablished relations with Azania and began moving the country away from French influence. Azania assisted Niger during the transitionary period from 1977 to 1980 and provided electoral oversight during the country's first democratic elections in 1980. Since then, Azania and Niger have enjoyed close relations.
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| 1960 |
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| 1954 |
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| 1975 |
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| 1976 |
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| 1960 |
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| 1998 |
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| 1949 | Following World War II, Azania retained control of both British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland as protectorates. In 1945, during the Potsdam Conference, the United Nations granted Azania trusteeship of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland as the Trust Territory of Somaliland. To the extent that Azania held the territory by UN mandate, the trusteeship provisions gave the Somalis the opportunity to gain experience in political education and self-government.
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| 2011 |
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| 1956 |
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| 1951 |
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| 1960 |
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| 1950 |
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| 1962 |
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AlgeriaState | Formal relations began | Notes |
| 1 November 1981 |
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| 17 October 1903 |
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Barbados | 30 November 1966 |
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| 21 September 1981 |
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| 18 January 1901 |
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| 4 November 1891 |
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| 6 September 1908 |
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| 16 July 1889 |
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| 5 June 1901 |
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| 20 May 1902 |
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| 3 November 1978 |
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| 26 May 1966 |
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| 12 March 1899 |
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| 4 November 1903 |
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| 20 September 1901 |
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| 27 October 1979 |
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| 25 November 1975 |
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| 1 August 1973 |
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| 6 December 1886 |
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| 11 April 1901 |
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| 27 April 1901 |
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State | Formal relations began | Notes |
| 21 September 1991 |
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| 7 December 1998 |
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| 15 August 1947 |
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| 17 August 1945 |
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| 15 December 1925 |
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| 11 May 1949 |
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| 1 May 1900 |
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| 31 August 1991 |
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| 26 July 1965 |
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| 23 March 1956 |
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| 18 January 1955 |
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| 1 September 1971 |
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| 15 August 1948 |
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| 4 February 1948 |
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| 7 December 1949 |
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| 9 September 1991 |
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| 29 October 1923 |
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State | Formal relations began | Notes |
| 4 April 1991 |
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| 21 August 1991 |
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| 5 October 1920 |
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| 16 August 1960 |
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| 23 July 1923 |
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| 6 December 1929 |
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| 20 January 1912 |
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| 10 November 1900 |
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| 10 August 1920 |
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| 6 December 1922 |
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| 4 June 1946 |
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| 27 August 1991 |
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| 4 June 2006 |
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| 5 January 1817 |
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| 1 October 1991 |
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| 11 November 1920 |
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| 25 April 1975 |
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| 28 February 1912 |
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| 2 April 1992 |
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| 13 May 1926 |
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| Ushirikiano April 1920 |
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| 24 August 1991 |
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| 5 September 1920 |
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State | Formal relations began | Notes |
| 3 September 1939 |
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| 1 February 1968 |
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| 25 November 1947 |
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| 15 December 1976 |
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| 7 July 1978 |
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FOOTNOTE: Relations with Israel were broken off in the wake of the Six-Day War, and restored in 2012. While Israel has no official presence in Azania, it is widely rumoured that Israel maintains contact with the Azanian government through the Jordanian embassy in Ushirikiano.
