Canada risks losing Africa trade edge by keeping envoy post vacant

Canada risks missing an economic boom in Africa by potentially scrapping its special envoy position, despite calls from Parliament to prioritize engagement with the continent's fastest-growing markets.

On June 3, Global Affairs Canada announced it would replace its ambassador to the African Union when Ben Marc Diendéré's three-year term ends this year. Diendéré was appointed special envoy for Africa in March 2025 as part of the Trudeau government's Africa Strategy, which aimed to shift policy from foreign aid toward deeper economic engagement with the continent and its young population. The government provided no new funding for the strategy.

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada did not confirm whether the special envoy position will continue. "The roles of permanent observer to the African Union and Special Envoy to Africa are distinct and hold separate mandates," spokeswoman Thida Ith wrote.

Senator Amina Gerba, who grew up in Cameroon, said she finds the government's silence "really surprising." Both House of Commons and Senate foreign affairs committees have urged Ottawa to do better at defining and supporting the role. A January hearing revealed Diendéré was supported by only one Canadian diplomat and one locally hired employee in Addis Ababa. "Every time I speak about Africa, it's like talking into a vacuum because I feel like people's eyes are closed to this continent," Gerba said, noting that every other major trading nation from China to France is making headway on the continent.