Much of the transatlantic community’s attention is now focused on the war against Ukraine. That’s understandable. Strategic vision, however, ought to address opportunities, not just challenges. And no space offers as much potential return on investment as the Mediterranean and the surrounding regions of North, East, and West Africa. To be successful, however, Western outreach must be coordinated.

Disparate efforts deliver less than their sum. The effectiveness of Western aid programs has been hit and miss. PEPFAR, for instance, helped stem the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Food production, on the other hand, isn’t keeping pace with Africa’s growing needs. Mere assistance won’t close that gap. Nor are they a match for China’s insidious Belt-and-Road incursions, which have made heavy inroads in Africa, undermining governance, fueling corruption, insecurity, and inequality, and leaving many nations effectively in thrall to Beijing.