Megatrends Afrika Project Director
EU development policy, EU-Africa relations, development finance, digitalisation policy, Franco-German cooperation, Sahel (Mali),
Joined the Research Programme "Inter- and Transnational Cooperation" at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability in 2019 as a Senior Researcher
2015-2018 Teaching Fellow for International Relations and European Politics, Sciences Po Paris
2015 PhD in International Studies, University of Trento, Trento
2010-2011 Parliamentary Assistent at the French National Assembly
2009-2010 MSc, International and European Politics, University of Edinburgh
The BMZ has presented its new Africa strategy. The strategy turns away from focussing on private sector development, our authors comment in this Megatrends Afrika Spotlight. It promises global structural policy and multilateral cooperation - and a more self-critical attitude towards development.
Megatrends such as climate change, digitalisation, and urbanisation are transforming all aspects of politics, economics and society in Africa. Consequently, they are also affecting conflict dynamics. This Working Paper focuses specifically on how megatrends are altering patterns of foreign intervention in African conflicts. Two aspects stand out: the range of intervening powers is widening, and they are intervening increasingly at arm’s length by delegating to human or technical surrogates.
doi:10.18449/2022MTA-WP02
After nearly a decade of military intervention, France has withdrawn its soldiers from Mali. The departure not only symbolises a failure of French intervention policy, argue Benedikt Erforth (IDOS) and Denis Tull (SWP) in this Megatrends Afrika Spotlight, but also reflects Europe’s foreign policy weakness. Yet, a more muted French footprint could also be an opportunity to build a more balanced and credible approach towards the Sahel.
Megatrends have become ubiquitous phenomena in public policy debates. A thorough understanding of what this concept entails is often missing. We address this gap by unpacking the notion “megatrend” and tracing the significance it has for understanding the transformation of African societies.