Since January 2022 Researcher in the project "Megatrends Africa: Implications and Options for Action for German and International Policy".
2019-2021 Associate Researcher and Coordinator, Berghof Foundation, Conflict Transformation Research/Peace Mediation
2019 Consultant, Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law, The Hague
2014-2018 Research Associate, SFB 700 „Governance in Areas of Limited Statehood“, Freie Universität Berlin
2011-2014 Project Manager, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), South Sudan and Pakistan
African countries share deep economic, political, and social ties with China. To better understand Beijing’s activities and impact, we need more robust empirical data. Future research should strengthen the link between empirical data and theoretical debates on status, power, and influence.
doi:10.18449/2023MTA-WP05
The EU faces (geo)political challenges as it implements the Global Gateway Initiative in East Africa, including rent-seeking dynamics and competition between external actors. Our paper recommends adressing mobility needs of East Africans and increasing regional coordination to mitigate risks.
doi:10.18449/2023MTA-WP04
Several African countries have defaulted on their debt, and more could follow. Multilateral solutions for debt relief are needed but are complicated by power struggles between the West and China, argue Karoline Eickhoff and Rainer Thiele on the occasion of the Paris Summit.
Security cooperation has become vital for protecting China’s interests and investments in Africa, especially in the geopolitically important Horn of Africa (HoA). Now, it recently launched the ‘Initiative of Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa’ and appointed its first special envoy for the region. Both steps suggest that China seeks to become a more prominent development and security provider in the region. As the EU and Germany currently re-evaluate their relations with Beijing as much as with African partner countries, questions arise about the substance of the HoA initiative and what the consequences for peace and security in the region could be.
doi:10.18449/2022MTA-WP01
China is investing in large-scale infrastructure projects across Africa. In Kenya, it has built several of these “mega projects”. While their economic viability remains to be seen, debates on the risks and benefits of Chinese investments and public debt are in full swing. 2022 is not only an important election year in Kenya but also a peak period of debt repayments. In this political climate, Chinese mega projects are either portrayed as symbols of independence and modernity, manifestations of usurpation, or colossal losing deals.
doi:10.18449/2022MTA-PB04
The influence of external actors in the Horn of Africa is usually measured in terms of material resources. India’s role in the region, however, is predominantly based on non-material factors such as shared historical memories and social ties seen in the Indo-African diaspora. In our article “Power, Status and Memory in Indo-East African Relations”, recently published in the South African Journal of International Affairs, we look at the significance of these factors in Indo-Kenyan relations.
Approaches to trust-building in peacebuilding interventions
doi:10.25592/ifsh-research-report-008
External Actors' Sensemaking and Field Practices in View of Conflicting Demands