Dr. Karoline Eickhoff

• Daouda Cissé
• Karoline Eickhoff
• Julia Fath
• Rainer Thiele

China's Footprint in Africa

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

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• Karoline Eickhoff

Infrastructure in East Africa: What Challenges for the EU Global Gateway?

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

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• Karoline Eickhoff
• Rainer Thiele

Debt Relief in Africa: Conflicting Interests Between the West and China Hinder Multilateral Solutions

• German

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.

• Karoline Eickhoff
• Nadine Godehardt

China’s Horn of Africa Initiative: Fostering or Fragmenting Peace?

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

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• Karoline Eickhoff

Chinese Mega Projects in Kenya: Public Controversies around Infrastructure and Debt in East Africa’s Regional Hub

• German

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

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• Karoline Eickhoff
• Tobias Berger

Multipolarity in East Africa: India’s Role in Kenya

• German

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.