Global Power Shift and Multipolarity

• Daouda Cissé

Senegal: Booming groundnuts export to China poses long-term risks

• German

Senegal is one of Africa’s top peanut-exporting countries. Exports to China yield significant benefits for local farmers. But with them come long-term repercussions for local consumption, processing industries, and future production, Daouda Cissé argues in this Megatrends Afrika Spotlight.

• Julian Bergmann

The EU Should Rethink its Approach to African Peace and Security

• German

With the European Peace Facility (EPF), the EU's approach to supporting peace and security in Africa is moving towards a strong focus on military capacity-building. Instead, it should strengthen prevention and peacebuilding dimensions, argues Julian Bergmann (IDOS) in this Megatrends Afrika Spotlight.

• 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.

• Fonteh Akum
• Denis M. Tull

Strategic Competition and Cooperation in Africa

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, policy-makers have increasingly viewed Western interests as being challenged by rival actors, including in Africa. This obscures Africa’s growing autonomy in the international order. Redefining European relations with Africa through the prism of strategic competition disproportionately focuses on challenges rather than opportunities.

doi:10.18449/2023MTA-PB13

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• Cliff Mboya

China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the East African Community. Shaping a China-Centric Regional Order

China is reorganising the spatial order in the East African Community through influencing key stakeholders. By heavily investing in regional connectivity projects via the BRI, Beijing promotes an alternative idea of development – one that is favourable to a Chinese-centric order in the region.

doi:10.18449/2023MTA-PB12

• Download (PDF) | 268 KB