New External Actors in Africa

• Gerda Asmus
• Vera Z. Eichenauer
• Andreas Fuchs
• Bradley Parks

Is India the New China? Rivalries in Development Finance

• German

India prioritizes Africa and Asia in its allocation of development projects to the Global South. Our research shows that India tends to make financial commitments in areas where China has increased its activities. This appears to be driven by commercial competition, Gerda Asmus (University of Göttingen), Vera Z. Eichenauer (ETH Zurich), Andreas Fuchs (University of Göttingen and IfW Kiel), and Bradley Parks (William & Mary) write in this Megatrends Afrika Spotlight.

• Daouda Cissé

Chinese Telecommunications Companies in Africa

African governments and the AU have supported the development of the continent’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. China, too, has increasingly invested in that sector. This Policy Brief argues that while Beijing meets Africa’s need for the development, helps bridge the telecom gap and contributes to connectivity, there are risks surrounding China’s engagement.

doi:10.18449/2022MTA-PB07

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• 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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• Anna Hörter

Policy Workshop II: External Actors and Public Opinion. How Perceptions Influence Politics

• German

Perceptions create the framework within which we form opinions and take decisions. This makes it important to monitor how they develop and end up shaping public opinion and politics in Africa. Over the past weeks, Megatrends Afrika has explored different perspectives on how perceptions influence politics. On 15 June 2022, we discussed the results with political decision-makers and representatives from academia and civil society.

• Anna Hörter

Policy Workshop I: How New External Actors Influence African Conflicts and Economies

• German

Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or China. More and more actors are becoming involved in Africa. They influence economy and security on the continent in particular. For our first Megatrends Afrika policy workshop, we invited international experts to discuss the role of these actors in Africa: How do the alleged "newcomers" get involved on the continent? What does this mean for German and European engagement?

• 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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