New External Actors in Africa

• 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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• Wolfram Lacher

African Conflicts amid Multipolarity: Implications of a Changing Actor Landscape

The range of external actors intervening in internal conflicts on the African continent has undergone a noticeable change. Three states in particular are intervening in a growing number of African conflicts: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, and Russia. Their expanding footprint shows that the multipolar disorder that has characterised wars in the Middle East now also affects much of Africa.

doi:10.18449/2022MTA-PB03

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• Tobias Heidland
• Sebastian Jävervall
• Hendrik Mahlkow

The Russian invasion of Ukraine endangers African food security in the long-term

• German

Many African countries are dependent on food and fertilizer imports from Russia and Ukraine. But with the war comes shortages and price inflation. In many places, this threatens the food security of the population and links sufficient supply to the purchasing power of individuals. In our new Kiel Policy Brief (IfW), we draft three scenarios of how grain supply could be affected in the long term.

• Federico Donelli

UAVs and beyond: Security and defence sector at the core of Turkey's strategy in Africa

Security cooperation has become an important bargaining chip of Turkey-Africa relations. Ankara is exploiting the interest of African countries in its weaponry – specifically its Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – to broaden its political influence. Turkey will have to renegotiate relations with Western partners, as well as competitors such as Russia and China.

doi:10.18449/2022MTA-PB02

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