Experts & Staff

Gwamaka Kifukwe

ECFR Alumni · Policy Fellow

Areas of expertise

Sustainable development; urbanisation; climate; energy; East Africa

Languages

English, Norwegian (Bokmål), Swahili, French (conversational)

Biography

Gwamaka Kifukwe was a policy fellow with the Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His work focuses on Africa-Europe relations.

Following his studies, Kifukwe worked for the government of Tanzania. Between 2012 and 2018, he worked at the Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development (UONGOZI Institute), including as the head of the research and policy department. He spent several years as an independent consultant on Africa to a range of clients, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (where he advised on triangular cooperation). He also worked with REN21 to expand their engagement in Africa and south-east Asia to support the uptake of and transition to renewable energy.

He holds a PhD in geography and an MSc in economy, space, and society from the University of Nottingham, as well as a master’s in advanced global studies from the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po.

No cold war, please: How Europeans should engage non-aligned states

The Non-Aligned Movement is one of the largest international forums in the world. As the European Union finds its geopolitical feet, it should work to treat developing countries as individual states with their own interests and objectives

Why UN votes shouldn’t define Europe-Africa relations

Many Europeans were disappointed with how African countries voted on UN resolutions to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine. But they should remember that African states still need to diversify their partnerships

In the media