How Europe can work with Africa amid the global scramble for vaccines
China is posed to reap geopolitical gain via vaccine diplomacy if Europe does not prioritise Africa
Experts & Staff
Theodore Murphy
Director, Africa programme
Areas of expertise
Horn of Africa: Sudan/South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea; Red Sea political/security/economic aspects; mediation/conflict resolution; humanitarianism
Languages
English, German, Arabic, French (conversational)
Biography
Theodore Murphy is the director of the Africa programme at the European Council for Foreign Relations.
Murphy managed emergency response missions for Doctors Without Borders, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan. He has published and lectured on humanitarian issues writ large and specifically in the context of the Greater War on Terror. At Amnesty International, Murphy coordinated all research and publications on Sudan as well as media appearances. Writing for the International Crisis Group, Murphy focused on the dynamics in the Chad/Darfur region contributing to public reports on these issues.
From 2007-2011, Murphy worked in conflict resolution/mediation with the United Nations and in the non-governmental sector in the Horn of Africa and Middle East. He served as Expert Advisor to the AU/UN mediation team in Darfur in 2007-08. In 2011, Murphy was appointed by the UN Secretary General to the Panel of Experts for Libya where he served in the post of Regional Expert. As a Course Director and Fellow for the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Murphy designed and led accredited training for diplomats, military, and multilateral staff on the topic of Engagement with Non State Actors.
Working closely with the German MFA, from 2012 onwards, Murphy oversaw mediation initiatives throughout the Horn of Africa. Amongst others, he negotiated an internationally recognized political agreement in Darfur and supported efforts towards creating a Red Sea Forum.
Murphy holds degrees from McGill University and the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) London.
How Europe can stop Ethiopia’s slide into a regional war
The recent war in Ethiopia may at first glance appear to be a short, sharp internal conflict with few implications for the Horn of Africa – or for Europe. But the war is far from over, and the risks it creates are spreading.
All eyes on Ethiopia: What the EU and the US can do
What are the regional implications of the Tigray conflict and the prospects for transatlantic cooperation around the issue?
A new transatlantic bargain: An action plan for transformation, not restoration
The Trump years galvanised Europeans’ efforts to strengthen their own sovereignty; they now need to agree concrete offers they can make to the new administration
Europe’s pivot to Africa
Where do we stand now in building a “strategic partnership” between the European and African continent?
Europe’s new transatlantic bargain for Biden’s America
When Biden enters the White House, he will look for a Europe that brings solutions rather than problems. Europeans should show they can be an equal partner & offer him a new transatlantic bargain.
Trump, Biden, and Europe’s place in the Africa great power competition
European activities in Africa risk unwittingly drifting onto territory contested by the US and China on their own terms
High-level virtual roundtable on covid-19-related debt in Africa
The economic knock-on effects of the COVID19 pandemic are severe all over the world but Africa is particularly exposed. As governments’ ability to respond to the…
Sudan peace agreement: What it really means for the country’s transition
The power of Sudan’s protest movement has sustained the prime minister in office – but its trust in Abdalla Hamdouk has ebbed of late. This week’s peace agreement gives him the chance to win it back.
Publications
A new transatlantic bargain: An action plan for transformation, not restoration
The Trump years galvanised Europeans’ efforts to strengthen their own sovereignty; they now need to agree concrete offers they can make to the new administration
Articles
How Europe can work with Africa amid the global scramble for vaccines
China is posed to reap geopolitical gain via vaccine diplomacy if Europe does not prioritise Africa
How Europe can stop Ethiopia’s slide into a regional war
The recent war in Ethiopia may at first glance appear to be a short, sharp internal conflict with few implications for the Horn of Africa – or for Europe. But the war is far from over, and the risks it creates are spreading.
Trump, Biden, and Europe’s place in the Africa great power competition
European activities in Africa risk unwittingly drifting onto territory contested by the US and China on their own terms
Sudan peace agreement: What it really means for the country’s transition
The power of Sudan’s protest movement has sustained the prime minister in office – but its trust in Abdalla Hamdouk has ebbed of late. This week’s peace agreement gives him the chance to win it back.
Podcasts
All eyes on Ethiopia: What the EU and the US can do
What are the regional implications of the Tigray conflict and the prospects for transatlantic cooperation around the issue?
Europe’s pivot to Africa
Where do we stand now in building a “strategic partnership” between the European and African continent?
Europe’s new transatlantic bargain for Biden’s America
When Biden enters the White House, he will look for a Europe that brings solutions rather than problems. Europeans should show they can be an equal partner & offer him a new transatlantic bargain.
In the media
Theodore Murphy explains the genesis of the ongoing conflict in the Tigray's region.
Theodore Murphy on what a Biden's administration should do to help Africa
Theodore Murphy's commentary on the consequences of the US election outcome on Africa is quoted by QuartzAfrica.
From the Sudanese point of view, Theodore Murphy fears that the way in which the Israeli-Sudanese peace agreement was reached amounts to a "capitulation".
Theodore Murphy is quoted by Deutsche Welle regarding American sanctions against African countries and their impact.