Director, Africa programme
Horn of Africa: Sudan/South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea; Red Sea political/security/economic aspects; mediation/conflict resolution; humanitarianism
English, German, Arabic, French (conversational)
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.
The EU should conceive of the Global Gateway and the international aspect of the European Green Deal as mutually reinforcing parts of a single strategy. This would make Europe a key partner in Africa’s green transformation – to the benefit of both continents.
This event is part of the German Forum on Security Policy #DFS2021
The EU can unblock the so-called “electoral impasse” paralysing Somalia by rejecting the involvement of the outgoing president. But it must also set out a new framework to help the country move forward
The roundtable will focus on the state of the Africa-Europe relationship with its challenges and opportunities, and the role that Southern Europe could play in the process
China is posed to reap geopolitical gain via vaccine diplomacy if Europe does not prioritise Africa
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.
What are the regional implications of the Tigray conflict and the prospects for transatlantic cooperation around the issue?
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
Where do we stand now in building a “strategic partnership” between the European and African continent?
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.
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
The EU should conceive of the Global Gateway and the international aspect of the European Green Deal as mutually reinforcing parts of a single strategy. This would make Europe a key partner in Africa’s green transformation – to the benefit of both continents.
The EU can unblock the so-called “electoral impasse” paralysing Somalia by rejecting the involvement of the outgoing president. But it must also set out a new framework to help the country move forward
China is posed to reap geopolitical gain via vaccine diplomacy if Europe does not prioritise Africa
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.
European activities in Africa risk unwittingly drifting onto territory contested by the US and China on their own terms
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.
What are the regional implications of the Tigray conflict and the prospects for transatlantic cooperation around the issue?
Where do we stand now in building a “strategic partnership” between the European and African continent?
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.
Theoretically, the Sudanese military could take power right now without facing any significant armed resistance
Theodore Murphy comments on the escalating political and security situation in Sudan
The challenge for the Sudanese revolution is to consolidate the protest movement’s power into an organised political force
Theodore Murphy looks at how the Sudanese revolution can survive in the face of domestic and international challenges
Theodore Murphy is interviewed about the ongoing conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia
The European Union is wrong to try to commercialize its normative commitment in Africa due to the difficulty of identifying interests
Theodore Murphy writes about the relationship between Europe and Africa
The idea driving that was Sudan’s economic dire straits. This was the most pressing threat and threatened the country with potential collapse if not addressed
Theodore Murphy believes that donor nations have primarily been focused on Sudanese economic reforms while letting their attention drift from political issues
