During his first presidency, Donald Trump’s Africa policy was defined by a series of gaffs and confused foreign policy decisions. His re-election is a wake-up call to European governments that building a strong relationship with the world’s fastest-growing continent is more vital than ever
The EU faces a massive uphill struggle to secure critical raw material supply chains – and its efforts may even be undermining the bloc’s de-risking objectives by indirectly helping Chinese companies
Moscow’s actions in Africa often fail to meet the continent’s development goals, presenting European leaders with an opportunity to counter Russian influence. However, they must remain vigilant about Russia’s alliances with the global south – and particularly initiatives such as BRICS
A decade of military, humanitarian, and developmental European interventions in the Sahelian states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have failed comprehensively. Yet, European governments…
Rather than disengaging from the coup belt, European governments should stay present and work to curb the worst of the chaos engulfing the region — and prevent rival powers from gaining the upper hand
While Russia remains a potent player in parts of Africa, recent events in the Sahelian states have shown that Russian forces are deeply overstretched and losing credibility. It is obvious to all involved that Moscow has no solutions – which leaves a diplomatic opening for the West
Amid global geopolitical tensions, the EU has been ramping up efforts to diversify its mineral value chains by forging strategic partnerships with resource-rich African nations
Policy and research circles are increasingly interested in Gulf monarchies’ expanding footprint in Africa, though the challenges and opportunities of the deepening Gulf-Africa relations for…
Konflikte in Gaza, im Sudan und in der Ukraine, irreguläre Migration, Klimakrise und Extremismus: Die Welt wird von immer mehr gleichzeitig aufretenden Krisen erschüttert, die…
The UAE has invested heavily in Africa’s energy sectors in recent years, expanding its stakes in oil and gas, and renewables. Rather than viewing the UAE as solely a rival, Europeans should pursue a strategy of “co-opetition”, balancing competition with cooperation in areas of mutual interest, to fast-track green initiatives
The EU faces a massive uphill struggle to secure critical raw material supply chains – and its efforts may even be undermining the bloc’s de-risking objectives by indirectly helping Chinese companies
Rather than disengaging from the coup belt, European governments should stay present and work to curb the worst of the chaos engulfing the region — and prevent rival powers from gaining the upper hand
The UAE has invested heavily in Africa’s energy sectors in recent years, expanding its stakes in oil and gas, and renewables. Rather than viewing the UAE as solely a rival, Europeans should pursue a strategy of “co-opetition”, balancing competition with cooperation in areas of mutual interest, to fast-track green initiatives
African and European decision-makers can achieve mutual benefit on critical raw materials – but the EU should be clearer about which parts of the value chain it wishes to invest in
Services play an increasingly important role in international trade. Improving EU-African trade in services would have wide-ranging benefits for both sides
During his first presidency, Donald Trump’s Africa policy was defined by a series of gaffs and confused foreign policy decisions. His re-election is a wake-up call to European governments that building a strong relationship with the world’s fastest-growing continent is more vital than ever
Moscow’s actions in Africa often fail to meet the continent’s development goals, presenting European leaders with an opportunity to counter Russian influence. However, they must remain vigilant about Russia’s alliances with the global south – and particularly initiatives such as BRICS
While Russia remains a potent player in parts of Africa, recent events in the Sahelian states have shown that Russian forces are deeply overstretched and losing credibility. It is obvious to all involved that Moscow has no solutions – which leaves a diplomatic opening for the West
The lack of financing for climate projects in Africa is a major obstacle for the continent to reach its goals under the Paris agreement. In this critical year for climate finance, scattered efforts threaten to stymie real progress
The first two months of 2024 have seen the EU and member states redirect billions of euros of development funding away from Africa – but this could come at great cost to their long-term interests on the continent
Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes expose how actors beyond the great powers can weaponise an interdependent global economy. To help overcome this threat, Europeans should advocate cooperation between the US and China
This week, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni will present an urgently needed strategic plan for Africa. But as things stand, it is missing a clear strategy and the necessary planning
The EU and Namibia have launched the roadmap of their renewable hydrogen partnership. To ensure it effectively helps the EU’s sustainability goals and boosts Namibia’s economic growth, planning should be clearer and more realistic
The UAE’s expanding role in Africa’s energy spaces could present a challenge to Europe’s energy security and decarbonisation ambitions – but opportunities for cooperation also exist that could accelerate the global energy transition
The UN rightly wishes to devolve responsibility for peace support operations to regional partners. But it should draw up novel ways to achieve this in Africa
A decade of military, humanitarian, and developmental European interventions in the Sahelian states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have failed comprehensively. Yet, European governments…
Konflikte in Gaza, im Sudan und in der Ukraine, irreguläre Migration, Klimakrise und Extremismus: Die Welt wird von immer mehr gleichzeitig aufretenden Krisen erschüttert, die…
Amid global geopolitical tensions, the EU has been ramping up efforts to diversify its mineral value chains by forging strategic partnerships with resource-rich African nations
Policy and research circles are increasingly interested in Gulf monarchies’ expanding footprint in Africa, though the challenges and opportunities of the deepening Gulf-Africa relations for…
The lack of affordable finance for climate projects in Africa is a key barrier for the continent to reach its adaptation and mitigation goals. It…
On 28 February, Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo was killed in a shootout with security forces. He had been accused of leading an attack against…
Migration in the Mediterranean has been a crisis factor for Europe for decades. To shed light on the issue, the discussion will revolve around ECFR’s policy brief edited by Lorena Stella Martini and Tarek Megerisi, which examines the case study of the Central Mediterranean route to analyse European externalization policies, focusing primarily on migration to Italy
On 29 December 2023, South Africa filed its first-ever application before the International Court of Justice in response to the situation in the Gaza Strip,…
Many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate…
The climate adaptation needs of Africa are not being met and a lack of affordable and consistent finance is a key cause. Between 2019-2020, Africa…
Although Ghana has one of the most professional armies in the region, it is not yet well prepared and equipped to face the jihadist challenge
Maddalena Procopio on the Lobito Corridor as clear positioning of the United States in Africa towards China
