Africa is the center of attention today. Not only traditional powers like France, UK, Russia and US are so keen to revive and re-structure their relations with the African countries; but also new emerging powers like China, India, Turkey and Brazil are making very influential inroads in developing relations with the continent. Can this variety of actors make positive impact on the continent and the lives of millions? What are the differences and convergences in each player’s position and policies? How do African states, and ordinary Africans, see the new rise of Africa? What does that mean for us and for the world?
These and many other questions are waiting before us today irrespective of whether you are academics or policy-makers. Africa Program at CESRAN was born out of these concerns. We aim to make sense of developments in the continent to answer the persisting questions.
In many respects, Africa is just a smaller story of deep global change taking place in the 21st century. Just to note, the emergence of new actors in Africa is an expression of wider global political and economic power shifts that are moving progressively away from, specifically the US and the EU, to the rapidly growing economies of the BRICS and the G20. While much attention has been given over to the rise of China and India as key players in Africa, the story of other emerging powers and their impact on the continent is becoming bigger and more complex by the day.
Similarly, Turkey’s heroic involvement in Somalia since 2011, the expansion of Indian mining companies into Zambia and DRC, and more importantly the role of China in developing a new concept of “development” in Africa are not only single developments that require attention; rather these small developments can be game-changing in coming years.
Considering all these developments and their implications for Africa and beyond, Africa Program aims to provide strategic insights, analysis and policy suggestions for those interested in African politics. In that regard, Africa Program invites specialists, experts and policy-makers to contribute our humble endeavors, so that we together can develop a better understanding and better outcomes for the people.