OCAF 2210 - Africa at the Core of the New International Reconfigurations: China, Russia, Turkey, Gulf states...

Contrary to the perception of Africa as a victim of poverty that prevailed during the last two decades of the 20th century, it is now considered a major player on the international stage. While this perception is arguably as debatable as the previous one, it is widely endorsed by many African leaders and their constituents, who are keen to distinguish themselves from certain Western countries. Indeed, countries on the continent are now courted by multiple international actors and enjoy privileges from which they were excluded during the first decades of their independence.

However, this new situation cannot be reduced to a resurgence of non-alignment or multi-alignment, nor does it reflect a common vision of what a new international order might look like. On the one hand, there is a certain opportunism, clearly reflected in the contradictory positioning of certain African civilian and military elites. On the other hand, this new resistance highlights the obsolescence of certain structures of domination and heralds a new era in which sovereignty will be contested horizontally rather than vertically.

This situation is often described as 'strategic hedging', whereby multiple relationships are cultivated to prevent excessive dependence on any one major power. In a sense, it is a geopolitical version of the investment strategy of diversifying a portfolio: just as investors spread risk across different assets, nations spread their dependence across different relationships. The goal is not self-sufficiency, but rather the preservation of freedom of action. When alternatives exist, no partner can dictate terms.

This transformation of the international and African scenes therefore affects many areas, including the umpteenth reform of the Security Council, an increased willingness to play a leading role in securing the continent and an inevitable yet negotiated international division of labour. While these aspects do not currently form a system, they demonstrate the continent's assertiveness and its states' willingness to act independently, without necessarily pursuing revolutionary projects for tomorrow's world.

This course attempts to explain this phenomenon on several levels, showing that this new situation is inseparable from several dynamics which will be outlined. These include the new international configuration, often referred to as the 'Global South' or 'New Cold War'; the new attempts to organise the continent since 2001 to influence internal crises and strengthen its international influence; and the increased competition between new and old partners for access to African resources and markets. This exercise is therefore hybrid in nature: it is not purely about international relations, economic analysis or strategic studies. Rather, it is an introduction to an increasingly diverse and complex Africa.

Learning Outcomes

• Better understanding of international relations seen through Africa’s lens
• Grasping the new competitions between emerging powers

3.Understanding of specific crises by analyzing internal and regional dynamcis

Professional Skills

Ability to articulate an analysis at different levels, and discuss regional competitions affecting the African continent and the international realm.

Students must have a broad knowledge of the continent's history since independence and of international relations since 9/11. The course requires a keen interest in the evolution of international relations, the rise of emerging powers, and the foreign policies of major powers, Gulf states and Turkey towards Africa. The course aims to provide a solid foundation in these issues and refine understanding based on specific events or crises

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The mark is based on:

• ability to answer specific questions about required reading 10%
• presentation on a topic related to the course (including a written review of the literature) (50%)
• written examination on the main topics taught 40%

150 hours per semester : 24 hours of in class presence + 120 hours of independent work, spread across 15 weeks (12 weeks of classes + break + make-up week + exam week), so there should be around 8 hours per week through the semester, on top of the in-presence classes.