Short Abstract

The New Cold War (NCW), manifest in geostrategic competition between the West and the China-Russia alteraxis, is having profound impacts in Africa. This panel will examine the NCW’s vectors of influence, assess its development impacts, and explore strategies for Africa’s development in response.

Description

How is Africa affected by rising competition and tensions between the West and the emerging alteraxis of China-Russia? How does US hegemonic retreat influence competition for influence and proxy wars by rising powers on the continent? How are African actors shaping external engagements to their own and the continent’s advantage? The “first Cold War” was largely fought in the global periphery and by most accounts it did little to facilitate progressive, distributive, and/or sustainable forms of socioeconomic development in regions like Africa. This appears to be partly the case in what some see as a new iteration of this conflict. Africa is one of the key “battlegrounds” in this competition, although different actors on the continent have substantial agency in shaping these relations. This panel will engage the nature of global geostrategic competition in Africa, its vectors (such as technology, finance and ideas) and impacts. Contributors will assess how African political elites are utilising the New Cold War, examine its current and future developmental implications, and/or offer insights regarding ways in which Africa can best manage and leverage emerging geopolitical and geoeconomics relations to the benefit of its peoples. We welcome papers on a range of topics related to the impacts of the New Cold War including: socioeconomic development, aid, trade, livelihoods, industry, political economy, international relations, and technological change.

This Panel has 2 pending paper proposals.
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