29 Nov 2024

African Think Tank

Association For Strategic Culture and Research Foundation

African Think Tank

Libya’s Proxy War And The Changing Geopolitical Balance Of North Africa

On 20 July 2020, the Egyptian parliament unilaterally voted in favour of the possible use of the country’s armed forces abroad. It is clear that these armed forces will be used in one place only – Libya.

By Leonid Savin

25 January, 2021

Struggle for influence in Africa

Africa is of natural interest to the leading political forces operating on the world stage. It has a huge territory, more than a billion people and natural resources, which, according to various estimates, make up 30-40% of all mineral reserves of the planet. At the same time, the level of development of the continent itself, at least in the last five hundred years, is significantly lower than the level of development of the surrounding European and Asian countries.

By V.M. Sergeev, VIPerson

27 May, 2021

Will U.S. Sanctions Against Ethiopia Provide Russia with Regional Opening?

The U.S. has recently imposed sanctions against some Ethiopian officials who Washington blames for alleged human rights abuses in the country’s restive Tigray Province. The background context is that members of the previously most important party of the former Ethiopian ruling coalition, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), recently split with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s new Prosperity Party ruling coalition over serious domestic political differences related to his vision for the country.

By Andrew Korybko

6 June, 2021

Is There Any Hope Left For The Horn Of Africa?

The high hopes that many had for a radical improvement of the situation in the Horn of Africa just a few short years ago have been shattered by a combination of internal and international conflicts centered on Ethiopia, but it might be premature to predict that the region won't ever recover since Prime Minister Abiy could drastically turn everything around once more should he have the political will to do so.

By Andrew Korybko

6 June, 2021

Criticism Highlights Russia's Media Weakness in Africa

In her weekly media briefing July 23, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized United States support for educational programs, media and NGOs in Africa. In addition, Zakharova said

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

29 July, 2021

Egypt Hopes for Russia's Nuclear Plant Construction

It was highly unique step forward in October 2019, during the first Russia-Africa Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reaffirmed commitment to scale-up cooperation in various economic sectors and particularly expedite work on the special industrial zone and the construction of proposed four nuclear power plants, raising hopes for an increased power supply in Egypt.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

1 September, 2021

Treasuring Africa’s Seas and Oceans

As an island nation state totally surrounded by the ocean, Seychelles considers water bodies worthy of special status and recognises them to be among Africa’s most prized natural assets.

By H.E. Wavel Ramkalawan

30 September, 2021

What Next After Sudan Changes Guards At The Crossroad?

Besides the search for peaceful political pathways, Sudanese authorities need to address the deep-seated economic deficiencies and tackle common problems (basic infrastructure) facing people in micro levels of the society. This also relates many African countries.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

27 October, 2021

Morocco And Algeria On The Edge Of The Precipice

Algeria’s hostility toward Morocco since its independence in 1962 is considered a real enigma by many foreign observers. In reality, it is explained by the nature of power in Algeria, which, lacking democratic or at least historical legitimacy, sees this hostility as necessary for its internal hegemony and continuation.

By Dr. Mohamed Chtatou

29 October, 2021

Geopolitical Analysis of the “Power Shift” and Russia's Special Interest in Sudan

Sudan, located in the northeast Africa, has deepening economic crisis, so many social and political forces. While some are advocating for developing democracy, others have, under the circumstances, aligned with the military, which has accused the civilian governing parties of mismanagement and monopolizing power.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

3 November, 2021

What Next For Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Negotiations?

The previous stances of the UNSC concerning Arabs in general have usually been neutral and non-binding, but it seems incapable of confronting the language of power, arrogance and unilateral thinking. Therefore, it was expected that the council’s decision on the GERD crisis would call for the continuation of negotiations on the basis that none of the three conflicting parties would be harmed or that the situation would not create a general crisis in a region that the world sees as inflamed.

By Dr. Abdel Latif El-Menawy

9 November, 2021

Sudan And The UAE: Pulling Sudanese Strings

The UAE and the United States agreed at the time that it was time for Mr. Al-Bashir to go. But they likely disagreed about what should succeed him. The United States pushed for transition to a civilian-led democracy.

By James M. Dorsey

9 November, 2021

US Investors to Explore Opportunities in AfCFTA

United States investors are looking forward to exploring several opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a policy signed by African countries to make the continent a single market.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

17 November, 2021

What Went Wrong With Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine Rollout?

In August 2020, Russia was the first country to announce the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Since then, a relentless publicity blitz has promoted the attributes of the Sputnik V vaccine. However, Sputnik V has struggled to gain mass acceptance inside Russia, let alone in other countries where it is marketed as an alternative to vaccines developed by Western and Chinese pharmaceutical firms.

By Paul Stronski

24 November, 2021

The Geopolitics Of The Sudan Coup

These new tactics and strategies could leverage efforts toward dismantling the precarious power structure comprising military rule. This factor likely explains the crackdown on Saturday, as security forces sought to prevent demonstrators from mobilizing and disseminating demands across various platforms.

By Alaina Kasimatis

24 November, 2021

Africa Taking Concrete Steps to Write Its Own Economic Success Story

The AfCFTA aspires to connect all the regions of Africa, to deepen economic integration and to boost intra-African trade and investment. It aspires to create a single market for goods and services across 55 countries and our continent, creating a market of as much as 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion.

By H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa

25 November, 2021

Egypt Moves Center Stage

COP27 is to be held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on the south-eastern edge of the Sinai peninsula. Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in making his bid to host it, said that Egypt would work to make it “a radical turning point in international climate efforts in coordination with all parties, for the benefit of Africa and the entire world.”

By Neville Teller

30 November, 2021

China and Africa Move into New Era of Cooperation

Africa is experiencing a flowing tide of solidarity and self-strengthening, and the continent’s influence in international affairs continues to grow. It is now forging ahead with the development of free trade zones, accelerating industrialization and modernization, and heading towards the bright future envisioned in the AU’s Agenda 2063.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

30 November, 2021

Burning Ambition: Egypt’s Return To Regional Leadership And How Europe Should Respond

Egyptian foreign ministry officials interviewed for this paper describe the last decade of Egypt’s regional positioning as “defensive” in nature as the country contended with domestic issues.

By Hafsa Halawa

11 December, 2021

The Russia-Africa Situation Analysis Report

The report proposes that dialogues should be enhanced between civil societies, including expert and academic organizations. In a situation where a rapid expansion of trade and economic relations is difficult (for example, due to economic stagnation or a crisis in the respective country), the humanitarian track can become one of the ways to deepen relations further.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

15 December, 2021

Ethiopian Offensive Prompts Retreat by Western-backed Rebels

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has returned from the frontline in the battle to halt the advances of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

By Abayomi Azikiwe

23 December, 2021

Africa in Review 2021 (Part I): Continuing Pandemic Highlights Public Health Crisis

A gathering entitled “1st International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA)” took place during mid-December organized by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) based at the African Union (AU) headquarters located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

31 December, 2021

Chaos continues in Libya

The main focus should be on elections and the democratic transition to bring the country back, not on the fate of the national unity government. However, there must also be an 'equal opportunity and no candidate should have an unfair advantage and there must be an electoral platform while in an official role.

By Miral Sabry Al Ashry

2 January, 2022

St. Petersburg – Venue for Second African Leaders Summit

In their first joint declaration, emerging from the Russia-Africa summit, at the initiative of African participants a new dialogue mechanism—the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum—was created. The declaration stipulated that all top-level meetings take place within its framework once every three years, alternately in Russia and in an African state. It says further that the foreign ministers of Russia and three African countries—the current, future and previous chairpersons of the African Union—will meet for annual consultations.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

20 January, 2022

Imperialism Coordinates Effort to Prevent a People’s Revolution in Sudan

The military forces which have ruled Sudan since April 2019 have demonstrated their willingness to follow the imperatives of U.S. foreign policy. Although it is not possible to foresee the political character of a future civilian government, Washington is concerned over the risk having to deal with an administration unbeholden to imperialist interests in the region and internationally.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

20 January, 2022

African Union Summit Addresses Continental and Global Issues

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the AU Summit was the challenge by South Africa and Algeria to the unilateral decision made during 2021 by Commission Chair Mahamat to grant Israel observer status within the continental organization. Historically the progressive and anti-imperialist forces in Africa have demonstrated unconditional solidarity with Palestine along with other national liberation movements fighting colonialism.

By Abayomi Azikiwe

12 February, 2022

Dbeibah trying to take Libya by force: what will happen next?

Now, Prime Minister Dabaiba has undoubtedly emerged as a major threat to the ambitions of the leaders of the other major factions in Libya during his time in office. He is now a force that wants to stay in power, not hand power to new candidates.

By Miral Sabry Al Ashry

13 February, 2022

Xi reaffirms 'comprehensive strategic partnership' in meeting with Sisi

The Chinese president also stressed the “comprehensive strategic partnership” between Beijing and Cairo that has become “a model of solidarity between China and Arab, African and developing countries.”

By Hagar Hosny

14 February, 2022

Russia and the Maghreb: Future Geostrategic Perspectives?

Today, the Maghreb is not a fundamental interest for Russia, but rather a source of economic and political opportunities. The Russian redeployment in the Maghreb, which began during Vladimir Putin's second term in 2004 and has been over the last decade, relies on new vectors, distinct from the old anti-imperialist aura from which the Soviet Union had benefited in Algeria and Libya.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

23 February, 2022

Libya: Why the meetings of the constitutional track in Cairo under the auspices of the United Nations

Libya will continue to suffer from an ongoing struggle for power between a government headed by Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, and Fathi Bashagha, Prime Minister, and the security tension in the capital will continue

By Miral Sabry Al Ashry

21 April, 2022

Libya still plagued by conflict: there is no hope for stability

The Tripoli Municipal Council revealed that five people were injured; four of them are civilians, the fifth belongs to Diplomatic Security, and a member of the “166th Brigade” Misurata supporting Bashagha was killed, in the vicinity of the Al-Nawasi Brigade camp.

By Miral Sabry Al Ashry

26 May, 2022

Support ASCARF

ASCARF is a tax-exempt Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) that supports Public Benefit Activities (PBA). ASCARF appreciates your donations to develop the mission into global online Research Center. All accumulated funds to be forwarded to our Public Benefit Activities and outstanding authors. Thank you in advance!

Views expressed are of individual contributors, rather than the ASCARF's, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Some publications may contain information not suitable for users under 16 years of age.