Africa on the Global Map of Political Risks: Internal and External Factors of Security and Development

The event started with the opening remarks from the directors of partner research centers – Vladimir Bartenev, CSDS Director and Associate Professor at the Chair of International Organizations and World Political Processes at the School of World Politics, Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) and Sergey Volkov, Head of the Centre for the Study of the Russian-African Relations and African States' Foreign Policy IAS RAS.

In the first session "Africa as a Competitive Space: Contours of the New Landscape" Sergey Volkov shared his insights on the dynamics of competition for economic leadership in Africa. Vladimir Bartenev provided a comprehensive overview of the main exogenous factors which produce political risks in African countries. Tatyana Denisova, Head of the Center for the Tropical African Studies, closed the session with her thorough examination on formation of a 'war economy' in the Lake Chad region.

The second session of the round table discussion explored in greater detail the factor of China's growing influence on the African continent. Tatiana Deich, Leading Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of the Russian-African Relations and African States' Foreign Policy IAS RAS, in her presentation examined impact of China on both security and development in Africa, whereas the CSDS Expert Zorikto Gomboin shared the results of his analysis of opportunities and risks of the Chinese assistance to the digital development of Africa.

The third and final session focused on the current and prospective modalities of the developed countries' cooperation with Africa. The CSDS Expert and Lecturer at the Chair of International Organizations and World Political Processes at the School of World Politics MSU Lida Oganisyan presented her examination of the New Agenda for the Mediterranean as a benchmark for the EU relations with North African countries. Olga Kulkova, Senior Researcher of the Centre for the Study of the Russian-African Relations and African States' Foreign Policy IAS RAS and the CSDS expert, made a presentation on the European Green Deal and its potential impact on cooperation with African countries. Luiza Khlebnikova, the CSDS Deputy Director and Associate Professor of the Department for Jewish Studies of the Institute of Asian and African Countries MSU, provided te assessment of the key Israeli development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The event concluded with Vladimir Bartenev and Sergey Volkov’s sharing their appreciation of the outcome of the partner organisations’ first joint initiative and expressed the hope for a continuation of a productive inter-institutional dialogue on African contemporary challenges.

The programme of the event