Africa’s international relations have often been defined and oriented by the dominant international and geopolitical agendas of the day. In the aftermath of colonialism the Cold War became a dominant paradigm that defined the nature of the continent’s relationship with the rest of the world. The contemporary forces of globalization are now exerting an undue influence and impact upon Africa’s international relations. Increasingly, the African continent is emerging as a vocal, and in some respects an influential, actor in international relations. There is a paucity of analysis and research on this emerging trend. This timely book proposes to fill this analytical gap by engaging with a wide range of issues, with chapters written by experts on a variety of themes. The emerging political prominence of the African continent on the world stage is predicated on an evolving internal process of continental integration. In particular, there are normative and policy efforts to revive the spirit of Pan-Africanism: the 21st century is witnessing the evolution of Pan-Africanism, notably through the constitution and establishment of the African Union (AU). Given the fact that there is a dearth of analysis on this phenomemon, this volume will also interrogate the notion of Pan-Africanism through various lenses – notably peace and security, development, the environment and trade. The volume will also engage with the emerging role of the AU as an international actor, e.g. with regard to its role in the reform of the United Nations Security Council, climate change, the International Criminal Court (ICC), the treaty establishing Africa as a nuclear-free zone, Internally Displaced Persons, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), international trade, the environment, public health issues, security, and development issues. This book will assess how the AU’s role as an international actor is complicated by the difficulty of promoting consensus among African states and then maintaining that consensus in the face of often divergent national interests. This book will in part assess the role of the AU in articulating collective and joint policies and in making interventions in international decision and policy-making circles. The Handbook will also assess the role of African social movements and their relationship with global actors. The role of African citizens in ameliorating their own conditions is often underplayed in the international relations discourse, and this volume will seek to redress this oversight. Throughout the book the various chapters will also assess the role that these citizen linkages have contributed towards continental integration and in confronting the challenges of globalization.

This title was first published in 2003. From its position as one of Africa's major investors, and a top provider of development assistance, Tokyo's quiet diplomacy is having a growing impact on African affairs. This book illuminates the challenges facing the prospective partnership, and deconstructs the international political economy of this relationship. Furthermore, through a series of comparative studies, it explores the relevance of the content of the East Asian experience of South Africa and the continent as a whole. Features include: - an innovative study of the international political economy of an increasingly important relationship between Asia and Africa - an original analysis of the comparative dimensions of East Asia and Southern Africa's respective experiences in development - contextualizes the South African and Japanese experiences within the contemporary globalization debate The book is suitable for students and courses in international relations, development studies and comparative politics, as well as African and Asian studies.

Africa finds itself at the centre stage of world politics in the twenty-first century. To truly determine its rising influence and role in world affairs would mean unravelling the politics of imperialism, the Cold War and globalisation. Going beyond Euro-American perspectives, this book presents a comprehensive study of Africa and its role in world politics. Africa in World Affairs: • Closely examines the transition of Africa in its colonial and post-colonial phases; • Explores the intellectual history of modern Africa through liberation struggles, social movements, leaders and thinkers; • Investigates the continent’s relationships with former colonial powers such as Britain, France and Portugal; untangles complexities of French neo-colonialism and sheds light on the role of the superpower, such as the USA and major and rising powers like China and India; • Highlights complex and wide-ranging diversities of the region, and the ways in which it continues to negotiate with issues of modernity, racism and globalisation. A core text on Africa and the world, this book will be indispensable for students of African studies, politics and international relations, and history. It will also be a must-read for policymakers, diplomats and government think tanks.

DIVA collection of Ferguson's essays that bring the question of Africa into the center of current debates on globalization, modernity, and emerging forms of world order./div

The book is very policy-oriented and fills an important gap in the literature on policies related specifically to the dialogue of civilisation in a globalized world. Deals with cross-cutting issues in economic integration, conflict management, human rights and sustainable development. Addresses challenges such as religious extremism, environmental problems, and political unrest.

This book examines key emergent trends related to aspects of power, sovereignty, conflict, peace, development, and changing social dynamics in the African context. It challenges conventional IR precepts of authority, politics and society, which have proven to be so inadequate in explaining African processes. Rather, this edited collection analyses the significance of many of the uncharted dimensions of Africa's international relations, such as the respatialisation of African societies through migration, and the impacts this process has had on state power; the various ways in which both formal and informal authority and economies are practised; and the dynamics and impacts of new transnational social movements on African politics. Finally, attention is paid to Africa's place in a shifting global order, and the implications for African international relations of the emergence of new world powers and/or alliances. This edition includes a new preface by the editors, which brings the findings of the book up-to-date, and analyses the changes that are likely to impact upon global governance and human development in policy and practice in Africa and the wider world post-2015.

Since its emergence in 1960 as an independent state, Nigeria has stood out as the most populous Black country in the world. In Africa’s International Relations in a Globalising World: Perspectives on Nigerian Foreign Policy at Sixty and Beyond, edited by Usman A. Tar and Sharkdam Wapmuk, contributors examine Nigeria’s role within Africa, as well as internationally. This book shows how Nigeria has used the platforms of international organisations to advance its interests while fulfilling its regional and global obligations. The contributors address areas such as Nigeria’s economic development and policies, Nigeria’s relationship with other countries, and the urgent challenge of countering terrorism in the context of ensuring sustainable development. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the need for strong global relations and reminded humanity of the importance of multilateral solutions to global problems such as health. The editors and contributors address essential questions such as how well has Nigerian foreign policy and its practice of diplomacy served national interest, and what more needs to be done to assure of better results now and into the future.