The Horn of Africa has long been one of the most dynamic and politically turbulent sub-regions on the African continent. Host to great ancient civilizations, diverse peoples, and expansive states, the region has experienced massive social, economic, and political transformations which have given rise to military coups, revolutions and intractable ethnic, socio-economic, and religious conflicts. This comprehensive volume brings together a team of expert scholars who analyze international, regional, national, and local affairs in the Horn of Africa. The chapters demonstrate the intertwined nature of the actors and forces shaping political realities. The case studies, focusing on Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan, and South Sudan eloquently illustrate the complex dynamics connecting the spectrum of political issues in the region. The Horn of Africa since the 1960s will be of interest to students and scholars of contemporary Africa and political science.

In recent years, China and India have become the most important economic partners of Africa and their footprints are growing by leaps and bounds, transforming Africa's international relations in a dramatic way. Although the overall impact of China and India's engagement in Africa has been positive in the short-term, partly as a result of higher returns from commodity exports fuelled by excessive demands from both countries, little research exists on the actual impact of China and India's growing involvement on Africa's economic transformation. This book examines in detail the opportunities and challenges posed by the increasing presence of China and India in Africa, and proposes critical interventions that African governments must undertake in order to negotiate with China and India from a stronger and more informed platform.

The People's Republic of China once limited its involvement in African affairs to building an occasional railroad or port, supporting African liberation movements, and loudly proclaiming socialist solidarity with the downtrodden of the continent. Now Chinese diplomats and Chinese companies, both state-owned and private, along with an influx of Chinese workers, have spread throughout Africa. This shift is one of the most important geopolitical phenomena of our time. China and Africa: A Century of Engagement presents a comprehensive view of the relationship between this powerful Asian nation and the countries of Africa. This book, the first of its kind to be published since the 1970s, examines all facets of China's relationship with each of the fifty-four African nations. It reviews the history of China's relations with the continent, looking back past the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It looks at a broad range of areas that define this relationship—politics, trade, investment, foreign aid, military, security, and culture—providing a significant historical backdrop for each. David H. Shinn and Joshua Eisenman's study combines careful observation, meticulous data analysis, and detailed understanding gained through diplomatic experience and extensive travel in China and Africa. China and Africa demonstrates that while China's connection to Africa is different from that of Western nations, it is no less complex. Africans and Chinese are still developing their perceptions of each other, and these changing views have both positive and negative dimensions.

This edited volume discusses the contest and contestation between China and Taiwan for diplomatic recognition and supremacy on the African continent. Written by a diverse group of international scholars, this volume provides insight into five interlocking questions and areas: the origins of China and Taiwan’s continent-wide competition for supremacy; China and Taiwan’s foreign policy towards Africa during and after the Cold War; the shift in dominance from Taiwan to China; the changing allegiances of African governments; and the implications of ongoing China-Africa-Taiwan relations on the global system, especially on countries in the Global South. This book is divided into three parts. Part One deals primarily with the early history of both Chinas on the continent. Chapters in Part Two discuss the foreign policy of China and Taiwan toward the African continent. Part Three focuses on the shifting alliances and diplomatic allegiance of African countries towards the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). Filling the gap in Africa-China-Taiwan studies, this volume will be of interest to researchers and students in the social sciences especially political science, comparative politics, international relations, foreign policy, politics of developing nations, area studies, and Taiwanese/Chinese studies.

While China’s role and place in Africa has garnered a lot of scholarly attention—be it praise or condemnation—not much has been written about Taiwan’s role and place on the continent even though Taiwan was a major player and partner in Africa’s quest for growth and development. From the 1960s to 1971, more African countries had diplomatic relations with Taiwan as opposed to China. But less than five decades after the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 was passed, there has been a reversal of fortune in terms of supremacy and diplomatic recognition with only one country, Eswatini, recognizing Taiwan as an independent country. Taiwan in Africa: Seven Decades of Certainty and Uncertainties, edited by Sabella Ogbobode Abidde, addresses gaps in academic literature regarding Taiwan’s engagement with states and societies on the continent. This book examines international political economy, international security, the history of modern Africa, and geopolitical pressures and conflict. It addresses Taiwan’s early engagement with the continent and the geopolitical and economic considerations that influenced African governments in their decision-making vis-à-vis their relationship with Taipei.

Exploiting Africa examines China’s role in Algeria, Ghana, and Tanzania from the 1950s to the 1970s. The Chinese arrived in Africa with little fanfare, yet they achieved an active presence that was more pragmatic than revolutionary. Though often couched in ideological rhetoric, Chinese goals in Africa were those of an aspiring world power. China skillfully used its limited diplomatic, intelligence, and economic means to shape events and to exploit its relationships to gain lasting influence on the continent. It is crucial to understand the nature and character of China’s historical actions in Africa in order to properly grasp the nation’s current and future policies. Rather than merely looking forward, one must look backward to comprehend the true nature of China in Africa.

Africa is a legitimizing factor in the world: some might argue because of the weakness of its position in the world; others might say because of the realization on the part of some African leaders that there are strengths inherent to their states' positions that can be tapped. Africa’s place in the world is being re-thought and re-shaped. And that is exactly what this book is about: the authors invite and incite the reader to a much closer and nuanced reading of Africa and its history, and the way in which that history, over time and space allows for a re-conceptualization of Africa’s role and place in the world. The authors evoke W.E.B. Du Bois on the invention of identity in the modern world. In that light, these works remind us, as Du Bois would, that the current invention of Africa is indeed a modern one; an identity configured in numerous ways, with and without our interventions. Contributions by Lamont de Haven King (State and Ethnicity in Nigeria), Jesse Benjamin (Nubians and Nabateans), Jeremy Prestholdt (Portuguese on the Swahili Coast), Thomas Ricks (Slaves in Shi’i Iran, AD 1500-1900) Launay Robert (Late-Seventeenth Century Narratives of Travel to Asia) and Richard J. Payne and Cassandra Veney (Taiwan and Africa)