Geopolitics of African Oceans

On 12 May, the EUISS and the Africa Working Party of the Council of the EU (COAFR) held their seventeenth meeting to discuss the new geopolitical frontlines in Africa.

Dr Giovanni Faleg (EUISS) presented the main findings of the “African Spaces” Chaillot Paper (March 2022), which analyses eight areas where power competition takes place in Africa: sands, oceans, cities, peripheries; trade, digital, jobs, information.

Dr Alex Vines (Chatham House) expanded on the “oceans” theme. He focused on evolving geopolitical dynamics in two maritime spaces that surround the continental landform, namely the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea. He assessed strategic priorities of foreign actors, changing threats, intensified competition over trade, infrastructures, and the security of key sea lines of communication (SLOCs). In the conclusions, he offered some recommendations to strengthen African countries’ agency, connectivity, and resilience in the maritime domain.

EUISS-COAFR meetings are coordinated and chaired by Senior Analyst Giovanni Faleg.