Lawfare Daily: External Powers Competition in Africa: Aid, Security, Tech—and African Agency

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4.7 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 23 October 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Katsiaryna Shmatsina, Eurasia Fellow at Lawfare, is joined by Beverly Ochieng, senior security analyst at Control Risks and non-resident expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), to examine how external powers compete for influence in Africa—and how African states are responding.

They discuss the shifting priorities of the second Trump administration, including a “trade not aid” approach, stricter visa policies, and growing pressure on African governments to accept irregular migrants deported from the U.S.

The conversation explores the evolving strategies of key players—the U.S., China, and Russia—alongside the rising influence of Turkey, the UAE, and the European Union’s more diffuse forms of engagement.

They also discuss public perceptions of foreign involvement, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its digital expansion, Russia’s use of private military contractors and information operations, and the increasing role of African regional organizations in shaping the agenda.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	With the UAE, there's a variety of interests.
0:05.0	There's sports, there's agriculture.
0:08.0	There's the allegations of the role that they're playing in Sudan as well as in Chad.
0:13.0	They've been providing budgetary support, for instance, in Chad and military support quite robustly.
0:20.0	It's the Lawfare podcast.
0:22.6	I'm Ketirna Shmaitana, Eurasia Fellow at Lawfare Institute,
0:25.6	with Beverly Oaching senior analysts at control risks.
0:29.6	And I think as long as a lot of African institutions continue to be heavily dependent,
0:35.6	in particular, of Western aid, then it means that a lot of quality
0:41.8	decisions remain under some form of influence, even if it's not overt, or that there's
0:48.9	a lot of hesitation when it comes to calling out unfair policy agendas or being able to just properly leverage
0:56.3	their own sense of sovereignty and authority.
1:00.1	Today we're talking about the great power competition
1:02.5	in Africa, the latest trends,
1:04.4	and how the African leaders are responding.
1:07.6	Competition among external powers in Africa
1:10.7	is nothing new.
1:11.6	The most obvious players, the US, China, Russia have long been active across the continent.
1:17.6	While China and Russia have expanded their presence through infrastructure projects,
1:22.6	armed sales, the US has traditionally leaned on development, aid, and democracy promotion,
1:29.3	but this landscape is evolving.
1:31.3	With Trump back in the White House, Washington is shifting gears, cutting aid, tightening immigration policies,
	...

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