Foreign Policy published on 10 March 2023 an article titled "The Next Superpower Battlefield Could Be Under the Sea in Africa" by Joseph B. Keller, Brookings Institution.
The accelerated construction of submarine cables in African waters gives significant leverage to China while creating a security vulnerability due to the risk of Russian espionage. Chinese construction has become an important pillar of Beijing's foreign policy agenda. Russia's military and naval capabilities have the capacity to tap into the cables for espionage purposes. Western countries need to be alert to the implications of African submarine cable proliferation going forward.
