Will Tanzania's Investment Center in China Attract More from Africa?

 The South African Institute of International Affairs published in August 2025 a study titled "Tanzania and China: China-Africa Policy Signals, Substance and Suggestions" by Lauren Johnston.  

In December 2024, Tanzania established an Investment Centre in China's Hunan province.  Tanzania is the first African country to open such a center in Hunan.  This development may encourage other African countries to follow Tanzania's example.  

Nigerian Researcher Analyzes Ethiopia-Somaliland Deal

 The Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, an independent research institution, published on 1 April 2024 an analysis titled "The Ethiopian-Somali Red Sea Agreement in the Context of the Geopolitical Rivalry in the Horn of Africa" by Hakeem Alade Najimdeen, a Nigerian researcher.

A West African researcher provides an analysis of the controversial and oft discussed Memorandum of Understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland.  

Podcast with Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister

 The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted on 26 February 2024 a one-hour podcast titled "Security in the Horn of Africa: A Discussion with Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister" Salah Jama, moderated by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele.  

This is an informative and wide-ranging discussion of developments in the Horn of Africa with an emphasis on their implications for Somalia.

The State of Migration in East and Horn of Africa

 The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the East African Community (EAC) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) recently published the 172 page report titled "The State of Migration in East and Horn of Africa" for 2022.   

The focus of the report, written by 50 authors and contributors from the region, is the mobility dimensions of regional integration.  It takes stock of achievements and challenges in advancing regional integration and human mobility in East Africa and the Horn of Africa,

The report concludes that while several bottlenecks to advancing regional integration and mobility persist including unequal socio-economic conditions in and between states, fear and misperceptions of opening borders, infrastructural and border management capacity gaps, the benefits of regional integration and human mobility far outweigh the costs.

East African Community: Shaping a China-Centric Regional Order

 Megatrends Afrika published on 12 February 2023 an analysis titled "China's Belt and Road Initiative in the East African Community" by Cliff Mboya.

The paper argues that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is actively shaping a new spatial order in the East African Community (EAC) by influencing key stakeholders' perspectives and preferences.  China's particular visions of global and regional development through the BRI are gaining traction in the EAC, making it an indispensable actor with considerable political and economic influence - and thereby challenging the role of traditional development partners in the region.  

Africans Have Agency with China If They Use It

 The Diplomat published on 11 February 2022 a commentary titled "African Opportunities in China-Africa Relations" by Ndidi Akahara, London/Abuja based Africa analyst.

The author argues that if African countries fall into excessive debt with China, African leaders and not China bear the largest share of responsibility.  Africans have the capacity to chart their own political and economic paths.  

China Faces Headwinds in East African Community

 The Diplomat posted on 16 October 2020 a commentary titled "COVID-19 Spells Trouble for China in East Africa" by Abdou Rahim Lema, University of Montreal, and Samu Ngwenya, Peking University.

The authors, both students, argue that the aftermath of COVID-19, large trade deficits with China, Kenya's debt with China, and a Chinese-built railway in Kenya that is losing $9 million each month spell trouble for China's relations with the East African Community.  

Tanzania Suspends Chinese Port Project

Engineering News-Record published on 25 June 2019 an article titled "Tanzania Suspends $10B Bagamoyo Port Project" by Shem Oirere.


Tanzania has suspended construction of the $10 billion Bagamoyo port project financed and being constructed by China. Tanzanian President John Magufuli reportedly told local media the terms of the financing agreement were "exploitative and awkward" and could "only be accepted by mad people."

Kenya Concerned about Trade with China

Kenya's Business Daily published on 15 May 2018 an article titled "Kenya Rejects China-EAC Trade Pact" by Boniface Otieno.

Kenya's long-standing and large trade deficit with China was highlighted when Kenya announced that it will not sign a free trade agreement with China that has been under negotiation with the East African Community (EAC) since 2016. The decision is intended to protect Kenya's nascent manufacturing sector from being overrun by China's cheaper and more efficient producers.

Analysis of Kenya's New Chinese Built Railway

The China-Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies published in June 2017 a research paper titled "African Politics Meets Chinese Engineers: The Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway Project in Kenya and East Africa" by Uwe Wissenbach and Yuan Wang.

Kenya's new standard gauge railway between Mombasa and Nairobi was built by China Road and Bridge Corporation and financed largely by credits from China's Export Import Bank. The project has sparked controversy concerning its economic viability, corruption, opaque contracting practices, financing arrangements, and community and labor issues. The paper examines the way Kenyan politics have affected implementation of the standard gauge railway.

Islamic Extremism in Kenya and Nigeria

Chapter 5 titled "Islamic Extremists in Africa: Security Spotlight on Kenya and Nigeria" by Maurice Dawson, University of Missouri, and Wole Adeboje, South Wesleyan University, published in 2016 is available on-line.

East African Community Trade a Success

The London-based International Growth Centre published in April 2016 a study titled "Regional Trade Agreements and the Pacification of Eastern Africa" by Thierry Mayer and Mathias Thoenig.

The paper quantifies the economic and security gains to be expected from the deepening/extension of the East African Community (EAC) agreement, a regional trading club that includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. The study reports significant gains in trade since the resurrection of the EAC in 2000.

China in East African Pipeline Wars

The China-Africa Reporting Project posted on 17 June 2016 "China in East African Pipeline Wars" by Bob Wekesa, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Wekesa discusses the geopolitical battle in East Africa over cross-border infrastructure for the transportation of oil. He focuses on the interests of China and other external players.

South Sudan over the Past Year

The Rift Valley Institute published on 26 May 2016 an overview titled "This Year in South Sudan" by Douglas Johnson and Guma Kunda Komey. It provides a brief review of key political and economic developments in South Sudan over the past year.

Ethiopia: Grand Renaissance Dam

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) published in February 2016 a report titled "Energy Dialogues in Africa: Is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Transforming Ethiopia's Regional Role?" by Agathe Maupin, visiting senior research fellow at SAIIA.

The paper identifies challenges to energy cooperation between Ethiopia and countries in the region.  It argues that Ethiopia's ownership of the GERD, the recent trade agreement between SADC, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the East African Community, and growing interest in regional power pooling have created a timely opportunity for greater energy cooperation.  This cooperation will be sustained by an increase in power supply in the region and the shifting national perspectives on regional projects.

China's Economic Slowdown and the Impact on Africa

Two recent articles have looked at the impact on Africa of China's economic slowdown and devaluation of its currency.  The East African published on 17 August 2015 an article titled "China's in Trouble; Is that Good or Bad for Africa?" by Charles Onyango-Obbo.  The Mail & Guardian Africa published on 13 August 2015 an article titled "China, the Continent's Biggest Trade Partner, Has Freed Its Currency.  Which African Nations Have the Most to Fear?" by Lee Mwiti.  Both articles concluded that African countries need to trade more among themselves than rely on trade with countries outside Africa.

Egypt Reaches Out to Africa

This Is Africa published on 30 March 2015 a commentary titled "New Energy, Historic Relationships: Why Egypt Is Strengthening Its African Ties" by Karim Sadek, managing director of an African investment firm on the Cairo Stock Exchange.

The author argues that the recent Egyptian Economic Development Conference at Sharm el Sheikh shows that Egypt understands the urgency of accelerating engagement with sub-Saharan Africa.  He cites expanding ties with Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. 

China's Engagement with African Regional Economic Communities

The Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University published in September 2014 a summary titled "African Regional Communities' Engagement with China" by Daouda Cisse, Ross Anthony, Meryl Burgess, and Harrie Esterhuyse. 

The policy brief argued that the engagement has the potential to offer significant benefits to African countries by way of transnational free trade regions, single customs unions, single markets, single currencies, and other forms of political and economic integration that may strengthen both inter-regional and international trade as well as creating more robust solutions to issues of food, climate, health, and political security.  At the same time, implementation has proved a formidable challenge.

Africa Needs to Rethink Piracy Challenge

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa published on 10 March 2014 a piece titled "Fewer Pirates, Different Risks: Africa Needs to Rethink Its Approach to Maritime Security" by Timothy Walker, researcher at ISS.

There has been a sharp decline in piracy in waters off Africa.  The author argues that the Djibouti Code of Conduct is a laudable starting point upon which to build future maritime security capacity in Africa.  But African maritime stakeholders now need to implement the 2050 African Integrated Maritime Strategy, which was adopted by the African Union early this year, as well as become involved in creating and implementing national and regional integrated maritime strategies.  

Regional Integration in East Africa and the Horn

The Washington-based Institute for Defense Analysis published on 12 September 2013 a brief summary of the state of regional integration in East Africa and the Horn.  Written by George Ward, it is titled "East African Regional Integration--No Easy Task."  Of the 11 countries reviewed, all but South Sudan are members of at least 2 African regional organizations.