E-International Relations posted on 1 April 2026 my short paper titled "The Communist Party of China Reaches Out to Africa."
This is a post-COVID-19 update of efforts by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (ID-CPC) to strengthen ties with political parties in Africa. COVID-19 significantly interrupted the ID-CPC's interaction with African political parties. The ID-CPC has now returned to a high degree of engagement with them.
Ethiopia Insight published on 8 June 2023 a commentary titled "Mr. Getachew, Tear Down the Wall!" by an anonymous author who works for a development organization in Tigray.
The author argues that Tigray Region's interim president, Getachew Reda, must empower Tigray's progressive forces rather than allow the old guard to continue its dominance.
The Ethiopian News Agency published on 28 June 2022 an article titled "Prosperity Party, Chinese Communist Party Agree to Bolster Strategic Partnership."
Meeting virtually, the vice president of Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party and a senior official of the Communist Party of China agreed to strengthen their relationship, adding that practical actions will be launched soon.
The South China Morning Post published on 20 June 2022 an article titled "China's Political Party School in Africa Takes First Students from 6 Countries" by Jevans Nyabiage.
The Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School outside Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which was partly financed by the International Department of the Communist Party of China, recently held is first training session for 120 cadres. Ruling political parties from Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, and Mozambique participated.
The National Bureau of Asian Research published in June 2022 a major study titled "Political Front Lines: China's Pursuit of Influence in Africa" edited by Nadege Rolland.
It contains the following chapters:
--Introduction by Nadege Rolland.
--United Front Work and Political Influence Operations in Sub-Saharan Africa by Mareike Ohlberg.
--Party-to-Party Relations and Political Training by Jean-Pierre Cabestan.
--China's Growing Police and Enforcement Cooperation in Africa by Paul Nantulya.
--China in Africa's Media: A Case Study of Ghana by Emmanuel K. Dogbevi.
--Elite Relationships: Drivers of China's Influence in East Africa by Adam George.
Ethiopia Insight published on 6 March 2022 a commentary titled "For Lasting Peace, TPLF's Monopolization of Power in Tigray Must End" by Gebrehiwot Hadush Abera, former dean of the College of Law and Governance at Mekelle University and now at KU Leuven University in Belgium.
The author argues that the Tigray People's Liberation Front should not be considered the sole political actor that represents Tigray. Tigrayan opposition parties need to be engaged to give more legitimacy to any peace talks with the central government.
Ethiopia Insight published on 28 August 2021 a commentary titled "One Vote Forwards, Two Steps Back for Ethiopian Democracy" by an anonymous author.
The author argues that Ethiopia's national election was squarely, although not entirely fairly, won by the Prosperity Party. Voting for the Prosperity Party should not be taken as a sign of consensus or of unconditional acceptance for the party's political agenda given that its main ethnonational opponents did not take part and because of the uneven ground this election was contested on.
Reuters published on 6 June 2021 an article titled "Somaliland Opposition Win Majority in First Parliamentary Vote since 2005."
Somaliland opposition political parties--WADDANI and Justice and Welfare--respectively won 31 and 21 parliamentary seats in the 82-member chamber. The ruling Unity and Development Party won 30 seats. The two opposition parties said they would join forces. They also won a majority of the seats in municipal races. The next presidential vote is scheduled for 2022.
