Africa & Global Power

Introduction             Africa's landscape of conflict resolution and peacekeeping has long been shaped by a complex interplay of internal dynamics and external influences. Since the post-colonial era, external powers—ranging from former colonial states to emerging global superpowers—have exerted significant sway over the continent's stability efforts. This influence manifests through military interventions, economic leverage, diplomatic maneuvering, and resource exploitation, often prioritizing geopolitical interests over sustainable peace. From the Cold War proxy battles in Angola and Ethiopia to contemporary counterterrorism operations in the Sahel, external actors have both facilitated and undermined African-led initiatives. The African Union (AU), United Nations (UN), and regional bodies like ECOWAS face persistent challenges in asserting autonomy amid these interventions. This article explores four crucial subtopics to diss...

              Multipolarity in international relations refers to a global system characterized by the distribution of power among multiple states or actors, where no single entity holds hegemonic dominance. This contrasts with unipolarity, where one superpower prevails (e.g., the post-Cold War U.S.-led era), and bipolarity, marked by two dominant powers (e.g., the U.S.-Soviet rivalry). In a multipolar world, three or more centers of influence—such as economic, military, or diplomatic poles—compete and collaborate, often leading to complex alliances and negotiations. This structure is seen as fostering greater international cooperation on equal terms, though it can also heighten competition and instability if power imbalances persist. Historically, multipolarity dominated pre-World War II geopolitics, exemplified by the European balance-of-power system in the 19th century, but it gave way to bipolarity during the Cold War and unipolarity afterward....