B5862 - International Relations of Africa

Learning outcomes

The objective of the course is to provide the tools necessary for a critical analysis of the international relations of the countries of Africa. At the end of the course, the student possesses a knowledge and ability to critically analyze the role/priority of African continental and regional institutions, the relationship between the African governments and the donor community, and in particular the historical evolution of political and economic relations between Africa and the European Union.

Course contents

The first part of the course examines the early phase of interaction among African countries after independence, the creation of the Organisation of African Unity and the relations between the African governments and the Cold War actors. The second part analyses the regionalisation of security in Africa after the end of the Cold War. Relations between Africa and the European Union will be critically scrutinized. The third part of the course examines the creation of the African Union, the relations between Africa and China and the threat of international terrorism on the continent.

Readings/Bibliography

Reading for students attending classes

For the first part of the course:

E. Schmidt, Foreign Intervention in Africa.From the Cold War to the War on Terror, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2013.

I. Montana, The Lomé Convention from Inception to the Dynamics of the Post-Cold War, 1957-1990s, in African and Asian Studies, vol. 2, n. 1, 2003.

For the second part of the course:

G. Khadiagala, The African Union in Peacebuilding in Africa, in T. McNamee, M. Muyangwa (eds), The State of Peacebuilding in Africa. Lessons Learned for Policymakers and Practitioners, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2021.

J. Fisher, “AMISOM and the Regional Construction of a Failed State in Somalia”, in African Affairs, vol. 118. n. 471, 2019.

A. Van Nieuwkerk, The Role of SADC Armed Forces in Maintaining Peace and Security in Southern Africa, in M. Wyss, E. Kleynhans (eds), Oxford University Press Handbook of African Defence and Armed Forces, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2025.

For the third part of the course:

C. Alden, Y. Zheng, Y., China’s Changing Role in Peace and Security in Africa, in C. Alden, A. Alao, C. Zhang, L. Barber (eds), China and Africa: Building Peace and Security Cooperation on the Continent, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.

D. Large, Sudan and South Sudan: A Testing Ground for Beijing’s Peace and Security Engagement, in C. Alden, A. Alao, C. Zhang, L. Barber (eds), China and Africa: Building Peace and Security Cooperation on the Continent, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.

T. Pairault, Mediterranean Africa, China and the European Union, in: L. Adu Amoah (ed), Africa-China Relations, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2026.

S. Graham, Z. Tshangela, Y. Narismulu, T. Mamabolo, From apartheid to advocacy: South Africa’s foreign policy journey over the last 30 years, in South African Journal of International Affairs, vol. 32, n. 4, 2025.

 

Reading for students non attending classes

E. Schmidt, Foreign Intervention in Africa.From the Cold War to the War on Terror, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Nina Wilén, Securitizing the Sahel: Analyzing External Interventions and Their Consequences, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2025.

 

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars.

Assessment methods

For students attending classes

The final grade is determined by the paper each student is required to write (max 6.000 words) (max 5/30) and the final written exam (max 25/30).

For students non attending classes

Oral exam.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Arrigo Pallotti