S3E6 | The EU’s Policies on Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding in Africa

23 November 2020   ·   PeacebyPeace

For this episode of PeacebyPeace, Sarah Brockmeier spoke to Professor Gilbert M. Khadiagala of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg about his views on EU policies on conflict prevention, stabilization, and peacebuilding in Africa.

Listen to this episode on Soundcloud, iTunes, or Spotify.

At a time in which the relationship between Africa and the European unit is being redefined, how do EU policies on conflict prevention, stabilization, and peacebuilding on the continent look from Africa? Where can the EU make a positive contribution to conflict resolution – and where should it rather scale back its efforts? For this episode of PeacebyPeace, Sarah Brockmeier spoke to Professor Gilbert M. Khadiagala, a professor of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Professor Khadiagala has researched and taught international relations, African politics, mediation, and conflict resolution for over 30 years. He holds degrees from the University of Nairobi, McMaster University in Canada and a PhD in International Studies from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.  

Professor Khadiagala argued that the EU’s comparative advantage in Africa in comparison to other actors like China or Russia is the long history of relationships with different African countries and a deeper knowledge of their history. He advocated for more EU engagement in conflict resolution in Libya and Somalia, among others, but less engagement in other countries such as Burundi or South Sudan. His recommendations to EU policymakers include to focus less on a militarized response to migration, invest more in economic development and youth employment as a form of conflict prevention, and strengthen the EU’s relationship with regional organizations in Africa rather than the African Union.  

This episode was produced in cooperation with the Petra-Kelly-Stiftung, which is organizing a conference on EU peace and security policy in Africa on 23 January 2021, where excerpts of this conversation will be shown as a video.  

Links

  • Professor Gilbert M. Khadiagala's research and Twitter profiles
  • Register for the conference on EU peace and security policy in Africa on 23 January 2021

Europäische Union Friedensförderung Conflict Prevention

PeacebyPeace

PeacebyPeace“ ist ein Podcast zu Friedens- und Sicherheitspolitik, der der Frage nachgeht, wie wir in Deutschland und in Europa besser dazu beitragen können, Krisen zu verhindern und Frieden zu fördern. Der Podcast ist Teil des PeaceLab-Blogs, ein Projekt von GPPi, welches vom Auswärtigen Amt finanziell unterstützt wird. Moderation und Produktion: Sarah Brockmeier. Schnitt, Musik und Produktionsunterstützung: Felix Hoffmann; Produktionsunterstützung: Theresa Lütkefend. Feedback zum Podcast gerne an peacebypeace@gppi.net.