Archives Africa - Page 28 of 32 - New Eastern Outlook

The long ago started process of Japan’s return (after its crushing defeat in World War II) to the table of the “Great Global Game” as one of the main players has revealed itself, in particular, in Tokyo’s ever more noticeable activation in Africa. This activation is quite tellingly exemplified by travels by three members of the country’s government, led by the Prime Minister, to various countries of the continent, that has taken place in a successive manner from May to mid-August of this year, that is, within just three months. The word “activation” is not being used randomly here, as various interests of Japan in the affairs of this continent had been noted long before the present “African rush” that has expanded …

Very much like the rest of the world, Africa is changing. China, as a major investor in Africa, is one such source of change. But a recent surge in the investment made by the Gulf states has also started to leave its impact on Africa’s politics and economy. To the extent that Gulf states – especially, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – are trying to diversify their economies, Africa has become a major destination of their immense wealth. Africa’s untapped natural resources are an attractive – and lucrative – site for Gulf states, but in their struggle for influence and to expand their geopolitical reach, Africa is also a landmass that these states…

Much of the world has been following developments in Niger with great concern since the coup d’état took place in the West African country on July 26. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry, for example, which has been closely following these developments, in an official statement emphasized its country’s desire to maintain Niger’s security and stability, as well as the state’s constitutional and democratic system. “Egypt stresses its full solidarity with the Nigerien people and calls on all parties in Niger to prioritize the higher interests of the nation and preserve the safety of its citizens,” read the statement…