Description
In recent years we have witnessed a proliferation of strategic positioning on the Indo-Pacific from countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea, among others. Indeed, the European Union has identified the Indo-Pacific as a key priority for its foreign policy in the coming decade, owing to the projection that this will be the theatre for pivotal issues on the international agenda, notably due to the ongoing geopolitical battle between the powers of East and West. However, Africa is often overlooked and left out of these strategic positions and debates, in some cases not being included in geographical delineations of the Indo-Pacific region. This is not helped by the fact that, barring some Western Indian Ocean island states, most African states seem to have no strategic thinking that encompasses the Indo-Pacific. What, then, is the role for Africa in the Indo-Pacific? This article will explore how existing strategic thinking from countries around the world position the Indo-Pacific, what thinking is emerging from Africa pertinent to this region, and how African states can assert themselves to forge a place in the Indo-Pacific.
