The Terrorism in Cabo Delgado. Consequences for the security in Mozambique and beyond

17 Dec 2021

The Terrorism in Cabo Delgado.

Consequences for the security in Mozambique and beyond

The fifteenth conference in the cycle,

Africa Sessions 15

Friday December 17th, 2021, 18.00h – GMT (Lisbon Time)

Download Resumé document of the event

Whereas Mozambican insurgency in the northeast province of Cabo Delgado gained visibility first after the attacks in 2017 in Mocímboa da Praia by the Salafi-jihadist movement Al-Sunnah Wal-Jamâa – locally known as Al-Shabab -, it only raised widespread international attention in March 2021 following the complex attack in the town of Palma and coastal Macomia. In 2019, the movement had pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) – integrating, at least formally, the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP).

Likely transnational in nature, and with the potential to become transregional, external responses to the conflict were expected from the region itself within African Union’s African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), via the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in coordination with East African Community (EAC).

Nonetheless, despite signs for a potential initial support from SADC, the Mozambican government showed reluctancy in accepting it. Instead, assistance had been requested to the EU, mostly in the form of training of special forces, towards its counterterrorism efforts – similar to the type of support being provided by the USA and Portugal.

Different international assistance mechanisms have been fully deployed since: ii) participation in counter terrorism and insurgency efforts by Rwandan forces; ii) capacity building to security forces – via bilateral programs with the USA and Portugal, or more recently through the establishment of a new EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Mission, EUTM Mozambique-; iii) launch and deployment of the SADC’s Standby Force mission (SADC Mission in Mozambique – SAMIM). At the same time, the revised EU strategy for the Horn of Africa released in May 2021 suggests a broader maritime dimension, expanding from the Red Sea to the Western Indian Ocean by including the Mozambican coast.

Amid current discussions on the post-conflict environment in Cabo Delgado, other cases in Africa, including in the Sahel, Somalia, or Northern Nigeria, reveal that any external intervention, either national, regional and international, cannot be isolated from political considerations. The role the different actors play or could potentially play in transborder governance issues, including its maritime dimension, requires further debate.

(*) We will draft some conclusions from the Africa Sessions webinar and we be send to all the participants has a newsletter 5 days after the webinar.

PARTICIPANTS

Borges Mhamirre

Borges Mhamirre

MSc Student

Center for Strategic and International Studies of Joaquim Chissano University in Maputo (CEEI/UJC)

Aslak Jangård Orre

Aslak Jangård Orre

Senior Researcher

Coordinator Governance Chr. Michelsen Institute Bergen, Norway
Alexandra Magnólia Dias

Alexandra Magnólia Dias

Assistant Professor and Researcher

Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Studies of NOVA University of Lisbon (NOVA/FCSH) and Researcher at the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI-NOVA)
Luis Vinicius Mariano De Carvalho

Luis Vinicius Mariano De Carvalho

Director

Director of King´s Brasil Institute Professor at the Department of War Studies King´s College London

MODERATOR

Luis Bras Bernardino

Luis Bras Bernardino

Teacher and Researcher

Center of International Studies of the University Institute of Lisbon (CEI-IUL)
Specialist in the matters of African Security and Defense

INTRODUCTION NOTES

Ana Carina Franco

Ana Carina Franco

ndependent Consultant/Researcher

Consultant/Researcher on African Peace & Security
PhD candidate at NOVA Lisbon University;
Senior Associate at INCAS Consulting
Sheila Marcela Dinis Cossa

Sheila Marcela Dinis Cossa

MSc in Maritime Security and Safety

Center for Strategic and International Studies of Joaquim Chissano University in Maputo (CEEI/UJC)

Maritime Security Strategy in Africa

22 Jul 2021

Maritime Security Strategy in Africa

The fourteenth conference in the cycle,

Africa Sessions 13

July 22nd 2021 at 18:00, (London Time).

Recent piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea have refocused international attention on a challenge that has never gone away. The underlying causes of piracy remain powerful and resist both superficial explanations and easy solutions. They require deeper assessments to fully understand the issues and collaborative strategies among all the stakeholders involved, from local communities to global actors.

Piracy is one of the most visible symptoms of complex system of maritime threats and challenges that, if left unaddressed, will threaten the viability of many African communities and even states: the pillaging of marine resources – especially fisheries – will have profound social and economic consequences for many years to come. Likewise, the illicit trafficking of weapons and narcotics will continue to weaken communities and states whose citizens, left with uncertain future prospects, continue to take the seas in large numbers as illigal/forced migrants.

PARTICIPANTS

BELL BELL EMMANUEL

BELL BELL EMMANUEL

Navy Captain

Head of Information and Communication Management Inter-Regional Coordination Centre (ICC)
Christian Bueger

Christian Bueger

Professor of International Relations

University of Copenhagen Honorary Professor at University of Seychelles
Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University
Director at SafeSeas, The network for maritime security research
Lucas da Silva

Lucas da Silva

Commander (OF-4) PRT Navy

Cell Head Civ-Mil Engagement Sub Sahara
NSD – South HUB NATO joint Forces Command Naples

MODERATOR

Assis Malaquias

Assis Malaquias

Professor and Chairman

Professor and Chair of the Department of Studies
Global and Maritime Affairs of the Maritime Academy from California State University.
Defense Security Specialist in Africa
President of the Global Strategic Platform (GSP)
Luis Bras Bernardino

Luis Bras Bernardino

Army Colonel

Teacher and Researcher in the Center of International Studies of the
University Institute of Lisbon (CEI-IUL)
Specialist in the matters of African Security and Defense
Member of the Global Strategic Platform (GSP)
Salim Valimamade

Salim Valimamade

Lecturer at Catholic University of Angola

Lecturer in Corporate Finance at the Catholic University of Angola
Member of Global Strategic Platform (GSP)

Covid-19 and the resilience of Health Systems in Africa

28 May 2021

The twelfth conference in the cycle,

Africa Sessions 12:

Covid-19 and the resilience of Health Systems in Africa

May 28th 2021 at 17:00, (GMT+1 – London Time).

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how vulnerabilities in health systems can have profound implications for health, economic progress, trust in governments, and social cohesion. Containing and mitigating the spread and infection rate of the virus continue to be essential. But so is strengthening the capacity of health systems to respond swiftly and effectively. This includes administering COVID-19 vaccines. But questions about production, delivery, equitable and inclusive access to responsive health services remain very important, not least in Africa. A strong health system is the bedrock for emergency preparedness and response. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to key health services in Africa, raising worries that some of the continent’s major health challenges could worsen. Immunization campaigns covering measles, yellow fever, polio and other diseases have been postponed in at least 15 African countries this year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought hidden, dangerous knock-on effects for health in Africa. With health resources focused heavily on COVID-19, as well as fear and restrictions on people’s daily lives, vulnerable populations face a rising risk of falling through the cracks,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

As part of the COVID-19 response, some health workers have received capacity building in infection, prevention and control, some laboratories have been strengthened and data collection and analysis improved. These efforts can support the fight against the virus while also building up health systems.. But how to ensure the continuity of other essential health services by optimizing service delivery settings, redistributing health work force capacity and proposing ways to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicine and other health commodities? What did we learn from the past health crises in Africa? What can the international community do differently and better to  support African countries and health institutions in Africa?

PARTICIPANTS
JORGE MOREIRA
DA SILVA

Development Cooperation
Director, OECD

ÁINE
MARKHAM

Vice-President of the
International Board of Doctors,
Without Borders/
Médecins Sans Frontières

GIULIANO
RUSSO

Lecturer of global health at
Queen Mary University of
London and associate at
Global Policy Institute

CHAIR
ASSIS
MALAQUIAS

Professor and Chair
of the Department of
Global Studies and
Maritime Affairs at the
California State University

MODERATORS
ANA
FERNANDES

Head of the Foresight
Outreach and Policy Reform Unit,
Development Co-operation
Directorate OECD

SHRIKESH
LAXMIDAS

Deputy Editor-in-Chief
of business and
economics newspaper
Jornal Economico

China and Africa Cooperation and Development

1 May 2021

The Eleventh conference in the cycle,

Africa Sessions 11:

China and Africa Cooperation and Development

May 1st 2021 at 11:00 AM, (GMT – London Time).

 

China and Africa celebrate this year 21 years of the establishment of the FOCAC platform, created in 2000 with the aim of fostering economic cooperation between the two sides. There is indeed a lot to celebrate as ties between the two sides have never been this strong. In a short period of time China overtook traditional commercial partners of the continent, becoming Africa’s largest trading partner by 2009. Trade between the two parts grew exponentially from $10 bn in 2001 to $209 bn in 2019. While China’s investment stock in the continent remains low ($44.4 bn) compared to European countries and the US ($705bn), it is catching up quickly as its investments flows to the continent have been growing at faster rates. But arguably the most astounding and consequential feature of China’s engagement in the continent is its role as a development funding provider. Throughout the past two decades China extended an estimated $148 billion in loans to Africa, far surpassing any other bilateral lender and comparing in scale only to the World Bank portfolio on the continent. On top of this, China has ramped up assistance in many other areas competing neck to neck and sometimes replacing traditional donors. The majority of African overseas undergraduate and graduate students now head to China rather than European capitals or the US. A growing share of Africa’s health assistance now comes from China, namely treating and preventing tropical diseases such as Malaria. More recently in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic China has been a key partner providing protecting equipment and medical personnel in the early stages and now a significant parcel of the vaccines. Other areas of cooperation where China has increasingly played a prominent role include knowledge and technology transfer in telecommunications, manufacturing and agriculture sectors, green technologies such as solar panels, etc…

The past twenty years of Chinese cooperation have shaken the dynamics inside the continent and revived the geopolitical and economic interest in Africa amongst old and emerging powers. But to what extent has this enhanced Africa’s agency and position in the world economy? Undeniably many parts of Africa have experienced accelerated economic dynamism and unprecedented growth rates because of closer ties with China. But have China’s alternative cooperation norms and practices been more successful than the neoliberal Washington Consensus impositions in promoting more structural changes such as diversifying African economies, helping climb up the value chain and expanding intra-African trade? And how has cooperation with China impacted African societies (poverty reduction, inequality), political systems (governance) and the environment?

PARTICIPANTS

Linda Calabrese

Position: Research Fellow at the ODI (United Kingdom)
Categories: AS11

Linda Calabrese is a Research Fellow at the ODI, a global affairs think tank in London. A development economist by training, Linda works on trade, investment and economic transformation. Her current research focusses on the impact of Chinese investment in developing countries and on the Belt and Road Initiative, and she is the China-Africa lead for the Evidence and Policy Group of the DEGRP programme. Prior to joining ODI, Linda worked at the intersection between research and policy in Rwanda and Uganda for several years.

Linda is the author of several reports on China’s role in supporting economic transformation in Africa and South-east Asia, on industrial development and trade. She holds an MSc in Development Economics from Sapienza University of Rome, SOAS University of London and she is currently a PhD candidate at King’s College London.

Linda Calabrese

Research Fellow at the ODI (United Kingdom)

Liu Haifang

Position: Associate Professor in Peking University (China)
Categories: AS11

Dr Liu Haifang, is an Associate Professor in School of International Studies, Peking University. She serves as Director of the Centre for African Studies, Peking Uni., and the Vice President of the Chinese Society of African Historical Studies. She previously worked for the Institute of West Asian and African Studies (IWAAS), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a visiting scholar at the Institute of African Studies, Carleton University, Centre for China Studies, Stellenbosch University (SA) and The Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. Dr Liu has authored, edited and translated numerous publications in English and Mandarin. Liu ‘s current research topics include African contemporary international politics, China-Africa relations and African sustainable development studies, Angola country studies and China-Angola relations, Tan-Zam Railway Studies, Chinese migrants in eastern and southern Africa, Chinese company history in Africa, Global migration, China’s Education cooperation with Africa, Chinese Aid, BRICS and Africa.

Liu Haifang

Associate Professor in Peking University (China)

Obert Hodzi

Position: Lecturer at Liverpool University (United Kingdom)
Categories: AS11

Obert Hodzi joined the University of Liverpool in September 2019. He is an International Relations scholar focusing on international politics, conflict and security, and non-Western emerging powers in global governance with empirical expertise in China and Africa. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Lingnan University, Hong Kong, an MA in Democratic Governance and Civil Society from Osnabrück University, Germany and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Zimbabwe.
Prior to joining the University of Liverpool, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has been a visiting researcher at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies, Nordic Africa Institute, Renmin University of China and the African Studies Centre at Boston University. He also worked for international and regional organizations in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Germany on democratic governance and transitional justice projects – and he is admitted as a Legal Practitioner in the High Court of Zimbabwe.
Obert co-edits democracyinafrica.org; and is a board member of the Chinese in Africa/African in China Research Network

Obert Hodzi

Lecturer at Liverpool University (United Kingdom)
MODERATORS

Ana Alves

Position: Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Categories: ModAS11

Ana Cristina Alves is Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University, School of Social Sciences, Singapore, where she lectures courses on China in Africa, Politics in the developing world and Chinese Foreign Policy amongst others. Previously she worked at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg as Senior Researcher in the Global Powers in Africa programme. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics. Her main research interest lies in the intersection of foreign policy, economic statecraft and development cooperation, with a focus on China’s engagement in the developing world with particular reference to Africa. She is currently Co-PI in a research project funded by the Ministry of Education of Singapore on Knowledge transfer in the global South. Her publications include: China in Angola: A marriage of convenience (2012, co-edited with Marcus Power); Mozambique and Brazil: forging new partnerships or developing dependency? (Co-edited with Chris Alden and Sergio Chichava (2017), “China’s Regional Forums in the Developing World: Socialisation and the ‘Sinosphere’” (co-authored), Journal of Contemporary China (2017)

Ana Alves

Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Salim
Valimamade

Position: Professor na Universidade Católica de Angola
Cofundador da GSP/Africa Sessions
Categories: ModAS8, ModAS9

Salim Valimamade tem uma experiência académica e empresarial de 20 anos em Angola e Portugal, principalmente em áreas como Banca, Educação, Imobiliário; Energia e serviços financeiros. Salim foi Diretor dos Programas Executivos da Luanda Catholic Business School e Professor de Finanças Corporativas da Universidade Católica de Angola. Foi responsável por cursos como Mercado Financeiro, Finanças Corporativas e Administração de Empresas. Foi ainda Director Adjunto do Centro de Investigação da Universidade Católica de Angola e fez vários trabalhos de consultoria financeira em Angola em instituições como Ministério da Economia, Ministério das Finanças, Comissão do Mercado de Valores de Angola, Serviços Financeiros na KPMG e de Real Estate Imogestin. Ele possui um mestrado em Finanças e Investimentos pela Universidade de York.

Salim
Valimamade

Professor na Universidade Católica de Angola
Cofundador da GSP/Africa Sessions

Africa´s outlook for 2021

12 Dec 2020

The SIXTH conference in the cycle,

Africa after Covid-19:

AFRICA´S OUTLOOK FOR 2021,

took place on Saturday, December 12th, at 17h00 (GMT – London Time).

participants
WILLENE
JOHNSON

President at Komaza Inc.,
USA

Alex
Vines

Director of Africa Programme,
Chatham House UK

JAKKIE
CILLIERS

Professor,
Chairman, Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Pretoria

Raymond
Gilpin

Chief Economist for Africa, UNDP, New York

Chairs
Fonteh
Akum

Designate Executive Director, Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Pretoria

.
Salim
Valimamade

Lecturer in Corporate Finance at Catholic University of Angola

Moderators
Shrikesh
Laxmidas

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of leading Portuguese business and economics newspaper
Jornal Economico

.
Assis
Malaquias

Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Studies and Maritime Affairs at the California State University