Associate fellow Nene-Lomotey Kuditchar talks about his outlook on world politics from Ghana.

With many different conflicts and crises that are regarded as a new era of geopolitics, tensions between Western states and rising powers such as China are palpable. Alliances, competition and cooperation simultaneously shape world politics where states and regions try to find their place and look for partners that support their interest. Where will African states turn and why?

With a particular focus on Ghana, Nene’s perspective builds on his research on the African Union as a flexible institution that needs to constantly adapt to a changing environment full of risk and his experience of democratic backsliding and incomplete state-building. His view on China as a listening power, which differs from the dominant, critical opinion in Europe, underlines the importance of engaging with African states on a more equal level and the need for open-minded partnerships in global affairs.