Oceans: African Spaces: The new geopolitical frontlines

The present Chaillot Paper asks ‘where’ the new scramble for Africa is taking place. It looks at emerging geopolitical spaces, defined as areas in which power relations among external players, state and non-state actors are constructed, and explores how the dynamics between these actors are reflected in practices of
competition or cooperation. Space is not just a territory. It can encompass a broader range of ‘non-national’ and ‘non-territorial’ dimensions, such as cyberspace or a trade area, which have recently emerged at the forefront of
geopolitics due to new information and communication technologies, economic and globalisation forces, as well as (real and virtual) social interactions. By moulding perceptions, new discourses and narratives can also reshape
a space, which in turn influences countries’ foreign policies and strategies