Africa’s Mineral Resources and Global Security: Africa’s Challenges in Relations with Global Powers

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the complex dynamics of interactions between African countries and these powers, and to identify the challenges arising from extractive models across the continent. Using a qualitative and analytical approach within the framework of geopolitical political economy, the study examines governance structures, foreign investment strategies, and development outcomes associated with resource exploitation in key African countries. The findings reveal that the urgency of global powers to secure exclusive control or reliable access to Africa’s minerals has reinforced neo-colonial dynamics and neglected the priorities of sustainable development in the continent. This global competition not only exacerbates trade inequalities but also deepens the cycles of the resource curse in mineral-exporting countries due to reliance on weak and corrupt governance systems. The centra