Africa’s Mineral Resources and Global Security: Africa’s Challenges in Relations with Global Powers
Keywords:
resource nationalism, global security, critical minerals, Africa, resource curse, energy geopolitics, China–Africa relationsAbstract
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 central challenge for Africa in these relationships is the absence of a unified and coherent strategy for leveraging its geoeconomic resources to achieve local industrialization, build processing infrastructure, and ensure national sovereignty over resource revenues. To ensure sustainable global mineral security, it is essential to redefine the structure of international relations with Africa. This reconfiguration must prioritize Africa’s full sovereignty over its resources, support the development of raw material processing capacities within the continent, and promote mutually beneficial economic partnerships instead of focusing solely on extraction-oriented and procurement-driven models. Otherwise, the escalation of global competition will inevitably lead to increasing political and social instability in Africa’s mineral-rich countries, ultimately threatening the stability of global supply chains.
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