AFRICAN POLITICS AND INSTITUTIONS

Introduction to the course Explanation of the two parts of the course and their meanings. Students’ presentation, cultural background and expectation from the course. Attendances to other courses on African/Asian politics and institutions as well as law in context; Comparative constitutional law and the Global South; methodological and epistemological challenges; the African Continent and Comparative constitutional law

Legal families: traditional law, religious law and the western legal traditions. Case law: the role of Ubuntu in South African Constitutional law.

Sovereignty, States and Constitutionalism in Sub-Saharan Africa; Borders; transformative constitutionalism and the academic debate: VRUE symposium; Colonial governance; Colonial Charters and decolonial constitutionalism; common law in Africa: the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Constitutional transitions; constitution making process; coups d’etat; waves of “democratization”; South African Transition; Horizontal division of powers; Presidentialism; constitutional endurance in Sub Saharan Africa; Constitutional Change; Authoritarian regimes in Africa; Third thermism

Decentralization; multilevel government; federalism; local government; traditional authorities and local governance. Case study: Ethiopia

Political parties in Africa; party’s regulations; party ban; “ethnicity” and political parties; pluripartitism; Nigeria and party ban; Elections; electoral rights; the role of Constitutional and Supreme Courts. Case law: Kenyan electoral turmoil; Gender representation in political Institutions; women representation; gender equality; gender quotas. Zimbabwe and Kenya as case study

History of African Civilizations: pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial times. This part of the course examines the history of African civilizations across pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods, with particular attention to the political, social, cultural and intellectual trajectories that have shaped the continent. It introduces key approaches from the social sciences, especially anthropology and ethnology, in order to understand African cultures, societies and systems of meaning beyond reductive or externally imposed interpretations. A specific focus is devoted to the critique of ethnophilosophy, understood as a form of mental colonization and self-denial of African identity when African thought is reduced to static, collective and ahistorical categories. Against this background, the course explores African Philosophy as a field of intellectual re-appropriation, aimed at recovering both African history and African historicity, and at recognizing African subjects as producers of knowledge, political agency and universal thought. The section also addresses African Studies through the lens of diasporicity, considering the African identity as a historical, cultural and political formation shaped not only within the continent, but also through forced and voluntary mobility, transatlantic histories, postcolonial connections and contemporary diasporas. In this perspective, the African diaspora is examined not only as a cultural and identity space, but also as a development actor, particularly through the role of remittances and transnational networks. The second part connects these historical and intellectual foundations to contemporary development challenges in Africa. It discusses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the effectiveness of foreign aid and international cooperation, and the evolving relationship between development policies, local agency and global governance. Particular attention is given to urbanization, demography and population growth, with a focus on the unexpected continuity and divide between urban and rural areas represented by Intermediary Cities, or I-Cities. These spaces are analyzed as strategic laboratories of African transformation, adaptation, resilience and infrastructure development. A focus will be given to the relationship between environment, climate change and the African Union Agenda 2063, exploring how African institutions, societies and cities are responding to ecological pressures while pursuing long-term visions of sustainable development, regional integration and continental transformation.

African Institutions at Continental and Regional Level: Governance, Integration, Security and Structural Transformation This part examines African institutions at both continental and regional level, focusing on their role in governance, development, economic integration, peace and security. Particular attention is devoted to the African Governance Architecture (AGA), the African Union (AU), the AU Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). The analysis considers how these institutions contribute to the construction of African agency in international relations, the consolidation of regional and continental governance frameworks, and the pursuit of long-term structural transformation. The course explores the interaction between political coordination, institutional capacity, regional integration and development planning, highlighting the evolving role of African institutions in shaping policy agendas and responding to continental challenges. A central focus is placed on the principles of partnership, ownership and leadership. These concepts are examined as essential dimensions of Africa’s engagement with external actors, including international organizations, development partners and global governance platforms. The course discusses how African institutions seek to move beyond externally driven models of cooperation by promoting African priorities, policy ownership and strategic leadership in development, security and transformation processes. The relationship between institutional architectures and structural transformation are also addressed. It considers how AUDA-NEPAD, the RECs and AfCFTA contribute to development planning, infrastructure, productive capacity, trade integration and economic diversification, while APSA and AGA are analyzed in relation to conflict prevention, mediation, democratic governance, constitutional order, electoral integrity and crisis response. Overall, students will be provided with a comprehensive understanding of African continental and regional institutions as key actors in governance, peace and security, economic integration and development. It highlights their potential, constraints and strategic relevance in advancing partnership, ownership, leadership and structural transformation across Africa.

Food Systems, Energy, Human Development and Infrastructure Transformation in Africa These parts examine the transformation of food systems in Africa as a central development challenge, focusing on agricultural productivity, agribusiness, food insecurity and the structural constraints that affect rural and urban livelihoods. Particular attention is devoted to agricultural value chains, land access and land governance, the role of smallholders, the expansion of agribusiness, and the institutional and political factors that shape agricultural development, market access and food security. The course also explores the water-food-energy nexus, highlighting the interdependence between natural resources, agricultural production, energy access and sustainable development. It considers the positive contribution of renewable energy to this nexus, especially through rural electrification, agrivoltaics and decentralized energy solutions capable of supporting irrigation, storage, processing, logistics and resilience in rural areas. Energy is analyzed as a strategic sector for African transformation, addressing energy access, energy poverty, the political economy of natural resources, the risks associated with the resource curse, regulatory frameworks, state-market relations and the role of public and private actors in expanding sustainable energy systems. These themes are connected to broader debates on local ownership, external partnerships and the capacity of African states and institutions to align energy transitions with development priorities. The course then links food and energy systems to wider human development challenges, with a focus on education, health and infrastructure. Education is examined in terms of access, quality, vocational training, technical skills and labor market needs. Particular attention is given to the tension between education as a development policy and education as a migration-management tool, especially in the context of international cooperation, skills partnerships and mobility schemes. Health is addressed through the lens of state capacity, health-system sustainability, access to healthcare and spatial inequalities. The course considers the potential of telemedicine and the digitalization of health services, while also assessing the institutional, infrastructural and financial conditions required to make these innovations effective and inclusive. Finally, infrastructure is seen as a decisive driver of development and integration, in terms of connectivity infrastructures, infrastructure financing, public investment, public-private partnerships and the role of external actors. Across all these dimensions, the need to balance international support with local ownership, institutional capacity and African-led strategies for structural transformation will be stressed.

The New Scramble for Africa: Globalizing Africa and Global Africa This part of the course examines the “New Scramble for Africa” as a defining feature of contemporary international relations, focusing on the interaction between internal African dynamics, external influence, global powers and emerging players. Africa is analyzed as one of the last global economic frontiers, where traditional and new actors compete, cooperate and reposition themselves around markets, resources, infrastructure, security, technology, demography and political influence. Particular attention is devoted to the role of the United States, Russia, France, Germany, India, Turkey and Japan, as well as to China’s growing presence through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the broader model often associated with the Beijing Consensus. These relationships are examined not only as expressions of external projection, but also as arenas in which African states, regional organizations and continental institutions exercise bargaining power, strategic agency and selective alignment. This section also explores BRICS+ and Africa’s outreach within the G7 and G20/“G21” political dialogue, highlighting the rise of South-South multilateralism and the reconfiguration of global governance in a post-Western international order. Africa is considered both as an object of renewed geopolitical competition and as an increasingly active subject capable of shaping agendas, building coalitions and leveraging its demographic, economic and diplomatic weight. Moving beyond the narrative of the “Bottom Billion”, the analysis discusses Africa’s transition toward the idea of the “Fastest Billion”, emphasizing continental growth megatrends, demographic expansion, urbanization, industrialization, regional integration and the increasing centrality of African markets in global political economy. It examines how these trends are connected to the African Continental Free Trade Area, infrastructure corridors, value chains, digital transformation and new patterns of production and consumption. Finally, the module assesses the possibility of Africa becoming a new global manufacturing center. It considers whether African innovation trajectories may follow conventional trickle-down models or instead generate trickle-up dynamics, reverse innovation and leapfrog technologies. Particular attention is given to the ways in which African economies can use digitalization, renewable energy, mobile technologies, fintech, agritech and localized industrial strategies to bypass older development stages and redefine their position in the global economy.

African Crises, Nation-Building and Mediation: Fragility, Conflict and Stabilization This part of the course examines African crises and conflicts through the interconnected lenses of state fragility, nation-building, mediation, peacebuilding and post-war reconstruction. It focuses on the causes and consequences of institutional weakness, political fragmentation, contested authority and state failure, while also analyzing the instruments used to support stabilization, conflict resolution, democratic transition and the reconstruction of legitimate political order. Particular attention is devoted to peace processes, mediation efforts and post-conflict governance, with emphasis on the relationship between security, political inclusion, institutional reform and social reconciliation. The analysis considers how democratization processes may either contribute to stability or generate new tensions when they unfold in contexts marked by weak institutions, unresolved grievances, armed mobilization or external interference. This section also addresses the wider political economy of conflict, including illicit trafficking, organized crime, borderland governance, internal displacement and international migration. These dynamics are examined as both drivers and consequences of fragility, especially where armed groups, criminal networks and transnational routes intersect with weak state control and local grievances. A first geographical focus concerns the containment of instability in the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), with particular attention to the arc of instability along the African Belt and the 16th Parallel North. This area is analyzed as a strategic zone where jihadist expansion, military coups, porous borders, climate pressures, illicit economies and regional security dilemmas have increasingly converged, affecting both coastal and landlocked states. A second focus concerns the Horn of Africa (HoA), the Great Lakes Region and Southern Africa. These regions are examined through the evolution of protracted conflicts, contested transitions, cross-border insurgencies, regional rivalries, peace agreements and the transformation of armed actors. Particular attention is given to the changing role of Non-State Actors (NSAs), whose political, military, economic and social functions often blur the distinction between rebellion, governance, criminality and local protection. Finally, the module analyzes transnational and asymmetric threats, including Al Qaeda Associated Movements (AQAMs) and Daesh Associated Movements (DAMs), and their adaptation to African conflict environments. It considers how these groups exploit state fragility, local conflicts, social marginalization and illicit economies, while also assessing the limits of purely military responses and the need for integrated approaches combining security, governance, mediation, development and regional cooperation.

EU–Africa and Italy-Africa Relations: Security, Development, Strategic Autonomy, Global Gateway and the Mattei Plan This part of the course examines EU–Africa relations through the interaction between security, development, peacebuilding, external action and strategic autonomy. It focuses on the European Union’s evolving role as a global security and defense provider, with attention to the instruments, policies and financial tools through which the EU addresses development, peace and security challenges in Africa. The analysis considers EU external action as a combination of soft power, political dialogue, development cooperation, civilian and military crisis-management instruments, and a comprehensive approach linking security, governance, resilience and sustainable development. In this framework, the Joint Africa–EU Strategy (JAES) is examined as a key reference for the institutionalization of the intercontinental partnership, while the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) are analyzed as core pillars of EU external security engagement. Particular attention is devoted to European Strategic Autonomy and its implications for Africa. This section explores how the EU seeks to strengthen its capacity to act, reduce strategic dependencies, support partner countries and respond to crises more coherently and effectively. Africa is considered both as a strategic partner and as a central theatre in which European ambitions in security, defense, development and geopolitical influence are tested. The module also addresses the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI – Global Europe) and the European Peace Facility (EPF). NDICI is examined as the main EU financial instrument for development cooperation, international partnerships and external action, while the EPF is analyzed in relation to peace support operations, military assistance, capacity building and security-related initiatives beyond the EU budget. A further focus concerns the future of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and its transformation from traditional aid toward blended finance and investment-driven development. The analysis explores how grants, loans, guarantees and risk-sharing mechanisms are increasingly used to mobilize private-sector resources and support infrastructure, connectivity, energy, digitalization, human development and productive investment. This part also examines the Global Gateway framework and the Team Europe approach as expressions of a new European development paradigm. These initiatives are assessed in terms of their capacity to combine public funding, private-sector leverage, development objectives and geopolitical priorities, while raising broader questions about partnership, ownership, conditionality, sustainability and the balance between African priorities and European strategic interests. Within this broader framework, specific attention is given to the Italian national interest and the European strategic interest across Africa, understood as a form of strategic depth for Europe. The “Mattei Plan” and the “Italy–Africa” Conferences are analyzed in light of the EU Global Gateway, to understand how Italian initiatives may complement, reinforce or complicate European external action, investment diplomacy and strategic co-development with African partners. Finally, the section develops policy recommendations around the idea of an EU–Africa intercontinental interest and a strategic co-development vision. These guidelines aim to identify coherent ways to align European and Italian priorities with African ownership, regional integration, sustainable investment, peace and security, and long-term structural transformation.