Mining Strategies of Major Powers in Africa

In this talk, Ibrahima Niang (University Cheikh Anta Diop) will examine the rivalries between major powers over critical mineral resources in Africa, with a focus on the strategies deployed by China and the United States. He argues that competition over lithium, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements is no longer a purely economic issue, but a matter of systemic national security for both powers, each seeking to secure strategic access to the resources that underpin industrial policy, energy transition, and technological sovereignty. Africa has thus become a key arena in this geo-economic contest, where resource control, infrastructure financing, and diplomatic influence intersect.

Ibrahima Niang will show how China has consolidated its presence in Africa’s extractive sector through long-term mining access, resource-for-infrastructure arrangements, and control over parts of the processing and logistics chain. In response, the US has sought to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains by promoting mineral partnerships, private-sector investment, and policy initiatives aimed at diversifying access to African critical minerals. Yet African states are not passive actors in this rivalry: they negotiate, adapt, and seek to preserve room for manoeuvrer in order to extract concessions, maximize development benefits, and maintain a degree of strategic autonomy.
 

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The De:link//Re:link Brown Bag Talks concentrate on specific areas of research, both from guests and associated researchers, thus offering a platform for synergies under the umbrella of the project's own research orientation. In general, each talk will consist of a short input of around 15 to 20 minutes, sometimes based on a text distributed prior to the meeting.