UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAAM
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (CoSS)
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
PS 626/ PS 726 AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SEMESTER I – 2024/2025
COURSE OUTLINE
Course Instructor: Emmanuel Kipole (PhD); Office: Room 505, 5th Floor - CoSS Tower.
Course Objective
The objective of the course is to enable students to come to grip with interstate relations in the
African continent as well as the relations between Africa as a continent with the rest of the world.
It is also intended to enable students to methodically analyse, interpret, predict and provide
informed opinions about Africa’s relations (as individual states and as groups of states as well as
the entire continent) with the rest of the world and among African States themselves.
Course Description
This course examines the historical development of Africa and the genesis of Africa’s involvement
into the international system as well as the conduct of international affairs by African states
collectively and individually. It looks at how African states collectively and individually have
related to the rest of the world, and to particular groups of countries and individual countries
outside Africa. It further examines the role of regional grouping as an organizational form of
African International relations with the focus on maintenance of peace, economic
prosperity/development and for collective actions (unity). The course also examines the political
economy of African international relation by systematically assessing the impacts of foreign aid,
the Bretton Woods institutions (IFIs), multilateral and bilateral development arrangements in
Africa. Furthermore, it examines the contemporary international issues of concern to African
International relations such as terrorism, pandemics and environment degradation.
Seminar Conduct: The course will run for 45 hours of graduate seminars i.e. 3 hours per week
for 15 weeks. To make the seminars fertile, every participant is expected to read extensively and
intensively on the scheduled topics prior to a seminar day. Attending a seminar without preparation
is strongly discouraged. Topics listed in the course syllabus will be assigned to individual
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students/group of students for preparing a thoroughly researched paper which will be presented on
a scheduled seminar day for 30 to 40 minutes prior to a class discussion.
Course Assessment
There will be continuous assessment activities totalling 50% of the course weight and the
University examination will weigh 50% making a total of 100%. Continuous assessment will
consist of two in-class timed tests each 15% and one research paper emanating from seminar
presentation which will carry 20%.
Seminar Day and Time: Tuesday 11:00 – 14:00 – PSPA PhD Room, 2nd Floor Quadrangle Bldg.
Note: Suggested readings under each topic and sub-topics are not necessarily exhaustive,
students are strongly advised to consult the library and online resources for more and up-to-
date reading materials.
Course Topics
1. The incorporation of Africa Continent into the International system
Early African Civilization
Early contacts between Africa and the external World
Colonialism to Neo-colonialism
Suggested Readings: -
Davidson, B. (1994) Modern Africa: A Social and Political History, 3 rd ed. London: Pearson
Education Limited
Young, C. (2017) “The Heritage of Colonialism”, in Harbeson, J. and Rothchild, D.(eds)
Africa in World Politics: Reforming Political Order, 6th ed. Boulder Co 80301: Westview Press
Iliffe, J. (2017) Africans: The History of a Continent, 3 rd ed, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press
2. African States in International Relations
Africa’s Position in International Relations Theory
Perspectives on African International Relations
Africa in International System: Theory and Practise
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Suggested Readings: -
Bischoff, P. H., Aning, K. & Acharya, A. (eds) (2016) Africa in Global International Relations:
Emerging Approaches to Theory and Practice. New York: Routledge
Lemke, D. (2003) “African Lessons for International Relations Research”, World Politics,
No.56.
Jones, B. G. (2005) “Africa and the Poverty of International Relations”, Third World
Quarterly, No.26.
Reno, W. (2009) “The Privatization of Africa’s International Relations”, in John Harbeson and
Donald Rothschild (et al), Africa in World Politics: Reforming Political Order, Boulder, Colo:
Westview Press.
Dunn, K. (2001) “Africa and International Relations Theory”, in Kevin Dunn and Timothy
Shaw (eds), Africa’s challenge to international relations theory, Basingstoke: Palgrave
3. Issues in African International Relations
Cooperation: From OAU to AU
Peace and Security
Poverty and Development
Suggested Readings: -
Bereketeab, R. (ed) (2024) Supranational Institutions and Peacebuilding in Africa: The Africa
Union and Regional Economic Communities. London: Routledge
Lyman, P.N. (2009) “The War on Terrorism in Africa”, in John Harbeson and Donald
Rothschild (eds), Africa in World Politics: Reforming Political Order, Boulder, Colo:
Westview Press.
Abdul K.B. & Billie D.T. (2010) “Africa’s Responses to International Terrorism and the War
Against It”, in Jack Mangala (ed.), New Security Threats and Crises in Africa: Regional and
International Perspectives, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, (chapter 3).
Eliot, A. & Holzer, G. (2009) “The Invention of ‘Terrorism’ in Somalia: Paradigms and Policy
in US Foreign Relations”, Southern Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 16, No 2.
4. Africa’s External Relations: Economic and Trade Arrangements
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Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
Contentious Issues (Tariff and Trade)
Suggested Readings: -
Khumalo, N. & Mulleta, F. (2010) “Economic partnership agreements: Africa-EU negotiations
continue”, South African Journal of International Relations, Vol. 17, No 2.
Mattheis, F. & Kotsopoulos, J. (eds) (2020) Broadening the Debate on EU-Africa Relations:
Towards Reciprocal Approaches. London: Routledge
South Centre (2012) “Economic Partnership Agreements in Africa: A Cost-Benefit Analysis”,
Geneva, Switzerland, available at http: www.southcentre.org
5. Africa’s External Relations: The Foreign Aid Debate
Major Debate on Foreign Aid
Foreign Aid and Poverty Reduction
Foreign Aid as Strategic Resource.
Suggested Readings: -
Collier P. (2008) The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can
Be Done. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Easterly, W. (2006). The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have
Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, New York: The Penguin Press.
Moyo, D. (2009) Dead Aid: Why Aid is not Working and How There is a Better Way for
Africa. New York: Farrar, Straus &Giroux.
Sachs, J. (2005) The End of Poverty: How we Can Make it Happen in Our Life Time. New
York: Penguin Books Limited.
Goldsmith, A. (2001) “Foreign Aid and Statehood in Africa”, International Organization, Vol
55, Issue. No. 1
6. Africa’s External Actors During and After the Cold War
African States during the Cold War
African States and the Superpowers
Sino-Africa Relation: A new trend.
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Suggested Readings: -
Clapham, C. (2005) “The Evolution of Africa’s International Relations”, in Ulf Engel and
Gorm O. (2005) Africa and the North: Between Globalization and Marginalization, London
and New York: Routledge.
Deych, T. & Zhukov, A. (eds) (2016) Africa’s Growing Role in World Politics. Canada:
MeaBooks Inc
Engel, U. & Olsen, R. (2005) “Global Politics and Africa- and Africa in International Relations
Theory”, in Engel et al (2005) Africa and the North: Between Globalization and
Marginalization, Routledge.
Fukuyama F. (1992) The End of History and the Last Man. New York: Free Press.
Huntington, S.P. (1996) The Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of World Order. New
York: Simon & Schuster Inc.
Schraeder, P. (2004) African Politics and Society: A Mosaic in Transformation, 2 nd Edition,
Toronto: Thomson Wadsworth.
Shaw, Timothy M. (2001) “African Foreign Policy in the New Millennium: From Coming
Anarchies to Security Communities? From New Regionalisms to New Realisms?” in Kevin et
all (2001) Africa’s Challenge to International Relations Theory, Basingstoke: Palgrave.
