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Clamour for Africa

Many foreign nations are boosting efforts to expand their influence within Africa due to the bonanza of trade and security opportunities, pushing the continent up on the world’s diplomatic agenda

© FT montage/AP/AFP/Alexandre Bertrand

The middle-power competition in Africa
The jostle for influence brings opportunities, but also scope for bad decisions
Turkey’s expanding leverage in Africa
Ankara has become a political broker on the continent through soft power initiatives, deeper trade ties and growing security alliances
The foreign powers competing to win influence in Africa
Continent finds itself wooed by many, but few countries have yet devised a strategy to take full advantage
The US-backed railway sparking a battle for African copper
Washington’s support for a minerals train connecting the DRC to the Atlantic illustrates its desire to compete with China