China’s security sector assistance (SSA) to Mali since the 2012 crisis may have potential unintended consequences on state fragility. In this presentation Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah explored how China’s aid, which aims to equip Mali to address terrorism and insurgency, may cause further damage–through increased dependence on China, militarization, human rights abuses by security forces, and reduced accountability, fueling corruption. Wolseley Prah argued that an integrated approach is needed for SSA to support stability in Mali without exacerbating vulnerabilities. Lina Benabdallah and Paul Nantulya offered additional insights in a conversation moderated by Yoon Jung Park.
This event was co-sponsored by the Africa-China Initiative and the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University.
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Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah, Research Fellow, Afro-Sino Centre of International Relations
Lina Benabdallah (discussant), Associate Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, Wake Forest University
Paul Nantulya (discussant), Research Associate, Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Yoon Jung Park (moderator), Program Director, Africa-China Initiative, Georgetown University