著者

小林 周

出版者

一般財団法人 日本国際政治学会

雑誌

国際政治 (ISSN:04542215)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.2022, no.205, pp.205_94-205_107, 2022-02-04 (Released:2022-03-31)

参考文献数

38

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The paper analyzes Middle Eastern countries’ foreign aid and military activities in African countries through the lens of Economic Statecraft (ES), the art of employing economic means to exert influence over other countries and thereby pursue geopolitical and strategic goals. Due to changes in the strategic environment, such as the United States’ withdrawal from the Middle East and the escalation of intra-regional conflicts, Middle Eastern countries have pursued foreign and security policies that place greater emphasis on their national interests. Arab states in the Gulf and Turkey are upping their foreign aid to Africa and establishing military bases at geopolitical chokepoints to expand their spheres of influence. The economic and military expansion of Middle Eastern countries into Africa also intensifies competition among various state and non-state actors.There have been studies on foreign aid to African countries and on the establishment of military bases by Middle Eastern countries. By examining these regional dynamics from the perspective of ES, this paper seeks to decipher the complex and multi-dimensional competition, confrontation, and cooperation. Additionally, the paper investigates the effectiveness of the ES as practiced by non-major powers, which is often overlooked, the impact of ES on regional politics and security, and the linkage with international order and international security.ES is frequently discussed in the context of great power politics and strategic competition, such as the US-China rivalry. However, the same is true for regional and middle powers that use economic means to pursue their geopolitical objectives. The distinction is that great powers such as the US, China, and Russia are exceptional in the scale of their military and economic clout in international politics. Therefore, to better understand ES, it is necessary to focus on tactics being employed at the regional level and the geopolitical shifts that arise. This paper outlines the debate on ES in/towards/from the Middle East and examines the trends and background of the pursuit of geopolitical goals linked to foreign aid, which has accelerated in recent years. Then, as a case study, this paper focuses on the Middle Eastern countries’ intervention in Sudan and the Horn of Africa region, as well as the competition among the regional countries. The intervention of Middle Eastern countries in Somalia and Libya is also analyzed to demonstrate that ES involves various actors, including unrecognized states and non-state actors.