MES Research Talk - Dr. Stig Jarle Hansen, "Phoenix Rising: U.S. Strategic Competition in the Red Sea Zone & Horn of Africa with China and Russia"

The United States is reducing its military presence in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea Zone while its main strategic competitors, China and Russia, are increasing their presence in the military, political, and economic spheres. This virtual lecture examined the ways China and Russia are using to expand their influence in Africa, consider how Chinese and Russian efforts differ, and evaluate the effectiveness of their approaches. The lecture also discussed how the U.S. and its allies should respond, arguing for proportional, tailored responses according to the actual threat levels posed by Chinese and Russian influence in the region.

Guest Speaker, Dr. Stig Jarle Hansen

Dr. Stig Jarle Hansen is Professor of International Relations and Director of the Master's Program in International Affairs at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). He has advised and been an invited subject matter expert for CENTCOM, AFRICOM, USSOCOM, the NATO Intelligence Center and NATO Defense College, and the British Military Mission to Nigeria. He is the author most recently of Al-Shabaab in Somalia: The History and Ideology of a Militant Islamist Group (Oxford University Press, 2013), Horn, Sahel, and Rift: Fault-lines of the African Jihad (Oxford University Press, 2019), and co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of Deradicalisation and Disengagement (Routledge, 2020).

Dr. Hansen is also the author of a two-article series for MES Insights on strategic competition between the U.S., China, and Russia in the Red Sea zone and East Africa:

*Vol. 12, Issue 3: "Dragon Rising? Evaluating Chinese Power in the Horn of Africa"

*Vol. 12, Issue 5: "Specters of the Past, Prospects for the Future? Russian Engagement in the Horn of Africa"

Intro/outro music is "Evolution" from BenSound.com (https://www.bensound.com)

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