The China Factor in Africa’s Pursuit of Digital Sovereignty
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Abstract
Digital sovereignty has emerged as a crucial issue in African countries seeking to reduce their dependence on foreign states, notably the US and Europe, for processing and storing data. Several African countries, such as Senegal and Zimbabwe, have actively formulated policies and reforms in pursuit of digital independence and have set up digital infrastructure, notably data centres, with assistance from Chinese telecom companies. Against the backdrop of the tech dispute between the US and China, this article argues that Chinese telecom companies play a significant role in shaping Africa’s digital landscape and influencing the make-up of the continent’s digital sovereignty through various infrastructure developments. However, amid (primarily Western) accusations that Beijing is using Chinese technology for cyber espionage and promoting digital authoritarianism, this article argues that Africa’s digital sovereignty and development interests must be prioritised, irrespective of the foreign entities that African countries engage with for digital development.
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References
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