Swedish ministries, authorities and international organisations involved in the fields of defence and security are among those actors making use of FOI’s collective competence within the so-called Africa Group which was established in January 2008. The intention has been to bring together a broad spread of knowledge and expertise to form a strong platform for African studies within FOI while also creating a network of contacts with Africa specialists outside FOI.

“It is exciting to see what a strong interest there is in security-related African questions. We have set in motion several wide-ranging studies for a number of different clients and we are ready to take on new assignments in this area,” says Markus Derblom, project manager for the Africa Group.

The Group also gives lectures and arranges workshops. The focus is currently on areas such as military and civil-military actions in Africa as well as the emerging structures for peace and security on the African continent.

“Africa is vast and heterogeneous. No single individual or group can cover everything that happens there. But our collaboration with Africa specialists, not least through our partnership with the Nordic Africa Institute, NAI, complements our FOI project with relevant and up-to-date knowledge of those areas which, with the situation as it is today, we do not monitor on a continuous basis,” says Markus Derblom.

More information on the Africa Group and its work can be found on our newly opened website www.foi.se/africa.