Sub-Saharan African countries, which host many ethnic groups, are described as countries south of the Sahara Desert in today’s conjuncture. Sub-Saharan Africa attracts attention as a very crowded region that includes 48 different countries.
Although interest in Sub-Saharan Africa has manifested itself in various ways throughout the historical process, especially during the Cold War period, the Western and Eastern blocs tried to support the region in line with their own goals and ideologies. However, this support later led to some instability in the countries of the region and to the destruction of the region by the actors.
After the Cold War, there was a significant decline in interest and support for the region, resulting in a gradual decline in the economic and political presence of actors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Changing developments and innovations in international relations and the current conjuncture have led to a revival of interest in Sub-Saharan Africa, which declined after the Cold War. Therefore, the growing importance of Sub-Saharan Africa has been shaped by a combination of various factors. These factors have manifested themselves in key areas such as economics, strategic plans, demographics, and security.
Firstly, when economic factors are analysed, the economic opportunities of Sub-Saharan Africa and the economic growth potential of the countries in the region are seen as the main reason for the increasing interest in this geography. The fact that these countries have a dynamic and young population creates a potential economic power and this human capital provides a great advantage in terms of economic growth. In addition, developing markets in the region, sectors with growth potential and rapidly increasing consumer demands are among the factors that make Sub-Saharan Africa economically attractive.
The strategic location of the region draws attention in line with the developments and planned targets. The fact that it is on the coast of strategic sea routes, especially the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic, leads to an increase in the interest of great powers. In addition, the richness of natural resources is one of the factors that increase the importance of the region. At this point, in addition to the various and valuable raw materials found in the region, the presence of rich oil and mineral deposits extracted in the countries of the region is directly effective in increasing the strategic importance of Sub-Saharan Africa. This wealth increases the interaction of the region with other actors and attracts the attention of various international foreign investors. [1]
In general, the Sub-Saharan Africa region has increased its importance and value day by day in the developing and changing conjuncture. This region, in which both developed and developing countries show interest in terms of economic opportunities, strategic location and natural resources, holds an important place not only in the regional but also in the global power struggle.
[1] Selçuk Balı, “Küresel Finansal Ekonomik Krizin Sahra Altı Afrika ve Baltık Ülkeleri’nin Ekonomik Etkileri”, Sosyal Araştırmalar, https://www.sosyalarastirmalar.com/articles/impacts-of-the-global-financialeconomic-crisis-to-the-economies-of-subsaharan-africa-and-baltic-countries.pdf, (Date of Accesion: 06.11.2023).
