As the global shift toward a green economy accelerates, the demand for critical raw minerals - such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements - has surged, placing Africa at the center of a new geopolitical landscape. Resource-rich countries on the continent are increasingly becoming focal points of competition among global powers, including the EU, the US, and China.

This growing interest brings with it significant geopolitical, economic, environmental, and security implications. This book offers insights into the evolving geopolitics surrounding Africa’s critical raw minerals within the context of the global green transition.

It critically examines the concept of “green growth” as it applies to Africa, exploring challenges related to resource security, the risk of perpetuating historical patterns of exploitation, and the environmental and social impacts of large-scale mining activities.

Ultimately, this book seeks to answer a pressing question: Is Africa’s green transition truly sustainable, or is it another form of resource extraction under the banner of sustainability?

The first part of the book provides a macro-level perspective, focusing on the global race for African resources and the broader concept of green growth. The second part presents a series of case studies that explore the topic from socioeconomic, developmental, environmental, and legal angles.

Dr. Richard J. Chasdi  is a political scientist who specializes in terrorism studies and counterterrorism, and who has published five books on terrorism and counterterrorism, one edited compilation (with co-editor Dr. Yair Sharan) and some two dozen refereed academic journal articles and book chapters. Chasdi is a Faculty Affiliate at the University of Maryland START Center and is also a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at The George Washington University. Prior to that, Chasdi was a Professor of Management in the Management Department at Walsh College, Troy, Michigan. His first book, Serenade of Suffering: A Portrait of Middle East Terrorism, 1968-1993 (Lexington Books, 1999) received Choice magazine's "Outstanding Academic Title" in international relations in 2000. Dr. Chasdi is Assistant Book Review Editor and editorial board member at Armed Forces and Society, and has served on the editorial board of Perspectives on Terrorism, and on the editorial board of Academicus: International Scientific Journal. He completed a Fulbright Specialist Program at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 2017. He has been a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Institute (UK) and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at ICPVTR at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Chasdi has served as a news consultant for  television and radio networks that include, but are not limited to,  al-Jazeera, Sky News, Asharq News, Al-Araby Television, China Global Television Network (CGTN), and National Public Radio (NPR).

Dr. Tereza Němečková is an economist, holding  a Ph.D. degree from the Prague University of Business and Economics in Czechia. In 2022, she also obtained an associate professorship in international economic relations from the same university. Her expertise lies in the areas of the world economy, international development and international trade and development, with a specific focus on Africa. Her most recent research explores the dynamics of critical minerals trade in the African context. Currently, she heads the African Studies Centre Prague, the only research center in the country focused on current economic and geopolitical dynamics in Africa. In addition to her research role, she also lectures at the Metropolitan University Prague and the University of Hradec Kralove. She has published in journals such as The Journal of Modern African Studies (Cambridge University Press), The Journal of North African Studies (Taylor & Francis), or Africa Spectrum (Sage Publishing). She contributed to monographs published at Routledge and Springer.

Dr. Ricardo Reboredo is a political geographer, holding a Ph.D. degree from Trinity College in Dublin. He works as Assistant Professor at Department of International Relations and European Studies at Metropolitan University Prague. His research interests include globalization, Sino-African relations, and the political economy of African development. He has published in journals such as Review of African Political Economy, China Perspectives, African Geographical Review and Progress in Development Studies.