Iraqi Foreign policy towards the African continent

Abstract

This research examines Iraqi foreign policy towards Africa, analyzing its nature in terms of concept and implications. It then moves to interpreting the variables influencing Iraqi foreign policy towards Africa, which are divided into internal variables: negative variables representing obstacles to Iraq's engagement with the continent, and positive variables representing incentives for this engagement. Following this, the research analyzes external variables, which represent external variables affecting Iraqi foreign policy decisions and external variables affecting African countries and, consequently, Iraqi foreign policy. Finally, the research analyzes future foreign policy trajectories, selecting a scenario of continuity with selective retreat as the most likely scenario in the short and medium term, according to the researcher's perspective. In recent decades, the African continent has attracted increasing attention from regional and international powers, driven by its significant strategic, political, and economic importance, which has transformed it into a key arena of competition. This research addresses the continent's growing prominence on the international stage and analyzes Iraqi foreign policy toward Africa. It examines the policy's conceptual framework, the key internal and external variables influencing it, and the potential future scenarios that will shape Africa's place in Iraqi foreign policy over the short and medium terms. The study is grounded in the hypothesis that the limited scope of Iraqi foreign policy toward Africa stems not from a lack of importance, but rather from the interplay between available capabilities and imposed constraints; the prevalence of these constraints has hindered the establishment of an effective and sustained Iraqi presence on the continent.