The Superpowers’ Playground Djibouti and Geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific in the 21st Century

This book analyses the evolving geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region and explains how Djibouti fits in the global strategies of four major powers—the US, China, Japan, and France. It shows how Djibouti is emerging as a key nation in the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific, explores the interconnections between Djibouti and the Indian as well as Pacific Oceans, and through Djibouti examines broader trends in contemporary great power politics in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Belt and Road Initiative of China. Moving beyond contemporary works on the region, the author integrates Africa and the Middle East with discussions on the Indo-Pacific to illustrate the coalescing of strategic geography from Eastern Africa to the Western coast of the Americas. A major intervention, the volume will be essential reading for scholars, practitioners, and researchers of politics and international relations, security studies, African studies, peace and conflict studies, and maritime studies.

Preface Introduction 1 Why Djibouti Matters 2 A French Homecoming? 3 From Kilimanjaro to California 4 The Confl uence of the Two Seas 5 Building a New Silk Road Conclusion Index

Sankalp Gurjar is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, India. Prior to that, he worked as a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. He works on International Relations of the Indo-Pacific, Great Power Politics, and the Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean Region. He was trained at the Department of International Relations, South Asian University (a university established by SAARC nations) and Fergusson College, Pune.