This book examines how African nations navigate intensifying Great Power competition and formulate their foreign policy preferences by balancing external influences. It identifies the key factors driving their often-fluid stances. It portrays African states as active participants in international relations, leveraging their resources and power to balance threats and advance their national interests. Contrary to being passive actors in the global balance of power, African countries strategically maximise their opportunities by diversifying partnerships and aligning selectively with competing powers. Foreign policy is shown to be strongly insulated from other government apparatuses, driven by security concerns, risk management, and state survival. The study adopts a historical perspective within the realism paradigm, tracing the relationships between foreign powers and African entities from the pre-colonial era to the present. The analysis highlights how African states manage external pressures, diversify alliances, and navigate the ongoing "scramble" for African natural resources. This dynamic enables states to boost military capabilities and mitigate national risks while maintaining agency in the face of polar and nonpolar actors.