France, Aug. 29 -- Through investments in ports and mining, as well as military involvement and support for various players in various conflicts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as the African continent's fourth-largest investor over the last decade.

With an investigation published by the Financial Times earlier this month describing the UAE's strategy in Africa as "imperialist", RFI spoke to Jean-Loup Samaan, a researcher specialising in the Gulf states at the National University of Singapore, about its growing role in Africa.

RFI: Why is the UAE investing so heavily in African ports?

Jean-Loup Samaan: At first, about 15 or 20 years ago, it was primarily a commercial dynamic driven by Dubai. The Dubai-based DP World is one ...