Devante Duncan is a security analyst with nearly a decade of experience in conflict, peace, and security research. He has served as a researcher at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and as a security advisor at Ghana’s ECOWAS and Regional Integration Directorate. In 2024, he was selected for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Early Career African Scholar Program, where he is currently conducting research on China’s influence on peace and security across Africa. This article draws on his findings under the USIP program.