The allocation of Czech foreign aid in Sub-Saharan Africa: the influence of historical relationships

Abstract

This paper addresses the allocation of foreign aid from the Czech Republic to the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. Although the Czech Republic is seen as an emerging donor, the history of Czech development assistance dates back to the period of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia prior to 1989. This article attempts to shed light on the role of historical factors in the allocation of Czech aid in the new millennium. Regression analyses are performed on factors that could influence the territorial allocation of donors. The main finding is that the amount of aid flowing to individual Sub-Saharan African countries is significantly influenced by historical factors, while the economic levels of recipient countries also have some relevance. Other factors of aid allocation, such as good governance and division of labour among donors, were not proved to be significant.