IRSD-KHID-RHID

Biography

Rodolphe van Hövell is a research fellow on Sub-Saharan Africa and the Great Lakes Region at the Centre for Security and Defence Studies (CSDS). He is also a visiting expert at the Belgian Royal Military Academy (RMA), the Belgian Defence College and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

Between 2019 and 2022, Rodolphe was a policy advisor at the Belgian military staff, in the Strategy department (ACOS Strat), focusing his work on the EU’s common security and defence policy and other multilateral frameworks for defence cooperation. Between 2022 and 2024, within the context of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU, he was the coordinator of the security and defence programme as well as coordinator of Belgian Defence’s strategic communication. This experience led him to lecture as MA course holder at the Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) and as guest lecturer at the College of Europe in Bruges.

Rodolphe holds a BA in European Studies from the University of Maastricht as well as an MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London). He joined the CSDS in July 2024. Since May 2026, in cooperation with Ghent University and the Royal Military Academy, he has been engaged in a long-term research project on the competitive exploitation of minerals in Africa and the challenges on human security, with a particular emphasis on the Great Lakes Region.

Expertise

Sub-Saharan Africa
Great Lakes Region
Geopolitics of Critical Minerals
Armed Groups
Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea and around the Horn of Africa
EU’s common foreign and security policy in Africa
Belgian foreign policy in Africa

Publications

Rodolphe van Hövell and Filip Reyniers, “The Take-off of a renewed US Engagement with Africa: Insights from the First Year of Trump 2.0,” Focus Paper (Royal Higher Institute for Defence), no. 64 (July 2026), https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/focus-paper/fp-64-rodolphe-van-hovell-filip-reyniers/.

Martin Gourgue and Rodolphe van Hövell, “Three years of Belgium’s integrated strategy for the Sahel region: a critical review and perspectives on Defence & Security,” Focus Paper (Royal Higher Institute for Defence), no. 62 (April 2026), https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/focus-paper/fp-62-martin-gourgue-rodolphe-van-hovell/.

Rodolphe van Hövell, « Opération Fureur épique : implications pour l’Afrique, » e-Note 94 (Institut royal supérieur de défense), 14 avril 2026, https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/e-note/e-note-94-rodolphe-van-hovell/.

Rodolphe van Hövell, « L’Iran des ayatollahs en Afrique, » e-Note 93 (Institut royal supérieur de défense), 9 avril 2026, https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/e-note/e-note-93-rodolphe-van-hovell/.

Rodolphe van Hövell, « Le djihadisme violent en Afrique subsaharienne. La progression d’une menace sans frontières, » Focus Paper (Royal Higher Institute for Defence), no. 61 (March 2026), https://www.defence-institute.be/en/security-defence/09-sahel-and-sub-saharan-africa/.

Filip Reyniers and Rodolphe van Hövell, “One Year into Trump 2.0: Resource-Rich Africa More Prominent in US Strategy,” e-Note 86 (Royal Higher Institute for Defence), January 29, 2026, https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/e-note/e-note-86-filip-reyniers-rodolphe-van-hovell/.

Filip Reyniers and Rodolphe van Hövell, “The Geopolitics of High-Value Minerals in Africa,” Security & Strategy (Royal Higher Institute for Defence), no. 156 (June 2025), https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/security-strategy/ss-156-filip-reyniers-rodolphe-van-hovell/.

Martin Gourgue et Rodolphe van Hövell, « 25 ans de coopération militaire belge au Bénin : bilan, perspectives et nécessités, » Revue militaire belge, n° 29 (juin 2025) : 28-45, https://www.defence-institute.be/publications/rmb/rmb-29/rmb-29-martin-gourgue-rodolphe-van-hovell/.

Rodolphe van Hövell, “The Gulf of Guinea at the Heart of an Unavoidable Maritime Trade Route,” e-Note 66 (Royal Higher Institute for Defence), March 25, 2025, https://www.defence-institute.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/e-Note-67.pdf.

Ruben Vincent en Rodolphe van Hövell, “Het Belgische voorzitterschap van de Raad van de Europese Unie, vanuit het standpunt van Defensie: hoe gaat dat in zijn werk? En wat waren de resultaten?,” Belgisch Militair Tijdschrift, nr. 28 (december 2024): 89-103, https://www.defence-institute.be/en/publications-2/bmr/bmr-28/.

Ruben Vincent en Rodolphe van Hövell, “Het Belgische voorzitterschap van de Raad van de Europese Unie, vanuit het standpunt van Defensie: hoe gaat dat in zijn werk? En wat waren de resultaten?,” Belgisch Militair Tijdschrift, nr. 27 (juni 2024): 161-175, https://www.defence-institute.be/nl/publicaties/bmt/bmt-27/.

Rodolphe van Hövell et Ruben Vincent, « Présidence belge du Conseil de l’Union européenne en 2024. Implications pour la Défense, » Revue militaire belge, n° 26 (décembre 2023) : 21-29, https://www.defence-institute.be/publications/rmb/rmb-26/.