Africa

Russia has pioneered a model of disinformation to gain political influence in Africa that is now being replicated by other actors across the continent.

Disinformation is the intentional dissemination of false information with the intent of advancing a political objective. Africa has been the increasingly frequent target of such campaigns. In recent years, dozens of carefully designed campaigns have pumped millions of intentionally false and misleading posts into Africa’s online social spaces. The ensuing confusion in deciphering fact from fiction has had a corrosive effect on social trust, critical thinking, and citizens’ ability to engage in politics fairly—the lifeblood of a functioning democracy.

Oversight, accountability, and governance of the security sector are essential ingredients to a capable and effective force, mitigating infractions and contributing to a learning environment that improves future practices.

Conflict and climate change remain the driving forces behind displacement as the number of internally displaced persons reach 71.1 million across the globe.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, nearly 300 million people will need humanitarian assistance due to conflicts, climate change, and other drivers by next year.

Un spectre plane sur les ports de toute l’Europe. Un spectre qui fait perdre le sommeil aux exportateurs, aux armateurs et aux commerçants : la fermeture du canal de Suez.

Ce qui mettrait en crise l’ensemble du commerce méditerranéen. Un véritable tremblement de terre pour l’économie mondiale.

Without being overly paranoid or pessimistic, we are witnessing a major upheaval in the Sahel. This upheaval is political, with six coups d’état in West Africa since 2020, the latest of which overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger. It is also security-related, as evidenced by the North-South confrontation in Mali, and diplomatic, with the expulsion of diplomats, the reversal of alliances, the deterioration of relations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the banning of the international organizations. Finally, it is demographic—the region’s population is set to rise from 84 million to 196 million by 2050—and climatic, as evidenced by the expansion of the Sahara, whose surface area has increased by 10 percent in a century to over 9.2 million km2.

Le recul de la France s’accompagne d’une implantation russe mais aussi d’un maintien de la présence américaine. Tandis que la Chine pourrait avoir une base navale en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Le 30 mai 2016, la 601e réunion

du Conseil Paix et Sécurité de l’Union africaine (UA) aurait pu être une réunion parmi d’autres. Mais cette fois, les conclusions ont montré un talent rare de prédiction des périls qui pesaient sur le continent.

How local factors shape Libya’s security sector, and what this means for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration

In the absence of durable political and security institutions at national level, there can be no ‘one size fits all’ approach to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) across Libya. But as the country’s sprawling security sector continues to grow, with fresh recruits signing up to join the many state-affiliated and non-state-affiliated armed groups, it is clear that planning for DDR cannot wait for a ‘post-conflict’ situation.

Coups Are a Symptom—Not the Cause—of Political Dysfunction

These days, a question crops up when African officials gather to discuss governance: Which president will be ousted by his military next? In the first two decades of this century, 13 successful coups took place in Africa. But from August 2020 to November 2023, seven African leaders were toppled by their own militaries. While these military takeovers have so far primarily occurred in a belt of instability that stretches from Niger to Sudan, the risk of broader contagion is real. In already fragile states, coups tend to reverse economic and political progress, and so stemming their rise may be the most urgent task for Africa in the coming decade.