In this podcast, Pape Abdou Ndour highlights the commitment of sociologist Fatou Sow, a pioneer of African feminism, towards an inclusive democracy. He revisits a 2019 interview where she denounced the stigmatization of women in cases of early pregnancies, emphasizing the often-overlooked responsibility of men. The podcast also discusses the symposium held in Dakar in May 2025 by the Foundation for Innovation in Democracy, honoring Fatou Sow. This event brought together researchers and activists to discuss democracy from a female perspective, covering topics such as women's knowledge, technologies, and sexualities. The author emphasizes the importance of acknowledging gender discrimination and valuing women's knowledge to build substantive democracy in Africa

Governance, Gender, Democracy, Women's rights

In this article published by WATHI, Said Djinnit, Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, and El-Ghassim Wane emphasize the critical historical turning point Africa is facing amid global geopolitical shifts. Drawing inspiration from Salim Ahmed Salim’s visionary 1990 report, the authors call for a unified, strategic response. Despite significant political, legal, and economic frameworks (Agenda 2063, AfCFTA, peace and governance instruments), the gap between normative ambition and implementation remains troubling. The weakening of multilateralism, declining development aid, and Africa’s growing marginalization highlight the urgency of rethinking African political action around the effective execution of its commitments. The authors advocate for a new founding report—initiated by the African Union—that mobilizes all sectors of society and provides a clear, ambitious, and actionable vision for the continent’s future. The time for bold, unified leadership and concrete delivery is now.

Governance, International cooperation

The article by Joseph Siegle and Hany Wahila, published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, explores the democratic implications of Africa’s 2025 elections. In a context of declining democratic norms, ten elections are scheduled across West and Central Africa, many of which are expected to be heavily orchestrated. The authors highlight how incumbent regimes manipulate electoral institutions to retain power. The article stresses the importance of distinguishing genuinely competitive elections from staged ones. Independent observers, media, and civil society play a critical role in defending electoral integrity. These elections will serve as a major credibility test for democracy in Africa.

Politics, Political party, Power, State, Natural ressources, Security, Justice, Election, Gold, Human security

This monitoring bulletin, published in April 2025 by Action Against Hunger (ACF), evaluates micro-enterprises supported in the moughataa of Bassikounou, Mauritania, under a project for the socioeconomic inclusion of Malian refugees and host communities. The report highlights slight improvements in profitability, particularly in agriculture and crafts, but also reveals entrepreneurs' heavy reliance on external aid, limited access to formal financing, and persistent economic fragility. Key challenges include high costs and scarcity of raw materials, limited use of management tools, and underdeveloped local financial mechanisms. The bulletin recommends strengthening personalized support, structuring community financing systems, and building local partnerships. It also suggests innovative strategies such as resilience funds and collective input purchasing to improve sustainability and autonomy.

Power, Agriculture, Economic Development, Natural ressources, Education, Development, Gold, Aid, Private sector, Funding

The infographic titled “Africa’s Unprecedented Urbanization Is Reshaping Its Security Landscape”, published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in May 2025, visualizes the impact of rapid urban growth on security dynamics across the continent. By 2050, Africa’s urban population is projected to reach 1.4 billion. The infographic highlights how informal urban settlements are becoming increasingly vulnerable to organized crime, militant activity, gang violence, and rising social tensions. Urban centers like Khartoum, Goma, Bamako, and Maiduguri are emerging as key hotspots of insecurity. The document calls for urban security approaches that prioritize community-based policing, social services, and inclusive governance, warning against heavy-handed or exclusionary strategies that risk further alienating marginalized populations.

Politics, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Political Violence, Gold, Human security, Violence, Threat, Urbanisation

Nate Allen’s article, published on May 6, 2025, by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, examines the destabilizing proliferation of military drones across Africa. Due to declining costs and technological accessibility, 31 African states and several non-state armed groups now deploy drones for intelligence, surveillance, and attacks. The analysis identifies four major trends: accelerated procurement, Turkey’s rising influence as a supplier, growing domestic production capacities, and increased usage by non-state actors. The article illustrates drones’ transformative yet limited impact in conflicts in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Libya. Despite offering tactical advantages, drones are less effective against guerrilla tactics and do not replace the need for effective ground forces. Proxy dynamics further dilute decisive outcomes. The author calls for African governments to adopt a nuanced understanding, combining counter-drone capabilities with a comprehensive operational doctrine.

Power, State, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Education, Gold, Military activity, Human security, Threat

The article “Changing youth work models in pastoralism: questioning the disruption of institutional compromises in Burkina Faso” analyzes structural transformations in youth labor within the Burkinabe pastoral sector. Drawing on empirical research (2019–2021), the authors show how institutional compromises regarding land tenure and mobility have eroded, leading to growing inequality, restricted mobility, disrupted livestock markets, and the marginalization of pastoral communities. Youth migration emerges both as a coping strategy and a transformative force, reshaping access to resources and social protection mechanisms. Amid rising insecurity and forced sedentarization, pastoralism faces a structural crisis. Yet, the authors highlight emerging forms of youth autonomy and reconfigured social roles. The paper advocates for a renewed political dialogue on development, citizenship, and inclusive institutional arrangements linking local and national governance in rural areas.

Power, Economic Development, Livestock, Natural ressources, Education, Youth, Development, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production, EMPLOYMENT

This multi-country study examines Education in Emergencies (EiE) across six Sahel countries facing security, humanitarian, and health crises. Based on document reviews and 209 field interviews, it highlights how displaced children face restricted access to quality education and a weakened educational system. EiE funding is inadequate, fragmented, and largely driven by humanitarian actors, with little institutional coordination. The study recommends leveraging best practices (multigrade teaching, e-learning), establishing national EiE coordination agencies, engaging local communities and diasporas through a Trust Fund, and scaling up the integrated territorial approach tested in Niger. Strengthening the capacity of both public and community actors is critical. The report calls for improved governance, structured financing mechanisms, and more systematic emergency education responses to ensure long-term educational resilience in crisis contexts.

Economic Development, Natural ressources, Education, Development, Gold, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Crisis, Funding

This report explores the rise, evolution, and fragmentation of armed extremist groups in the Sahel—AQIM, MUJAO, JNIM, and ISGS. It outlines the root causes of their proliferation: weak state presence, social marginalization, environmental pressures, geopolitical interference, and security vacuums. The analysis reveals how these groups adapt strategically, build local ties, and exploit state fragility. The fall of Libya, successive coups, and the withdrawal of international actors (France, the UN) have reshaped the security environment. The report advocates a multidimensional response: inclusive governance, socio-economic investment, stronger regional cooperation, and engagement of traditional leaders. It highlights the growing threat of violence spilling over into West African coastal states and calls for locally rooted, tailored strategies to achieve sustainable peace and resilience in the region.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Security, Jihad, Terrorism, Political Violence, Gold, Violence, Threat