This Policy Brief examines the Sahel’s complex crisis, rooted in insecurity, poverty, marginalization, and weak governance. The author critiques military-centered strategies, particularly those led by the European Union, as misaligned with local needs and overly focused on migration control and counterterrorism. Mahssoun argues that such approaches deepen dependency and fail to resolve underlying causes. Instead, she advocates for an African-led response based on regional integration, South-South cooperation, and inclusive socio-economic programs. Initiatives such as the Liptako-Gourma Charter and the Atlantic Africa Initiative are highlighted as promising models, combining security measures with economic development, regional value chains, and community resilience. The recommendations emphasize investments in education, job creation, healthcare, and strategic infrastructure, while fostering local ownership and participation. This Pan-African approach seeks to provide a sustainable pathway to peace and development in the Sahel.

Governance, Economic Development, Security, Peace, Education, Development, Human security, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production, Regional integration

The article highlights the growing strategic importance of space collaboration in Africa. Satellites and space technologies already contribute significantly to security (border surveillance, tackling illegal fishing, disaster prevention), the economy (telecommunications, precision agriculture, urban planning), and social development (e-learning, telemedicine, bridging the digital divide). However, fragmented national initiatives limit overall efficiency. The author underscores the pivotal role of the African Space Agency (AfSA), inaugurated in April 2025, in harmonizing policies, pooling infrastructure, and strengthening continental and international cooperation. Partnerships with the European Union, China, Russia, and the United States are seen as capacity-building tools, but African ownership must remain central. Space is framed not as a luxury but as a strategic necessity for sovereignty, food security, and climate resilience. The article calls for coordinated investments, private-sector inclusion, and citizen engagement to make space a driver of African integration and sustainable development.

Politics, Political party, State, Economic Development, Natural ressources, Security, Education, Development, Gold, Human security

The article “A Fertilizer Price Subsidy Policy to Mitigate Climate Effects on Women and Food Security in Cameroon”, published by Partnership for Economic Policy in July 2023, examines the impact of subsidizing agricultural fertilizers to counteract climate change’s negative effects, especially on rural women and food security. The authors (Célestin Sikube Takamgno, Nina Fotso Maya, Yselle F. Malah Kuete, Francine M. Petga, Pierre J. Nguetse Tegoum, Alain P. Yankap Noutanewo) demonstrate that Cameroon has experienced rising temperatures, decreasing rainfall, and increased climate variability over recent decades. The country confronts growing food insecurity, disproportionately affecting female-headed households. Simulations suggest that fertilizer subsidies could boost agricultural production, raise household incomesespecially for womenand reduce reliance on food imports. The paper explores two financing scenarios: public deficit or matching reduction in fuel subsidies. The authors recommend redirecting gains from fuel price liberalization toward fertilizer subsidies and implementing a phased, gender-targeted subsidy mechanism..

Governance, Agriculture, Climate change, Food security, Women

The article, drawing on an Afrobarometer survey, indicates that most Cameroonians disapprove of the government’s economic management: 78% express dissatisfaction. The social landscape is marked by high (38%) and moderate (43%) lived poverty, with disparities based on education, age, and region. Around 84% report lacking cash income, 70% lack access to safe drinking water, 57% lack sufficient food or healthcare, and 49% struggle with fuel access. The global crisis (pandemic, Ukraine war) is cited as an aggravating factor. Moreover, urban residents, the more educated, and those living in the Littoral or anglophone regions tend to be more critical of economic performance. The article stresses the urgent need for government intervention to improve living conditions, restore public trust, address unemployment, and reduce inequality.

Governance, Economic Development, Poverty

The article “Challenges to Girls’ Education: Menstrual Precarity in Schools,” published by WATHI, examines how difficulties in managing menstruation in school settings significantly hinder girls’ access to education. It highlights that many girls lack the means to purchase sanitary products or do not have access to adequate school sanitation facilities, resulting in absences during menstrual periods—thereby undermining their continuity in schooling and academic performance. The article also emphasizes cultural stigmas and taboos associated with menstruation that further exclude girls from participating fully in school life. To address these barriers, the article recommends implementing awareness programs, ensuring the provision of hygiene facilities in schools, and integrating menstrual issues into education and gender policies.

Gender, Poverty, Women, Health, Hygiène

In Benin, President Patrice Talon’s choice of Romuald Wadagni as his successor for the April 2026 presidential election is seen as unusual in West Africa, as Talon confirms he will step down after two terms—unlike other African leaders extending their rule (e.g., Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire, Biya in Cameroon). Yet, the political climate remains tense. The revised electoral code of March 2024 requires presidential candidates to secure endorsements from at least 15% of deputies and mayors, and imposes a unique 20% threshold per constituency to win a parliamentary seat. These provisions place the opposition, particularly the “Les Démocrates” party, in a precarious position. While the reform aims to reduce political fragmentation and foster coalitions, critics denounce it as a strategy to sideline opposition forces. Thus, despite the promise of a rare democratic transition, uncertainty dominates the pre-election environment.

Politics, Governance, Election, Réforme, Presidential term limits

This article examines South–South security cooperation in Africa through the case of the G5 Sahel. The authors argue that regional organisations, despite being guided by the mantra of “African solutions to African problems,” remain rigid, underfunded, and donor-dependent. In this context, ad hoc initiatives such as the G5 Sahel and the Accra Initiative have proliferated, appearing more flexible and context-sensitive. However, these often become “zombified” institutions shaped by external funding and donor agendas. The G5 Sahel exemplifies this paradox: while it failed to curb insecurity, it nonetheless fostered military cooperation and generated new forms of African agency. This “productive failure” illustrates how Sahelian states repurpose constraints into political opportunities, reassert sovereignty, and engage in new bilateral or regional arrangements, including the creation of the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES).

State, Economic Development, Security, Conflict, Education, Development, Human security, Cooperation, Threat, Knowlege production

This article focuses on intelligence sharing in the Sahel region, analyzing cooperation among African states as well as interactions between regional actors and external powers. The author discusses how intelligence is shared or withheld based on strategic, security, or sovereignty considerations, and highlights challenges such as trust deficits, institutional capacity gaps, and power asymmetries. Even when cooperation frameworks exist, their effectiveness is often undermined by rivalries, resource constraints, or contradictory policies. The study offers concrete case studies illustrating barriers to cooperation, along with proposals to strengthen information-sharing mechanisms (legal frameworks, harmonization, regional governance). In the Sahel context, the article argues that better integration of intelligence is vital for more effective counter-extremism efforts and regional stability.

Governance, Extremism, Cooperation, Violence, Institution, Instabilité

UNICEF’s “Green Schools” Initiative aims to strengthen children’s resilience in West and Central Africa against climate change through education. Aligned with UNICEF’s 2023–2030 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, it promotes an integrated approach based on three pillars: building eco-friendly and climate-resilient school infrastructure, ensuring school safety and continuity during crises, and advancing climate education and disaster risk reduction. The report emphasizes inclusivity (girls, children with disabilities, displaced populations) and youth participation as central elements. Practical examples illustrate the initiative’s scope: modular sustainable schools in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, solar-powered water supply systems in Nigeria, emergency education planning in Gabon, and student-led clubs “Deen Kan” in Burkina Faso. The initiative calls for cross-sector coordination and stronger partner support to scale up climate action in and through education, making schools both safe spaces and agents of sustainable change.

Governance, Climate change, Inclusion