The Pastoral Surveillance Bulletin for Senegal (August–September 2025), published by Action Against Hunger (ACF), assesses pasture and livestock conditions amid delayed and uneven rainfall. Pastoral zones in the north and centre (Ferlo, Louga, Matam) face significant forage stress, prompting early livestock movements southward and into neighbouring countries. Animal body condition is average, yet low milk production and rising feed costs are undermining household livelihoods. Livestock markets remain active but show stagnant prices. ACF calls for targeted assistance (fodder, water, veterinary care) and stronger coordination among humanitarian actors before the critical lean season expected by December 2025.

Pastoralism, Livestock, Natural ressources, Security, Education, Food security, Gold, Human security, Researh, Knowlege production, Marché, Transhumance, water

This study maps Senegal’s cattle and small ruminant trade network using 2020 sanitary certificates (LPS). Applying temporal network theory, it identifies areas most vulnerable to disease transmission, such as Foot and Mouth Disease. The findings show that livestock mobility—driven by climate, markets, and religious events (Tabaski, Grand Magal)—shapes the dynamics of disease spread. Static models tend to overestimate transmission speed, while temporal analysis highlights key “sentinel nodes” for early warning systems. Strengthening cross-border coordination and improving regular data collection are crucial for effective surveillance and control of transboundary animal diseases in West Africa.

Pastoralism, Livestock, Justice, Conflict, Threat, Trade, Researh, Knowlege production, Information, EMPLOYMENT

This paper investigates how the digital divide shapes access to essential services—drinking water, health, and education—in West Africa using Afrobarometer Round 9 data. The authors build a multidimensional digital divide index integrating access to equipment, internet use, and information isolation. Three main findings emerge: (1) formal education is by far the strongest determinant of digital inclusion, ahead of wealth or geography; (2) the digital divide is strongly associated with lower access to basic services, even after accounting for territorial heterogeneity; and (3) rural–urban differences are less significant than expected, suggesting that marginalization transcends geography. The study concludes that without inclusive and educational policies, ongoing digitalization efforts could inadvertently deepen social and territorial inequalities across the region.

Politics, Inequality, Natural ressources, Religious education, Education, Discrimination, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production, Information, Equality

This Action Against Hunger report assesses biomass production in northern Côte d’Ivoire (Bagoué, Bounkani, Folon, Poro, and Tchologo regions) during the 2025 season. Findings show a marked improvement compared to 2024, with production levels equal to or above the 25-year average. Departments such as Ferkessédougou and Minignan nearly reached historical maxima, while M’Bengué and Ouangolodougou remained below average. The report highlights the strain on pastoral resources due to cross-border transhumance and inflows of herders from Burkina Faso and Mali. The authors recommend maintaining monitoring systems for pastoral zones, strengthening awareness among host and transhumant communities, and guiding herders toward areas with higher biomass potential to ensure sustainable management of grazing resources.

Pastoralism, Natural ressources, Justice, Education, Gold, Poverty, Vulnerability, Soicial sciences, Knowlege production, water

The Pastoral Surveillance Bulletin No. 36 (August–September 2025), published by Action Against Hunger – Mali Mission, provides an overview of pastoral conditions in Gao and Timbuktu regions. Seasonal rains have improved pasture availability, vegetation cover, and livestock health, easing tensions between herders and farmers. Access to water remains satisfactory on 61% of monitored sites. However, security challenges persist, with continued livestock thefts and extortion by armed groups. Market exchange terms remain unfavorable to herders, and institutional support for the pastoral sector is limited. The report calls for strengthening veterinary services, conflict prevention mechanisms, and sustainable management of rangeland resources to improve livelihoods and food security in northern Mali.

State, Livestock, Natural ressources, Security, Education, Gold, Human security, Knowlege production, Marché, water

The article “Regional Cooperation and Maritime Governance in the Gulf of Guinea: A Critical Analysis” by René Ngek Monteh (University of Yaounde I) explores the dynamics of maritime governance and regional cooperation across the Gulf of Guinea, from Senegal to Angola. Despite multiple international efforts (UN, EU, ECOWAS, ECCAS, MOWCA), the region remains plagued by piracy, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and corruption. Monteh highlights weak institutions, poor coordination, and mistrust among states as major obstacles to effective maritime governance. He advocates for integrated regional frameworks, institutional capacity building, and political reforms to ensure sustainable resource use and enhanced maritime security. The paper argues that peace at sea depends on stability on land, urging stronger collaboration between states, regional organizations, and international partners to achieve sustainable peace and a resilient blue economy.

State, Governance, Security, Peace, Justice, Conflict, Human security, Cooperation, Threat, Knowlege production

This podcast episode highlights the critical role of think tanks, research centers, and universities as foundational institutions for producing and disseminating credible knowledge amid a world of confusion, polarization, and crises of meaning. These institutions are portrayed as essential in providing factual data, crafting alternative scenarios, mediating between scholarship and public policy, and strengthening democratic debate. At a 10-year anniversary conference in Dakar, speaker Cheikh Gueye showcased how think tanks like IPAR in Senegal have impacted public policies—such as agricultural subsidy reform—through rigorous analysis. The discussion also covered the relationship between academia, research institutions, and decision-makers, as well as the importance of women in knowledge-production spaces. The episode emphasizes that in times of leadership crisis globally, research and enlightened reasoning are more indispensable than ever.

Governance, Knowlege production, Institution, Scientific research

This article introduces an open-access and highly detailed dataset on temporary migration in Senegal, derived from mobile phone data collected by the operator Sonatel between 2013 and 2015. It provides measures of migration flows and stocks across 151 locations every half-month, focusing on movements lasting between 20 and 180 days. By overcoming the limitations of conventional surveys, the authors present an algorithmic framework that detects migration events from digital traces and distinguishes between daily, temporary, and permanent mobility. The dataset, methodologically validated, represents a unique resource for scholars and policymakers to analyze internal mobility patterns, resilience to economic or climatic shocks, and regional planning dynamics. This approach also offers a scalable model for migration statistics generation in other developing contexts.

Migration, Conflict, Education, Election, Threat, Urbanisation, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Information

The 2025 Mid-Season Regional Biomass Bulletin by Action Against Hunger (ACF) provides an overview of agro-environmental conditions across the Sahel and West Africa. It reports that overall biomass production is average to good, except in specific zones of Mali, Niger, Chad, and northern Burkina Faso where vegetation remains below normal. Irregular rainfall and uneven temporal distribution have delayed the agricultural season in several pastoral regions, affecting pasture regeneration and water availability for livestock. The bulletin warns of potential rapid degradation of natural resources and emphasizes the need for continuous agro-pastoral monitoring through the end of the season to prevent food and livelihood crises.

Economic Development, Pastoralism, Natural ressources, Security, Development, Gold, Poverty, Human security, Vulnerability, Researh, Knowlege production