In 2026, Africa–China relations are shifting toward a more balanced, strategic partnership. African countries aim to make debt more sustainable, develop local industrialization and value addition, and strengthen transparency in cooperation. China focuses on securing critical minerals, expanding diplomatic influence, and promoting security cooperation, while African nations seek to limit militarization and increase economic autonomy. Industrialization, especially in electric vehicles and battery production, is a central priority. Monitoring mechanisms, such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (MAEP), and civil society engagement aim to enhance governance and project effectiveness. Africa plays a strategic global role due to its resources, youthful population, and diplomatic weight in the UN and G20. The future partnership envisions joint ventures, increased technology transfer, and investments that create jobs and retain local value.

Development, Cooperation, Public debt

The article “Massive student failures in Benin’s faculties: the difficult beginnings of university reforms”, written by Florent Houessinon, examines the deep crisis affecting public higher education in Benin, highlighted by extremely low success rates, particularly at the University of Abomey-Calavi. At the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FADESP), academic year 2020–2021 data show success rates below 5% in some programs. Several factors are identified, including overcrowded classrooms, weak teaching practices, lack of teacher evaluation, outdated curricula, exam fraud, and the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In response, the Beninese government launched a broad reform agenda in 2021, focusing on university governance, teacher recruitment and evaluation, and the creation of ethics and oversight bodies. While these reforms aim to improve academic quality and accountability, the article stresses that they face significant challenges due to entrenched practices and deep structural weaknesses within the university system.

Politics, Governance, Education, Réforme

The article “Can Guinea eradicate coups d’état from its political culture?”, written by David Zounmenou for the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), examines the structural drivers behind Guinea’s September 5, 2021 military coup and the country’s long-standing pattern of unconstitutional power seizures. The overthrow of President Alpha Condé followed his highly contested third term, made possible by constitutional manipulation, and occurred amid widespread political repression, poor governance, and entrenched impunity. The author argues that the lack of accountability undermines democratic consolidation and creates fertile ground for repeated military intervention. By placing the 2021 coup in Guinea’s historical trajectory—marked by successive military regimes since independence—the article highlights the fragility of both political and security institutions. More broadly, it challenges the notion that coups reflect a failure of democracy itself, instead pointing to governance deficits and abuse of power. To end coups as a political norm, the article calls for ending impunity, strengthening constitutional order, and firmer action by the African Union and regional bodies.

Culture, Politics, Governance, Security, Coup d'État

The article examines Africa’s economic outlook for 2026, drawing on the analysis of Kenyan scholar Ken Opalo. Based on forecasts from the African Development Bank, Africa’s economic growth is expected to reach 4.4%, slightly surpassing Asia’s projected growth of 4.1%, an unprecedented situation in recent history. This growth is largely driven by commodities, particularly metals, and reflects a recovery after the COVID-19 slowdown. While acknowledging that GDP growth is an imperfect indicator of collective well-being, the author argues that growth remains preferable to stagnation, especially in low-income countries. Nations such as Ghana, Zambia and Ethiopia are showing signs of recovery. Major economies like Nigeria and South Africa are also improving, supported by macroeconomic reforms, energy sector changes and industrial investments. However, the article highlights persistent structural constraints, including poor management of natural resources, widespread smuggling, and chronic underinvestment in education, which undermine Africa’s ability to convert growth into long-term, inclusive development.

Governance

The article examines ten key trends that shaped Africa’s security landscape in 2025, using graphical and comparative data. It highlights the growing regionalization of conflicts, particularly the fragmentation of Sudan, which has become the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The Sahel remains the deadliest region for Islamist militant violence, with security conditions worsening significantly in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger following military coups. Political instability is closely linked to democratic backsliding, increasing impunity, and abuses of power. The article also emphasizes intensifying geopolitical competition, notably the expanding security and economic presence of China, Russia, and Gulf states across the continent. Technological changes, especially the widespread use of drones, are transforming the nature of warfare and increasing risks to civilians. Despite these challenges, the article notes partial but meaningful progress toward the African Union’s Agenda 2063, particularly in infrastructure development, regional connectivity, and continental economic integration.

Political party, State, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Political Violence, Gold, Human security, Violence, Threat

The article examines China’s strategy to dominate Africa’s critical minerals sector, which is vital for defense technologies, energy transition, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence. Through long-term investments, China now controls more than half of global critical mineral production and about 87% of global refining capacity. In Africa, this dominance is built on the acquisition of strategic mines, control of key infrastructure—ports, railways, and energy—through the Belt and Road Initiative, and resource-backed financing agreements. This vertically integrated approach constrains African countries’ ability to move up the value chain and deepens their economic dependence. The article also highlights the environmental, social, and political risks linked to Chinese mining practices, illustrated by major pollution scandals in several African countries. In response, some African governments are pursuing greater mineral sovereignty through export restrictions, regional industrial zones, and local processing policies, aiming to capture more value from their natural resources and reduce structural dependency.

Politics, Political party, State, Sovereignty, Natural ressources, Justice, Gold, Influence, Private sector, Civil Society, Information

This report by the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning examines corruption risks in Guinea’s education sector, focusing on three critical areas: public procurement, school infrastructure construction, and the management of textbooks and school feeding programmes. Despite the existence of a formal regulatory framework, the study identifies widespread practices that undermine transparency, including bribery, manipulation of procurement procedures, weak oversight mechanisms, and limited technical capacity at the local level. School construction projects are frequently affected by political pressure and non-compliance with the official school mapping system. The textbook supply chain is particularly vulnerable, with documented cases of fraud, poor contract enforcement, and large discrepancies between planned and actual distribution. School feeding programmes also face risks related to inflated prices, incomplete deliveries, and substandard food quality. The report concludes with a set of practical recommendations aimed at strengthening accountability, improving stock management systems, enhancing inspection capacities, and increasing community participation to reduce corruption risks in the education sector.

Politics, Bribery, Governance, Education

The article examines how the December 7, 2025 attempted coup in Benin became a narrative struggle between opposing interpretations of the event. The Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR) aimed to promote a revolutionary narrative by occupying the national television and denouncing deteriorating security conditions. In response, the Beninese government quickly crafted a counter-narrative, led by the Minister of the Interior, that downplayed the incident as an isolated mutiny and employed crisis communication strategies to reassure the public and stabilize perceptions. The article highlights the role of framing in shaping public understanding and explains that the government’s rapid and controlled communication neutralized the putschists’ messaging. Despite the failure of the attempted coup, the underlying causes of the crisis remain unresolved, and the article argues that future communication should focus on reforms to address grievances and prevent similar challenges to constitutional order.

Governance, Conflict, Crisis, Coup d'État

In this interview, Prof. Fatoumata Hane examines Senegal’s deep social and institutional crisis, characterized by a growing disconnect between institutions and the population. She highlights weak governance marked by impunity, lack of accountability, and restrictions on fundamental rights, which have widened the gap between citizens and the state. Youth issues are central, as public policies often treat young people as a homogeneous group, failing to address diverse aspirations in employment, education, and civic engagement—contributing to migration and instrumentalized political participation. Regarding women, she stresses that numerical parity does not ensure meaningful political inclusion, as women remain largely confined to mobilization roles. In education, she advocates for the decolonization of knowledge, criticizing a Eurocentric model that fuels inequality and unemployment. Ultimately, she calls for a refoundation of the state, prioritizing inclusive governance, health, education, youth empowerment, and the rebuilding of shared national values.

Governance, Youth, Women, Institution