The 2023 Economic Report – Côte d’Ivoire, published by the Swiss Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire (June 2024), reveals that the Ivorian economy sustained strong growth despite global shocks (COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine crisis). In 2022, growth reached 6.9 %, followed by 6.5 % in 2023. Inflation fell to 4.4 % in 2023, and the budget deficit was reduced to 5.2 % of GDP. However, public debt stands at about 58 % of GDP, approaching the upper limit defined by UEMOA. The report highlights the challenges stemming from an informal economy, which accounts for around 90 % of GDP, and emphasizes the need for formalization to boost tax revenues. On trade, the growth of processed exports (cocoa, cashew, gold) is significant, while imports remain dominated by fuel, machinery, and industrial goods. The report recommends strengthening infrastructure, improving the business climate, digitizing the economy, and fighting corruption to support sustainable growth.

Governance, Economic Development, Public debt, Inflation, Economic growth

This Afrobarometer study by Joseph Koné examines the drivers of tax disobedience in Côte d’Ivoire amid strong post-crisis economic growth. Despite a 61 % rise in tax revenues between 2013 and 2019, public trust in the fiscal system remains weak. The findings reveal that neither poverty nor perceived corruption directly explain tax resistance. Instead, two unexpected factors emerge: perceived access to public information and stronger national identification both correlate with higher likelihood of disobedience, possibly as a form of civic protest. Ivorians who believe government services are effective are less likely to refuse taxes, while those who distrust their elected representatives are more inclined to resist. The study concludes that tax compliance depends largely on citizens’ trust, transparency in governance, and accountability mechanisms.

Governance, Poverty, Transparency, Taxation

This article highlights the role of Professional Military Education (PME) institutions in fostering professional, apolitical African armies committed to constitutional defense and democratic governance. The urgency to strengthen PME has grown amid rising military politicization and a wave of coups since 2020 (Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Sudan). Africa hosts over 118 military schools, including War Colleges, Staff Colleges, and Military Academies across the continent. However, the mere existence of these institutions does not guarantee stronger professionalism: their impact depends on curriculum quality, democratic values integration, and robust civil-military relations. Surveys show young African officers hold strong ideals of public service, but these must be reinforced by tailored, context-sensitive training. The article stresses that not all countries require costly war colleges; regional cooperation can fill gaps. Strengthening PME is presented as a key step to professionalize African militaries and support democratic transitions.

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

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