The article “Japan Innovates to Deepen Its Relations with Africa” by Paul Nantulya examines the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in August 2025 in Yokohama. Japan reaffirmed its distinctive approach, based on co-creation, joint ownership, and blended public-private financing, standing apart from traditional aid models. The conference brought together leaders from 42 African countries along with over 500 stakeholders from business, academia, and civil society. Japan’s engagement revolves around three pillars: economy (value chains, added-value exports, regional integration), society (health, education, youth and women inclusion), and peace and stability (support for APSA, peace operations, counter-terrorism, and transnational crime). Concrete initiatives include training 300,000 young Africans, developing trade corridors (Nacala, Mombasa, Kinshasa), and industrial investment in critical minerals. The article stresses Japan’s enduring credibility in Africa, derived from its collaborative, cautious, and innovation-driven approach to partnership.

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

The article by Flore Berger, published by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime in July 2025, examines cattle rustling insecurity in the tri-border region between Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana. It shows how cattle theft has evolved into a structured criminal market used by violent armed groups such as JNIM and IS Sahel, state-aligned militias (VDP), bandits, and transnational criminal networks. Between 2022 and 2024, over 3,000 cattle were stolen in that area. Stolen cattle are laundered through regional markets—both formal and informal—and transported to major southern urban centers like Accra, Kumasi, and Abidjan. Local communities suffer: livelihoods are lost, population displacement rises, and trust in the state erodes. The article emphasises the need for cross-border cooperation, enhanced surveillance, harmonised legal frameworks, technology for cattle identification and tracing, and strengthened community resilience to address the problem effectively.

Governance, Pastoralism, Boundary, Security, Conflict, Instabilité, Groupes armés

The article provides a nuanced overview of Senegalese youth (ages 18–35): they are better educated than older generations (55 % have secondary or post-secondary education vs. 21–36 %) yet more likely to be unemployed (41 % actively seeking employment vs. 22–36 %) . Key barriers to employment include inadequate training (35 %), reluctance to take certain jobs (24 %), and mismatch between academic qualifications and market demands (16 %) . Nonetheless, 74 % aspire to start their own business, and 17 % prefer public sector jobs . Their top public policy priorities are rising cost of living, health, unemployment, insecurity, and water access . Despite challenges, 71 % believe the country is heading in the right direction, and 60 % have considered emigrating for economic reasons

Governance, Migration, Education, Youth, Health, EMPLOYMENT, Insécurité, Politique publique

This article by Tin Kapetanovic examines the expansion of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) across the Sahara-Sahel through the criminological concept of “transplantation.” It argues that JNIM’s relocation was shaped by both push and pull factors. Push factors included military pressure in northern Mali after France’s Operation Serval (2013) and competition with rival groups such as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Pull factors encompassed weak state authority, ethnic tensions (notably between Fulani herders and Dogon farmers), economic opportunities from artisanal gold mining and smuggling routes, and Mopti’s strategic location. JNIM embedded itself locally by integrating traditional leaders, intermarrying, providing security and services, and establishing Sharia-based governance. Nonetheless, its expansion faced resistance from community self-defense militias and heightened counterterrorism operations by Malian and international forces. Applying the transplantation framework highlights JNIM’s deliberate organizational adaptation and environmental exploitation, offering insights beyond ideology or networks

Governance, Security, Terrorism, Extremism

The article examines the rise of the Koglweogo, self-defense groups originating in rural Sahel regions, in response to the state's security failures. Initially intended as auxiliary forces (VDP) to counter terrorism, these groups have often fueled inter-community violence, perpetuating cycles of retaliation and exclusion. Their recruitment is not ethnically inclusive, and their training inadequate, undermining their legitimacy. The author highlights the tension between the necessity of local security measures and the uncontrolled abuses that follow, risking further erosion of the state’s authority. The involvement of the Koglweogo underscores the shortcomings of poorly regulated security strategies and the complex security dynamics in Burkina Faso.

Governance, Security, Selfdefense

This article examines the use of artificial intelligence techniques to predict interstate armed conflicts in West Africa. Using a comprehensive dataset spanning 1981–2018 and covering 16 countries in the region, the authors tested three machine learning models: random forest, logistic regression, and decision tree. Findings indicate that the random forest model performs best (98% accuracy, 83% recall). The most relevant predictors of conflict are differences in democracy levels and shared borders, while military expenditures prove less influential. The study highlights elevated risks for certain dyads, such as Guinea–Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast–Burkina Faso. By demonstrating the effectiveness of predictive models, this research contributes to the development of early warning systems for conflict prevention. However, it also stresses the limitations due to data imbalance and the need for continuous updates to enhance forecasting accuracy.

State, Security, Peace, Conflict, Political Violence, Education, Threat, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Intelligence artificielle

The Pastoral Surveillance Bulletin for Senegal (No. 41, June–July 2025) highlights late and irregular rains, causing a severe pastoral lean season in the north (Louga, Saint-Louis, Matam). Transhumance flows were intense, with herds moving southward (Kaolack, Kaffrine, Tambacounda) and across borders with Mauritania and Mali. While forage and water resources were more favorable in Casamance and eastern Senegal, overgrazing and pressure on water points increased health risks and tensions. Livestock prices, especially for male cattle (+12%), rose sharply, improving terms of trade for pastoralists but undermining non-herding households’ purchasing power. The bulletin also reports animal diseases, frequent cattle thefts (Louga, Kaffrine, Tambacounda), and localized farmer–herder conflicts. Recommendations emphasize strengthening pastoral infrastructure, ensuring coordinated management of transhumance corridors, reinforcing animal health surveillance, and providing targeted support to vulnerable households.

State, Livestock, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Education, Food security, Gold, Poverty, Human security, Vulnerability, Transhumance

This country profile provides a synthesis of 29 studies on Chad, including 27 specifically focused on the country. It highlights four main themes: the State and democratic transition, marked by institutional fragility, power centralization, and the Déby family’s dynastic legacy; economy, justice, and education, stressing the need for structural reforms, the impact of cash transfers, weaknesses in higher education, and challenges of Arabic-Islamic education; gender and caste inequalities, with the persistent marginalization of women and socially discriminated groups; and armed conflicts, detailing Boko Haram’s recruitment strategies, the weaknesses of the Chadian army, humanitarian consequences of ongoing conflicts, and the massive influx of Sudanese refugees. The conclusion points out underexplored issues such as climate change, public health, cultural dynamics, energy, and migration.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Security, Peace, Justice, Conflict, Education, Gold, Human security

This country profile compiles 346 references on Burkina Faso, covering governance, security, peacebuilding, education, economy, and environment. Studies highlight the fragility of democracy, the role of traditional chieftaincies, and the reconfiguration of relations with ECOWAS, France, and Turkey. The security section (136 references) provides a detailed overview of the economy of armed groups, gold mining, arms proliferation, and the role of local militias (VDP). Human impacts are underlined, including violence against women and youth recruitment into armed groups. Peacebuilding and humanitarian analyses stress the need for local approaches and alternatives beyond military action. Thematic entries on youth, gender, health, and employment point both to vulnerabilities and resilience strategies. Environmental issues, especially pastoralism, are described as “polycrises,” illustrating the interconnections between security, climate, and agricultural crises in the Sahel. Overall, the report emphasizes the interplay of local dynamics with regional and global geopolitical shifts

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Security, Jihad, Political Violence, Gold, Human security, Violence, Threat