In this article, Dr. Idi Saidou Sani, a specialist in plant genetics and improvement and a lecturer-researcher at the University of Diffa in Niger, advocates for a significant increase in the budget allocated to research and higher education. He emphasizes that the current underfunding hampers the country's scientific and technological development, limiting its ability to address critical challenges such as food security, desertification, and climate change. The University of Diffa, established in 2014, plays a central role in education and research, with specialized units focusing on key areas for sustainable development. Dr. Sani stresses the need for increased investment to strengthen research capacities, promote innovation, and ensure sustainable socio-economic development in Niger and the Sahel region.

Governance, Politique publique, Funding, Scientific research, Sustainable development

The article outlines the evolution of U.S. policy in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Sahel. Initially focused on diplomatic engagement during the Cold War, the policy shifted in the 1990s to address economic and security challenges. Initiatives like AGOA, PEPFAR, and Power Africa were introduced. Militarily, the establishment of AFRICOM in 2007 signaled a commitment to counterterrorism efforts. Programs such as the Pan-Sahelian Initiative aimed to strengthen the capacities of Sahelian countries. The article also highlights U.S.-France collaboration in counterterrorism, while advocating for greater transparency and a shift towards actions that promote socio-economic development.

Governance, Influence

The infographic titled “Africa’s Unprecedented Urbanization Is Reshaping Its Security Landscape”, published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in May 2025, visualizes the impact of rapid urban growth on security dynamics across the continent. By 2050, Africa’s urban population is projected to reach 1.4 billion. The infographic highlights how informal urban settlements are becoming increasingly vulnerable to organized crime, militant activity, gang violence, and rising social tensions. Urban centers like Khartoum, Goma, Bamako, and Maiduguri are emerging as key hotspots of insecurity. The document calls for urban security approaches that prioritize community-based policing, social services, and inclusive governance, warning against heavy-handed or exclusionary strategies that risk further alienating marginalized populations.

Politics, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Political Violence, Gold, Human security, Violence, Threat, Urbanisation

Nate Allen’s article, published on May 6, 2025, by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, examines the destabilizing proliferation of military drones across Africa. Due to declining costs and technological accessibility, 31 African states and several non-state armed groups now deploy drones for intelligence, surveillance, and attacks. The analysis identifies four major trends: accelerated procurement, Turkey’s rising influence as a supplier, growing domestic production capacities, and increased usage by non-state actors. The article illustrates drones’ transformative yet limited impact in conflicts in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Libya. Despite offering tactical advantages, drones are less effective against guerrilla tactics and do not replace the need for effective ground forces. Proxy dynamics further dilute decisive outcomes. The author calls for African governments to adopt a nuanced understanding, combining counter-drone capabilities with a comprehensive operational doctrine.

Power, State, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Education, Gold, Military activity, Human security, Threat

This multi-country study examines Education in Emergencies (EiE) across six Sahel countries facing security, humanitarian, and health crises. Based on document reviews and 209 field interviews, it highlights how displaced children face restricted access to quality education and a weakened educational system. EiE funding is inadequate, fragmented, and largely driven by humanitarian actors, with little institutional coordination. The study recommends leveraging best practices (multigrade teaching, e-learning), establishing national EiE coordination agencies, engaging local communities and diasporas through a Trust Fund, and scaling up the integrated territorial approach tested in Niger. Strengthening the capacity of both public and community actors is critical. The report calls for improved governance, structured financing mechanisms, and more systematic emergency education responses to ensure long-term educational resilience in crisis contexts.

Economic Development, Natural ressources, Education, Development, Gold, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Crisis, Funding

This report explores the rise, evolution, and fragmentation of armed extremist groups in the Sahel—AQIM, MUJAO, JNIM, and ISGS. It outlines the root causes of their proliferation: weak state presence, social marginalization, environmental pressures, geopolitical interference, and security vacuums. The analysis reveals how these groups adapt strategically, build local ties, and exploit state fragility. The fall of Libya, successive coups, and the withdrawal of international actors (France, the UN) have reshaped the security environment. The report advocates a multidimensional response: inclusive governance, socio-economic investment, stronger regional cooperation, and engagement of traditional leaders. It highlights the growing threat of violence spilling over into West African coastal states and calls for locally rooted, tailored strategies to achieve sustainable peace and resilience in the region.

Politics, Political party, Natural ressources, Security, Jihad, Terrorism, Political Violence, Gold, Violence, Threat

This report explores major geopolitical shifts in West Africa, notably the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from ECOWAS and the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). It highlights the erosion of trust in regional institutions, the increasing presence of external powers (Russia, China, Turkey), and the risk of renewed proxy conflicts. The author advocates for a more inclusive and responsive diplomacy focused on grassroots realities. The report calls for a reimagining of regional integration—one that strengthens civil society, local peacebuilding, and democratic governance. It insists on restoring citizen trust, shifting from punitive approaches to constructive dialogue, and embracing leadership rooted in local needs and values. Ultimately, it offers a vision for sustainable peace based on justice, inclusion, and community empowerment.

Governance, Civil Society

This podcast-article warns against the growing spread of disinformation in West Africa, especially centered around Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s transitional leader. AI-generated deepfakes glorify him as a pan-African hero, widely circulating on social media and fueling polarization. The author highlights the decline of rational discourse, replaced by radical and binary narratives. He stresses the danger this manipulation poses to democracy, social cohesion, and youth mobilization. The piece also denounces repression in Burkina Faso and the departure of educated professionals from the Sahel. Drawing on Thomas Sankara’s legacy, the author calls for critical thinking and warns against youth being exploited by authoritarian figures using digital disinformation as a weapon.

Youth, Réseaux sociaux, Disinformation

Since 2011, North and West Africa have experienced escalating violence, averaging 3,300 violent events and 12,600 deaths annually between 2015 and 2019. This trend worsened in 2020-2021, with 6,800 events and 18,000 deaths per year. The epicenter of violence has shifted to Nigeria and the border area between Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Civilian-targeted violence has surged by 500% in West Africa since 2016, due to the proliferation of actors such as extremist groups, community militias, and self-defense forces. In 2021, 60% of victims were located within 100 km of a border. The Spatial Conflict Dynamics indicator (SCDi), developed by SWAC/OECD, maps conflict evolution and identifies critical areas, notably Lake Chad, the tri-border region, and Nigeria.

Governance, Boundary, Security, Conflict, Extremism, Violence