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 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

This article focuses on intelligence sharing in the Sahel region, analyzing cooperation among African states as well as interactions between regional actors and external powers. The author discusses how intelligence is shared or withheld based on strategic, security, or sovereignty considerations, and highlights challenges such as trust deficits, institutional capacity gaps, and power asymmetries. Even when cooperation frameworks exist, their effectiveness is often undermined by rivalries, resource constraints, or contradictory policies. The study offers concrete case studies illustrating barriers to cooperation, along with proposals to strengthen information-sharing mechanisms (legal frameworks, harmonization, regional governance). In the Sahel context, the article argues that better integration of intelligence is vital for more effective counter-extremism efforts and regional stability.

Governance, Extremism, Cooperation, Violence, Institution, Instabilité

The article examines Africa’s emergence as a critical stage in the strategic rivalry between the United States and China. The July 2025 mini‑summit hosted by Trump with five African leaders signals renewed American interest in a continent traditionally influenced by Sino‑American competition and other global powers. Africa, rich in natural resources—minerals, hydrocarbons—and strategically positioned (Suez, Bab-el‑Mandeb, Djibouti), has become a prime arena of global “neo‑imperialism.” Beijing wields influence through infrastructure projects—roads, hospitals, railways—in exchange for resources, causing high debt levels. Meanwhile, under Trump, US diplomacy counteracts China’s expansion. The article highlights that Africa fits into the broader geostrategic competition in the Indo‑Pacific, with China emerging as a systemic rival to the US through technological advancement and escalating global influence.

Politics, Governance, Natural ressources, Influence, Diplomacy

In his opinion piece published on July 15, 2025, on WATHI, Jean‑Marc Segoun examines the tensions between substantive democracy and gerontocracy, emphasizing the need for intergenerational dialogue. He positions substantive democracy as a political project focused on innovation, human dignity, and long‑term social justice, where dialogue between elders and youth is crucial. In Africa, gerontocratic regimes often sideline young people from power, reinforcing inequality and stifling knowledge transfer. Segoun advocates for social innovation as a renewal engine—not just novelty, but reinventing practices that combine ancestral wisdom and youthful aspirations. He suggests creating institutional frameworks to foster tolerance, intergenerational ethics, and rites of passage, revitalizing governance and addressing authoritarian regime challenges.

Governance, Democracy, Dialogue, Gerontocracy

In this episode of Les Voix de WATHI, Pape Abdou Ndour examines the highly publicized July 9, 2025, meeting at the White House between Donald Trump and five African presidents (Gabon, Guinea‑Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Senegal). Beneath the surface of ceremonial protocol, the author reveals that Washington relies on the CIA to conduct serious profiling of foreign leaders through a comprehensive briefing — covering personality, goals, national context, friction points, and political outlook — to grant the U.S. president a strategic edge . This preparation is detailed in an article by Judd Devermont, Intelligence Advantage: Profiling African Leaders’ Meeting with U.S. Presidents. Such intelligence-driven diplomacy shapes interactions before, during, and after visits. Considering this intense strategic exercise, the author urges African countries to enhance their own information-gathering capabilities to better defend their interests

Governance, Diplomacy, Intelligence artificielle

The ANSSI Côte d’Ivoire’s 2024 report, by Colonel Major Guelpétchin Ouattara, highlights a sharp rise in cybercrime complaints—from 6,579 in 2022 to 12,100 in 2024 (+84%) . The most frequent incidents include violations of human dignity, online scams, identity theft, defamation, and account hijacking. Despite increased case numbers, financial losses dropped from 9.2 to 6.9 billion FCFA, due to stronger cooperation among ANSSI, banks, and cyber-defense teams. Established in October 2024, ANSSI now oversees national cybersecurity by merging CI‑CERT, the national SOC, the CLI misinformation center, and CFAD, achieving a 68% complaint resolution rate. In anticipation of the 2025 elections, ANSSI plans to enhance real-time monitoring, public awareness campaigns, civil servant training, and international cooperation to mitigate electoral cyber threats.

Governance, Security, Election, Cooperation, Threat, Cybercriminalité, Cybersecurity

The article highlights the unprecedented Washington meeting held from July 9 to 11, 2025, between Donald Trump and five African presidents (Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Senegal). While Trump implemented an executive order suspending U.S. aid and pivoting his foreign policy towards bilateral deals grounded in trade and security, this summit presents a strategic opportunity for Senegal, under President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Aligning with its “Senegal 2050” agenda, the country can capitalize on this shift by asserting regional leadership, showcasing its strengths in security, energy, and digital sectors, and positioning itself as a key player amid China and BRICS influence. The global shift from traditional aid to structured commercial partnerships provides a platform for Senegal to emerge as a reliable strategic partner, attracting productive investment.

Governance, Economic Development, Security, Diplomacy, International cooperation

Published on July 7, 2025 by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Paul Nantulya’s article explores the declining appeal of China’s transactional diplomacy in Africa, based on economic deals devoid of political conditions. This model now faces mounting criticism in several African countries. In Ghana, civil society organizations denounce environmental harm and opaque mining projects. In Sierra Leone, Chinese mining contracts are increasingly questioned. In Nigeria, despite strong bilateral ties, concerns grow about trade imbalances. In Senegal, tensions emerge around Chinese port infrastructure. These cases reveal a growing disillusionment in West Africa, where citizens demand more transparency, fairer deals, and local benefits. The author urges a restructuring of China-Africa partnerships to focus on good governance and African-led development priorities.

Politics, Political party, State, Natural ressources, Security, Peace, Justice, Mediation, Gold, Dialogue, Diplomacy