Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Advancing African security by expanding understanding, providing a trusted platform for dialogue, building partnerships, and catalyzing solutions
- The Chinese-led BRICS naval exercises held in 2026 should be understood as part of a systemic effort to expand Beijing’s military presence on the continent while bringing African countries within China’s global security frameworks.
- How can African governments and civil society actors help level the playing field so that reputable, rules-based mining firms can be competitive in Africa’s mining sector? “Foreign firms will play by the rules if local actors respect their own laws …” africacenter.org/spo...
- As Africa’s conflicts become more regionalized, forcibly displaced populations increasingly face the predicament of fleeing into neighboring countries also experiencing conflict.
- China dominates Africa’s infrastructure sector: Chinese companies are building 1 in 3 major infrastructure projects in Africa, and financing 1 in 5. Much of this is connecting to mining, with transportation projects connecting mines to port access. africacenter.org/spo...
- Uganda's 2026 election process has been characterized by intimidation and violence. Hundreds of opposition supporters have been detained, and opposition rallies face active disruption—roadblocks, arbitrary arrests, tear gassing, water cannons. africacenter.org/spo... 1/2
- Gulf state actors are expanding their engagements in critical infrastructure, ports, and the security sector in East Africa as they seek opportunities and compete for influence—reshaping the investment and political contours of the region.
- Youth are front and center this year in every election in Africa, the world’s youngest continent—wanting to be heard and demanding more transparency, fairness, and responsiveness to citizens from Africa’s electoral processes.
- Iran’s participation in a BRICS-Plus naval exercise last month was a first. While BRICS was originally conceived of as an economic bloc, China has been driving its increasing militarization and expansion. (Photo: Iranian vessel IRIS Makran near Cape Town, Jan 8, 2026) africacenter.org/spo...
- En Afrique, les conflits non résolus sont à l’origine d’une insécurité alimentaire aiguë.
- Effective counterinsurgency in northern Benin requires operationalizing a population-centric protection model and ethos embedded within the defense and security forces. See our new Africa Security Brief for more: africacenter.org/pub...
- January's “Will for Peace,” a 9-day Chinese-led BRICS Plus naval exercise, underscored China’s growing use of military power in Africa to advance its geostrategic objectives, and the attempt to normalize military cooperation within BRICS Plus, without formally declaring a military alliance 1/2
- China has conducted 80–100 joint drills with Russia since 2003, and participated in roughly a dozen exercises with Russia & Iran and 3 with Russia & South Africa since 2019. (Photo: Naval vessels from China, Russia, Iran, and South Africa, January 2026) 1/3
- Every January since 1991, China's Minister of Foreign Affairs has started the year with a trip to Africa. This year's trip was Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi's 63rd since 2013. Our Spotlight looks at his 5-point agenda and what it means for China–Africa relations:
- China controls up to 98% of the global market for sodium-ion and lithium-ion phosphate batteries. There is an assumption that as China moves up the value chain, it will outsource manufacturing to emerging economies, but this has not happened. Learn more: africacenter.org/spo...
- The military junta in Burkina Faso is transitioning further away from democratic rule as it dissolves all political parties, and transfers all their assets to itself. www.msn.com/en-us/ne... 1/2
- China has gained a dominant position in Africa’s critical minerals sector through long-term investments in mining and refining capacity—factors that make it challenging for African countries to advance up the value chain.
- Militant Islamist insurgencies expanding south from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are increasingly threatening coastal West Africa. Benin has been hardest hit, recording an estimated 575 fatalities linked to these groups in the past year.
- Countering militants does not require overwhelming troop numbers, but rather information superiority, rapid mobility, and institutionalized learning. Our Security Brief looks at how this can be achieved in one coastal West African state. africacenter.org/publication/...
- As a result of the rapid deterioration of security in the Sahel and recent advanced by al Shabaab in Somalia, the two regions have now seen more fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups over the past decade than any other region. africacenter.org/spotlight/en...
- 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮'𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Africa will hold 11 presidential elections in 2026, with important security implications for the continent. Our preview unpacks key themes and dynamics in each: africacenter.org/spotlight/en...
- Africa's relationship with China is shifting from a focus on aid and infrastructure toward a more balanced partnership. Our interview with Ambassador Fred Ngoga unpacks African perspectives and strategic trade-offs in Africa-China relations in 2026. africacenter.org/spo...
- African countries seek to rebalance their ties with China toward debt sustainability, value addition, and industrialization to move toward a more equal and transparent partnership that prioritizes long-term African development.
- Africa’s reliance on foreign suppliers for the continent’s technology infrastructure is widely seen as a major cybersecurity vulnerability. This spotlight looks at how Africans can reap benefits from externally supplied technology while safeguarding critical infrastructure.
- From today's Africa Media Review: "A senior member of the Ugandan opposition told AFP on Friday that security forces stormed his home the previous day as the country held elections, shooting dead 10 members of his campaign team." africacenter.org/dai... 1/2
- One key issue to watch after Uganda's polls close is transparency in counting. In 2021, the Electoral Commission announced results by region instead of by polling station as required by law, limiting independent validation and damaging popular trust.
- Uganda’s electoral landscape is dominated by a young electorate seeking economic and democratic reforms. Roughly 33 million of Uganda’s 46 million citizens are under 30, and while overall unemployment is about 12.6%; youth unemployment is around 43%. africacenter.org/spo...
- This Thursday, January 15, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is seeking his seventh term in office in the first presidential election of Africa’s 2026 calendar. The election is in many ways a microcosm of the crosscurrents shaping the political space in Africa.
- African governments have long used the pretext of security to restrict digital communications and citizens’ rights. But digital repression, in addition to being harmful, has proved ineffective in addressing the continent’s security challenges.
- Africa’s 2026 elections must navigate a diverse array of complexities from conflicts to entrenched incumbents, growing youth restlessness, and external actor influences for citizens to be heard. Read about them all here: africacenter.org/spo...
