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1. Pakistan Steps In: Sudan and the Transformation of Regional Security

Author:
Areig Elhag
Publication Date:
01-2026
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:
A $1.5 billion Pakistani arms deal with Sudan signals a regional shift from diplomacy toward military escalation, which may prolong the war in Sudan. At a moment that should have seen renewed momentum toward a political settlement in Sudan, reports suggest that Pakistan, with Saudi mediation, is nearing completion of a $1.5 billion arms deal with the war-torn country. Far from being a routine arms transaction, the deal encompasses Karakoram-8 aircraft, more than 200 drones, and air defense systems. It also potentially includes JF-17 multirole fighter jets, produced jointly by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. This development points to a deeper regional shift away from sponsoring dialogue and toward a military resolution to the Sudanese conflict.
Topic:
Civil War, Diplomacy, Regional Security, and Arms Sales
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Africa, and Sudan

2. Aftermath of Al-Fashir’s Fall to Rapid Support Forces

Author:
Andrew McGregor
Publication Date:
01-2026
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Jamestown Foundation
Abstract:
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured al-Fashir in late October after an 18-month siege, consolidating RSF control over western Sudan and providing a potential capital for a new state. After entering al-Fashir, the RSF carried out mass looting, ethnic targeting, and killed 460 people at the al-Saudi maternity hospital in an attack that brought international outrage. Parallel RSF sieges in Kordofan indicate a strategy to divide Sudan. The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) is struggling to maintain control, but still currently favors a military solution over diplomatic negotiations.
Topic:
Security, Armed Conflict, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)
Political Geography:
Africa, Sudan, and al-Fashir

3. Adapting Benin’s Battle with Violent Militant Groups

Author:
Anouar Boukhars
Publication Date:
01-2026
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Abstract:
Persistent militant Islamist group attacks in the northern border regions of Benin have posed a growing security threat to the coastal West African region. Benin has made noteworthy institutional reforms to strengthen its defense and security forces. Yet, accelerated and refocused training is needed to translate this into more adaptive, operational capabilities to effectively counter the militant insurgency. Empowering local commanders, pairing enhanced force mobility with strike capability, and fusing interagency intelligence sharing are priority operational adaptations needed to sustain pressure on the insurgents. Effective counterinsurgency in northern Benin requires operationalizing a population-centric protection model and ethos embedded within the defense and security forces.
Topic:
Governance, Reform, Islamism, and Instability
Political Geography:
Africa and Benin

4. Revitalizing Integrated Tactical Units to Combat West Africa’s Irregular Militant Groups

Author:
Fatai Alli
Publication Date:
02-2026
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Abstract:
Legacy battalion-based formations designed for conventional, linear warfare are poorly matched for the dispersed, fast-moving insurgent threats confronting multiple West African countries. Enhanced operational mobility ensures reach, speed, and tactical unpredictability. Effectiveness in contemporary irregular warfare depends on integrated tactical units, intelligence-enabled maneuver, and sustained operational reach.
Topic:
Security, Counterinsurgency, Non State Actors, Armed Forces, and Military
Political Geography:
Africa and West Africa

5. AI and the Future of Work in Cameroon: Preparing theWorkforce for Emerging Opportunities

Author:
Larissa Ntoubia and Stephane Atangana
Publication Date:
01-2026
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Nkafu Policy Institute
Abstract:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a transformative opportunity for Cameroon’s labor market andoverall economic development. With the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy(SNIA) in July 2025 , Cameroon aims to become a continental hub for AI innovation by 2040. Thestrategy includes ambitious sets ambitious targets : training 60,000 AI professionals (of whom40% will be women), creating 12,000 direct jobs AI jobs, and increasing AI’s contribution tonational GDP to around 0.8 – 1.2% by 2040 through applications in key sectors such asagriculture, health, education and justice. While these targets signal a strong political commitment, achieving them will require overcoming significant structural constraints that are common across the continent. Experience from otherAfrican countries shows that the successful implementation of national AI strategies depends onreliable digital and energy infrastructure, clear regulatory frameworks for data governance and privacy, and sufficient institutional capacity to manage complex multi-sector programme. Thefeasibility of the SNIA will therefore rest not only on its design but also on the government’s abilityto address these foundational prerequisites.
Topic:
Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Labor Market, and Jobs
Political Geography:
Africa and Cameroon

6. Building an Inclusive Future : Making Public and PrivateInvestment Work in CEMAC

Author:
Vessah Mbouombouo Salim Ahmed
Publication Date:
02-2026
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Nkafu Policy Institute
Abstract:
Over the past two decades, CEMAC has invested heavily in public infrastructure, yet job-rich andinclusive growth remains limited. Private investment is shallow and concentrated in extractivesectors, while SMEs face chronic financing and regulatory constraints, leading to weakdiversification and high exposure to external shocks. This brief reframes the challenge as one ofpublic–private complementarity: how to redesign public spending, financial instruments, andgovernance so that each public franc attracts private capital, capabilities, and jobs. We propose asequenced reform package. Within 12 months, governments should publish a quarterly public-investment dashboard, launch a partial credit-guarantee window for SME lending, implement twotransparent PPP pilot projects, and introduce fast-track business licensing and permitting. Over12-36 months, project appraisal and ex-post evaluation should be institutionalized, PPPframeworks standardized, and commercial courts strengthened. Over 36-60 months, regionalinvestment rules should be harmonized, and financing diversified through regional and greeninstruments. Progress will be measured by on-time project delivery, SME credit growth, non-extractive private investment, and formal job creation.
Topic:
Inclusion, Public Investment, CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community), and Private Investment
Political Geography:
Africa

7. Harnessing Critical Minerals for Industrialization inSub‑Saharan Africa: Governance, Local Processing, andRegional Value Chains

Author:
Vessah Mbouombouo Salim Ahmed
Publication Date:
02-2026
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Nkafu Policy Institute
Abstract:
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) holds nearly 30% of global reserves of critical minerals essential for theenergy transition, including cobalt, lithium, manganese, and copper. However, the region capturesless than 10% of the projected US$16 trillion in global mineral value over the next 25 years, asmost resources are exported in raw form with minimal domestic processing. This model limits jobcreation, technological advancement, and fiscal resilience. Rising global competition for securemineral supply chains presents an opportunity for SSA to shift from resource dependence toindustrial transformation. This brief argues that mineral wealth can translate into sustainabledevelopment through three interrelated pillars: transparent governance, strategic investment inlocal processing capacity, and integration of mineral value chains under the AfCFTA. A policyroadmap is proposed to strengthen contract transparency, build energy and skills infrastructure, promote regional processing hubs, and harmonize continental standards. Timely action canconvert geological endowments into industrial capability, economic sovereignty, and inclusivegrowth.
Topic:
Governance, Industrialization, Value Chains, and Critical Minerals
Political Geography:
Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa

8. Health Insurance Coverage for Refugees in Cameroon:Feasibility and Perspectives for Inclusive Access

Author:
Iskandar Patrick Abadoma Mounpou, Solange Dabou, and Odette Kibu
Publication Date:
02-2026
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Nkafu Policy Institute
Abstract:
Cameroon hosts more than 430,000 refugees and asylum seekers, most of whom live in remoteregions with limited access to health services. Refugees face persistent barriers to care, includingfinancial constraints, unstable legal status, mobility, and a health system heavily reliant on out-of-pocket payments. These vulnerabilities heighten the risk of delayed care and catastrophic healthexpenditures. This brief examines the feasibility of creating a refugee-inclusive health insurance mechanism.Despite structural constraints, international experience shows that refugee coverage is achievablewhen financing, legal frameworks, and partnerships are well-designed. Three pathways are 1/6 particularly relevant for Cameroon: progressive integration into national schemes with subsidies,dedicated humanitarian insurance, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to expand serviceavailability in underserved areas. Short-term priorities include establishing a legal basis for enrolment and piloting subsidizedschemes. In the long term, investments in district-level facilities and digital systems wouldstrengthen continuity of care and support national UHC goals.
Topic:
Refugees, Health Insurance, and Inclusion
Political Geography:
Africa and Cameroon

9. África ante la crisis de financiación para el desarrollo

Author:
Andrea Chamorro, Jaume Portell, Olga Namasembe, Luis García Blanch, and Romeo Gbaguidi
Publication Date:
03-2026
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:
La Fundación Alternativas les invita a debatir en Casa África en torno al Informe África 2026. En esta edición nos centramos en los retos y oportunidades que plantea un nuevo modelo de financiación al desarrollo a resultas de factores como la retirada de EEUU del sistema de la ayuda, con el desmantelamiento de la USAID y de las agencias de Naciones Unidas; la presencia creciente de China a través de su proyecto de la Franja y la Ruta; o nuevas prioridades en Europa como el aumento del gasto en defensa. Nuestro Informe ofrece un estudio en profundidad que reflexiona y elabora propuestas en torno a un nuevo modelo de financiación del desarrollo sostenible. Estamos en un momento crítico donde la UE y España deberían contribuir a la articulación de un nuevo modelo, más horizontal, participativo y eficaz. Abordaremos cuestiones como el estado actual de la deuda y el desarrollo en África: el nexo entre seguridad y desarrollo; las tensiones entre las agendas externas y los intereses africanos en el Sahel y África Occidental; el nuevo escenario de la cooperación española y europea; el papel del sector privado, o las perspectivas para el desarrollo africano tras la IV Cumbre de Financiación de Sevilla.
Topic:
Development, European Union, Geopolitics, Economy, and Financing
Political Geography:
Africa

10. Leveraging Remittances for Economic Transformation inECCAS Countries

Author:
Salim Ahmed Vessah
Publication Date:
01-2026
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Nkafu Policy Institute
Abstract:
Remittances are increasingly becoming a strategic yet underutilized lever for economictransformation in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Across Sub-Saharan Africa, remittance inflows reached a record USD 54 billion in 2023. Within ECCAS, theDemocratic Republic of Congo (approximately USD 1.4 billion) and Cameroon (about USD 375million) were the main recipients, while other member states received comparatively modestamounts. Although these flows do not collectively reach USD 5 billion at the regional level, theyalready surpass foreign direct investment or official development assistance in specific countriesand play a stabilizing role in household welfare. However, their developmental potential remainslargely untapped due to limited financial inclusion, high transfer costs, and the absence ofeffective institutional mechanisms to channel remittances toward productive investment and economic structural transformation. At the same time, ECCAS economies continue to grapple with persistent challenges : low industrialproductivity, weak competitiveness, fragile regulatory systems, insufficient infrastructure, and poorgovernance quality. These weaknesses are compounded by high levels of financial exclusion,limited access to affordable credit, and rising unemployment especially among young people andvulnerable populations. Combined, these constraints hinder progress toward the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) and the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 . In thiscontext, better mobilization and strategic use of remittances constitute a viable and largelyuntapped alternative to support economic transformation and resilience.
Topic:
Economic Transformation, Remittances, and Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
Political Geography:
Africa