African Peace and Security Annual Conference (APSACO) - 9th Edition

Thursday, June, 19th

Introductory Remarks

Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South. 

09:30 - 10:45

Session 1: Africa’s Sub-Regional Landscape in 2024

In 2024, Africa’s sub-regional landscape reflects deepening tensions between normative commitments to regional integration and the emergence of competing political and security alignments. From institutional paralysis to political withdrawals, the coherence of Africa’s regional blocs is being tested. How are regional groupings adapting to these shifts, and what do current developments reveal about the state of regionalism across the continent? This panel will assess the evolution of Africa’s sub-regional orders, focusing on cases where fragmentation has become increasingly visible, notably in the rupture between the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and ECOWAS. It will explore whether Africa’s regional architectures can accommodate internal dissent without losing strategic relevance, and how competing political visions and external influences are shaping new dynamics of cooperation—or disintegration. Can regional blocs maintain their role as engines of integration and stability, or are we witnessing a drift toward selective alignments and ad hoc diplomacy?

Chair: Mehdi Benomar, Head, Department of Research in International Relations, Policy Center for the New South.

Speakers:

Sait Matty Jaw, Executive Director Center for Research and Policy Development, The Gambia.

Stevens Mogkalapa, Former Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs, South Africa.

Helio Sanches, Former Secretary General of the Government, Cabo Verde.

Moussa Touré, Chancellor, Gao University. 

11:15 - 12:30

Session 2: Sahel, Libya, Great Lakes: Conflict Trajectories in a Year of Uncertainty

In 2024, Africa’s most protracted and destabilizing conflicts, Sudan, Libya, and the Great Lakes, continue to evolve in ways that challenge regional stability and expose the limits of existing peace frameworks. Despite diplomatic efforts and shifting international attention, these crises persist as complex systems of violence marked by fragmentation of authority, militarization of politics, and transnational entanglements. What defines the current trajectory of each conflict? Are there meaningful inflection points, or is the continent facing a new phase of entrenched instability?

This panel will examine the strategic and political dynamics shaping the evolution of these three conflict zones in 2024. It will explore the role of regional actors and external powers in either reinforcing or undermining peacebuilding efforts, while assessing how these crises affect broader continental security architecture. Can renewed diplomatic engagement reverse these trajectories, or are current patterns reinforcing long-term fragmentation and instability? Through a comparative lens, the panel aims to identify what these cases reveal about the changing nature of conflict on the continent and the capacity of African and multilateral mechanisms to respond.

Chair: Abdelhak Bassou, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South.

Speakers:

Birama Apho Ly, Director of the Center for Analysis & Research of the Sahelo Saharan Space, EMP Bamako. 

Lemine Ould Mohammed Salem, Ambassador, Chargé de mission to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Georg Charpentier, Senior Advisor, Middle East and North Africa, CMI, Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation.

Oussama Tayebi, Senior Specialist, International Relations Research Department, Policy Center for the New South

Session 3:  Rethinking Counterterrorism and Defense Policies in Africa: From Vision to Capacity

The evolving threat of terrorism across Africa, from the Sahel to the Horn and beyond, continues to challenge national governments, regional stability, and international peace efforts. While military operations and security-driven strategies have dominated the counterterrorism landscape, they have often yielded limited, short-term results.  

The persistence and expansion of terrorist networks call for a deeper reassessment of current approaches and a renewed emphasis on inclusive, coordinated, and sustainable responses. In this context, the role of multilateral cooperation and the alignment of international and regional priorities become increasingly crucial. 

- How can African states and their international partners move beyond militarized responses to adopt more holistic counterterrorism strategies? 

- What lessons can be drawn from past cooperation efforts, and how can they inform a more unified and effective counterterrorism framework? 

Chair: Abdelhak Bassou, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South.

Speakers:  

David Akrong, Air Commodore, Acting Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.

Luis Miguel Escudeiro da Costa Cabral, Navy Captain OF5, Deputy Coordinator, Atlantic Centre.

Abishek Mishra, Associate Fellow, MP-IDSA.

Henry Pambi Sini, Deputy Director Intelligence, Nigeria National Counter Terrorism Centre.

15:45 - 17:00

Session 4: Owning the Story: Africa’s Strategic Agency in the Geopolitics of Ideas

Narratives are not neutral, they shape how power, legitimacy, and agency are distributed in international relations. For decades, Africa has been subject to external framings that have often constrained its diplomatic and intellectual space. In an era marked by contested global norms and ideological pluralism, can Africa move from being narrated to narrating? What tools, institutions, and strategies are available to assert a sovereign and credible African voice in global affairs?

This panel will examine Africa’s capacity to shape geopolitical narratives by reinforcing its epistemic sovereignty and reclaiming its space in international discursive arenas. It will explore how think tanks, academic institutions, diplomatic actors, and civil society contribute to building African perspectives capable of influencing global debates, from multilateral governance to peace and development. The discussion will also assess the barriers that continue to marginalize African voices, and the conditions under which the continent can consolidate narrative influence as a form of strategic power.

Chair: Kidane Kiros, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South. 

Speakers: 

Zineb Benalla, CEO, Eirene Peacebuilding.

Thembisa Fakude, Director, Afrasid.

Dahan Ahmed Mahmoud, Executive Director, Mauritanian Institute for Strategic Studies.

Friday June, 20^th

Session 5: Competing Influences: Africa and the New Geopolitical Order

The return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency has added a new layer of uncertainty to an already volatile international landscape. Early policy signals suggest renewed emphasis on transactional diplomacy, reduced multilateral engagement, and a reshaping of traditional alliances, all of which carry direct implications for Africa. As global rivalries deepen, how can African states define a coherent strategic stance that preserves agency and maximizes leverage?

This panel will assess Africa’s diplomatic positioning in response to shifting global alignments and evolving U.S. priorities. It will explore how African countries are recalibrating their external engagements in a context marked by intensified competition, selective partnerships, and normative fragmentation. Beyond external pressures, the discussion will address whether the continent can articulate a common vision to navigate this geopolitical landscape, balancing autonomy with strategic partnerships, and influence with resilience.

Chair: Nouzha Chekrouni, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South.

Speakers:

Chris Alden, Director, LSE Ideas.

Emebet Getachew, Independent consultant and expert on regional peace and security and peacebuilding.

Stephen Klingebiel, Head of Department, IDOS.

Ibrahima Silla, Senior Lecturer in Political Sciences, Gaston Berger University.

Conversation I

As the African continent grapples with a new generation of complex and interconnected threats, ranging from violent extremism and transnational crime to governance-related tensions and climate-induced insecurity, Southern Africa is also called upon to reinforce its contribution to continental peace and security. While the region has traditionally maintained a strong reputation for stability, emerging challenges are testing the limits of existing mechanisms and requiring renewed political engagement.

This conversation will explore the strategic role of Southern African leadership in shaping and operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). It will examine how SADC, alongside national governments, can further align with APSA’s core pillars, early warning, preventive diplomacy, peace support operations, and post-conflict reconstruction, while upholding the principles of subsidiarity and regional ownership. Special attention will be given to how diplomacy, cooperation, and institutional coordination can help translate commitments into concrete impact on the ground.

Chair: Khadija Ihsane, TV Anchor, Medi 1 TV.

Speakers:

Kainga Patricia Wellington, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Malawi.

11:30 - 12:45

Session 6: The African Peace & Security Architecture in the Face of Emerging Threats

As Africa faces increasingly complex security challenges, the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) must evolve to address both emerging threats and its own structural limitations. How effective has APSA been in managing crises and promoting collective security across the continent? To what extent can it adapt to new forms of instability, including transnational terrorism, hybrid conflicts, and climate-induced security risks?

This panel will examine how Africa can rethink its collective security framework in response to shifting regional and global dynamics. With a growing need for proactive rather than reactive mechanisms, what structural and institutional reforms are required to enhance APSA’s operational effectiveness? Additionally, the discussion will explore the strategic advisory tools needed to strengthen the African Union Commission’s capacity to anticipate and respond to emerging security challenges. How can APSA improve coordination among regional bodies, enhance early warning systems, and optimize its crisis response mechanisms?

Chair:

Abdessalam Jaldi, Senior Specialist, International Relations Research Department, Policy Center for the New South

Speakers:

Zakaria Abouddahab, Professor, University Mohammed V, Rabat.

Rida Lyammouri, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South.

Jérôme Mellon, Head of Policy & Operational Support, and Coordinator for West & Central Africa, United Nations.

Norman Sempijja, Associate Professor, FGSES-UM6P.