The remarkable efforts of the Moroccan think tank, Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), affiliated with the OCP Group, deserve commendation as they organize the 10th edition of Apsaco in Rabat while unveiling their annual report focused on Africa's geopolitical landscape in 2026. This dual initiative transcends mere academic engagement, reflecting a broader ambition to position Morocco as a hub for intellectual and strategic production within Africa, capable of fostering discussions regarding the continent's future. Over the past decade, Apsaco has steadily established itself as one of the most influential gatherings for African diplomatic, academic, and security communities. This anniversary edition brings together representatives from around twenty African nations, as well as military experts, diplomats, and decision-makers from Africa, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. The chosen theme, "A Decade in Review: The Evolution of Africa's Security Landscape," emerges within a particularly sensitive context for the continent.
Africa Facing an Increase in Crisis Hotspots
Ten years after the inaugural editions of Apsaco, the African security environment has undergone profound transformations. The Sahel region remains plagued by jihadist threats and geopolitical reconfigurations tied to military transitions. In the East, ongoing tensions in the Horn of Africa and the war in Sudan continue to generate destabilizing regional effects. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes region is characterized by armed conflicts and geostrategic rivalries that perpetuate chronic instability. Central Africa grapples with a convergence of increasingly complex security, humanitarian, and economic challenges. In addition to these traditional threats, new factors of vulnerability have emerged, including cybercrime, misinformation, climate change, food insecurity, forced migrations, and growing competition from external powers. Multiple experts present in Rabat emphasize that "African security can no longer be analyzed solely from a military perspective; it must be understood in its global context encompassing economic, social, technological, and environmental dimensions."
Strengthening Sovereignty Issues
One of the key lessons from the past decade is the rising significance of sovereignty issues. African states are increasingly seeking to exert greater control over their strategic resources, critical infrastructures, supply chains, and industrial capacities. This evolution unfolds against a backdrop of heightened rivalries among major powers, where Africa has emerged as a major arena for economic, energy, and technological competition. The focus has shifted from merely ensuring territorial security to encompassing the security of supplies, data, investments, and infrastructure. In this context, the 2026 report from PCNS offers significant contributions by providing a comprehensive analysis of the geopolitical transformations occurring across the continent.
Apsaco also reflects the emergence of a knowledge-based diplomacy championed by Morocco. Through the PCNS, Rabat aims to promote the generation of African analyses on African issues, fostering an increasingly assertive South-South cooperation model. This approach addresses the growing demand from decision-makers across the continent for analytical tools that are tailored to African realities and capable of illuminating long-term strategic choices. The conclusions of this 10th edition are expected to culminate in a new "Call of Rabat," aimed at strengthening continental cooperation mechanisms in terms of peace, security, and development.
Ultimately, the discussions in Rabat extend far beyond mere security concerns. They interrogate Africa's capacity to build resilience in a world characterized by geopolitical fragmentation, energy crises, trade tensions, and climate upheavals. The stakes are considerable: transforming current vulnerabilities into opportunities for cooperation, bolstering regional institutions, and accelerating continental economic integration. A decade after its inception, Apsaco affirms that African security encompasses much more than conflict prevention; it now includes governance, economic sovereignty, technological innovation, and the continent's ability to safeguard its interests amidst significant international system reconfigurations. Now, more than ever, peace remains the fundamental condition for development, and development serves as the best guarantee of enduring peace.
As reported by adiac-congo.com.
