Africa enters 2026 facing an unprecedented security crisis, with conflict affecting more nations than at any time in two decades. From the fall of Goma in the DRC to the “famine engine” in Sudan and military juntas in the Sahel, the continent’s future hinges on transforming this global disorder into strategic autonomy.
Israel’s landmark recognition of Somaliland in 2025 has ignited a geopolitical firestorm in the Horn of Africa. This strategic move directly challenges Turkey’s massive regional investments and energy projects, turning the Red Sea corridor into a high-stakes arena for great power competition and maritime control.
China has transitioned from a traditional infrastructure builder to a primary provider of high-tech space solutions for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). By offering launch services, satellite manufacturing, and the BeiDou navigation system, Beijing is establishing a “Space Silk Road” that challenges Western technological dominance while enabling regional powers to achieve “strategic autonomy.”
The suspicious crash of a Libyan military jet near Ankara has killed Chief of Staff Mohammed Al-Haddad, sparking fears of Russian sabotage. Turkey’s decision to send black boxes to a “neutral country” highlights its strategic fragility, leaving western Libya in a power vacuum and threatening the Turkey-Tripoli alliance.
Sudan faces the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis, with 21.2 million people suffering from acute food insecurity and 12 million displaced. Despite confirming famine and widespread atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the conflict remains largely neglected by U.S. media. Drastic 2025 U.S. aid cuts and foreign arms supplies continue to fuel the devastation, leaving millions at risk of starvation and death.
With 25 million people facing extreme hunger and 14 million displaced, Sudan’s civil conflict has escalated into a genocide largely ignored by the global spotlight. As the Trump administration’s 2025 aid cuts and foreign military interventions fuel the fire between warring factions, the collapse of Sudan’s democratic transition has left half the population in famine conditions, desperate for a diplomatic breakthrough that remains out of reach.
Africa’s September 2023 permanent G20 membership symbolizes the culmination of evolving engagement since the 2008 financial crisis. However, translating commitments into measurable development outcomes necessitates overcoming implementation challenges, including financing gaps, coordination issues, and accountability deficiencies in G20-Africa partnerships.
The inaugural Global AI Summit in Africa, hosted by Rwanda, produced the Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, uniting most African Union members around shared AI goals. Despite this milestone, geopolitical tensions, regional divides, and overhyped “techno-solutionist” visions threaten realistic progress. Experts stress the need for locally driven, infrastructure-focused, and context-appropriate AI development aligned with African priorities rather than external commercial interests.
Adding M23 to the talks is a positive step, but the agreement’s test will be whether it can change circumstances on the ground.
Trump’s proposed changes to U.S. development finance—prioritizing domestic interests, unilateralism, and extractive projects over sustainability—could weaken America’s global influence. Unlike Biden’s multilateral partnerships, Trump’s transactional approach risks alienating allies and ceding clean energy leadership to China. The U.S. may lose ground in the Global South by abandoning inclusive, high-quality investments that counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
If the Trump administration wants to cut Pentagon waste and avoid future wars, it should set its sights on abolishing the Combatant Command system.
Africa’s Rising Strategic Importance: U.S. Faces Pivotal Moment to Counter China, Secure Minerals & Expand Influence
