Top Insights
Post-Independence Coups and the Military’s Role in Nation-Building
In the euphoric aftermath of independence, African capitals echoed with speeches of sovereignty and visions of a new dawn. But within a few...
Africa’s Forgotten Warriors: Revisiting Indigenous Military Traditions
In the popular imagination of global military history, Africa is often depicted as a continent of tribal skirmishes and colonial conquest—passive in war,...
The Cold War and African Armies: How Superpower Rivalries Shaped Today’s Forces
When the guns of empire went silent across Africa in the 1950s and 60s, they were quickly replaced by new weapons, new uniforms—and...
Historic Military Campaigns That Redefined African Borders
Africa’s borders, as they stand today, are often seen as the legacy of European cartography—a network of straight lines drawn in colonial capitals...
From Askaris to Nation Builders: African Soldiers in World Wars I & II
They marched in British khaki through the jungles of Burma, carried rifles for the French in the hills of Alsace, and hauled heavy...
The ECOWAS Border Strategy: Lessons for Continental Border Governance
As African regional blocs seek to address the security challenges posed by porous frontiers, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has...
Technology at the Edge: How Surveillance and Biometrics Are Transforming Border Control
African states are turning to cutting-edge surveillance tools and biometric systems to manage the growing complexity of border control. From facial recognition and...
Porous Borders and the Proliferation of Small Arms in Africa
The unchecked flow of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) across Africa’s porous borders remains one of the continent’s most persistent security threats....
Border Security in Fragile States: Balancing Sovereignty and Cooperation
Border security in African fragile states poses a complex challenge: how to uphold territorial sovereignty while fostering regional cooperation to effectively address transnational...
Beyond the Fence: Rethinking Border Security in the Age of Transnational Threats
Across Africa, national borders are increasingly porous, not just to people and goods—but to terror networks, arms traffickers, cybercriminals, and disease vectors. Traditional...
