Over the past decade, the African Peace and Security Annual Conference (Apsaco) has established itself as one of the continent’s foremost platforms for strategic dialogue on peace, security, governance and geopolitical transformation.
Bringing together policymakers, diplomats, military leaders, security practitioners, academics and researchers from across Africa and beyond, Apsaco has become a critical forum for examining the forces shaping Africa’s security environment.
Hosted by the Policy Center for the New South, in partnership with the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), Apsaco celebrated its 10th edition in Rabat, Morocco, under the theme “A Decade in Review: Africa’s Evolving Security Landscape”.
Founded in 2013, UM6P has emerged as a leading centre for research, innovation and policy engagement in Africa.
Over the past decade, Africa has experienced persistent asymmetric conflicts, the expansion of violent extremist groups, political crises, military coups and growing competition among external powers seeking influence in strategic regions. Technological innovation, information warfare and new forms of coercion have altered traditional understandings of conflict and security.
A central pillar of Apsaco is the Annual Report on African Geopolitics, the flagship publication of the Policy Center for the New South. Presented before the conference, the 2026 report provided the analytical foundation for many of the discussions that followed.
Contributors examined the intersection of global rivalries, regional ambitions, technological change and conflict dynamics that continue to shape the geopolitical environment.
Six high-level panel discussions explored the trends influencing peace and security.
Ten Years On: Patterns, Shifts and Continuities in Africa’s Peace and Security Landscape
The opening panel reflected on the transformation of Africa’s security environment. While terrorism, insurgencies and coups often dominate headlines, many of the security challenges stem from governance and state-capacity issues.
Panellists said the challenge facing many African states is their ability to organise authority, provide public services and maintain strategic direction. Weak institutions, fragmented governance structures and competing political interests were identified as drivers of instability.
Participants said future security debates should move beyond military considerations alone and focus more on state resilience, sovereignty and institutional effectiveness.
A recurring message was that the most successful African states will be those capable of building durable institutions and sustaining coherent national strategies despite external pressures and internal rivalries.
Stability at Stake: Lessons from a Decade of Peacekeeping
The second panel focused on the evolution of peace operations across the continent. Reflecting on missions in Burundi, Somalia, Darfur, the Central African Republic and elsewhere, speakers noted that Africa has become both the primary theatre of peacekeeping operations and a laboratory for testing new approaches to conflict management.
Peacekeeping missions have played a crucial role in preventing state collapse, protecting civilians and creating political space for dialogue. However, resource constraints, dependence on external financing, unrealistic mandates and increasing frustration among populations who often see limited improvements in their daily lives were among the challenges.
One of the strongest themes emerging from the discussion was the inseparable relationship between peace, security and development.
“Peace, security and development are not sequential stages. They are interconnected realities. You cannot solve insecurity without addressing the development challenges that fuel it,” one speaker remarked.
The discussion highlighted Agenda 2063, the African Peace and Security Architecture, the Silencing the Guns initiative and the Tangier Process as examples of Africa’s efforts to integrate security and development objectives.
Participants stressed the need for sustainable African financing for African-led peace operations and greater inclusion of civil society, youth and traditional leaders in peacebuilding processes.
A Decade of Terrorism: Containment and Adaptation amid Strategic Fatigue
The third panel examined one of Africa’s most persistent security challenges. Experts warned that extremist groups operating across the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin and other regions have evolved.
Rather than functioning solely as insurgent groups, many have developed forms of territorial governance, collecting taxes, regulating local economies and providing services in areas under their influence.
Researchers said the organisations have become adaptive, blending into communities, exploiting grievances and integrating criminal activities into their financing models.
A thought-provoking intervention challenged assumptions that terrorism has been successfully contained. “Containment for whom?” One security expert asked. “While some terrorist structures have been degraded, the ideology has spread, adapted and expanded into new areas.”
Speakers said military responses alone are insufficient. Effective counterterrorism strategies must address governance deficits, social exclusion, economic marginalisation and grievances that continue to create fertile ground for recruitment.
Evolving Governance Models and Political Transitions
Governance and political transitions formed the focus of the fourth panel. Discussions explored the relationship between state legitimacy, political narratives and security outcomes.
One speaker said narrative itself has become a strategic security issue.“Behind every reality there is a story. The first question is: Who tells Africa’s story?”
The panel examined what participants described as monolithic narratives about Africa, the pressures of binary geopolitics and the rise of transactional diplomacy in international relations. Speakers said Africa’s challenge is the difficulty of defining and communicating a coherent continental narrative.
Participants highlighted Africa’s growing economies, expanding global influence and participation in international forums as developments that often receive insufficient attention. Strategic communication, they argued, should be viewed as an essential component of governance, diplomacy and security.
Low-Cost Technologies and the transformation of Conflict Dynamics
The fifth panel explored how emerging technologies are reshaping warfare across Africa. Experts examined the growing use of drones, artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, cyber capabilities and information operations by both state and non-state actors.
One researcher cautioned against overstating the revolutionary impact of technology.
“Drones can change some of the rules of the game but they do not change the nature of the game,” he observed.
Panellists noted that more than 1 500 military drones have reportedly been acquired across Africa since the 1980s, with significant growth occurring during the past decade. Conflicts in Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Ukraine were cited as examples of how relatively inexpensive technologies can alter battlefield dynamics.
Speakers warned that technological superiority alone does not guarantee success. Effective use of emerging technologies requires integration with intelligence capabilities, training, communications systems, electronic warfare capacity and appropriate regulatory frameworks. Participants stressed the importance of anticipation rather than reaction.
Africa’s Security Future: Prospective to 2036
The final panel encouraged participants to focus on long-term strategic trends.
Discussions highlighted the growing impact of demographic change, environmental pressures, urbanisation, technological transformation and geopolitical competition. Africa’s expanding population was identified as an opportunity and a potential source of instability depending on governments’ ability to create employment, expand education and deliver economic opportunity.
Environmental security featured prominently. Speakers pointed to land degradation, water scarcity and competition over natural resources as drivers of conflict. “The challenge is that security issues do not necessarily begin with armed groups,” one former UN official said. “As long as we fail to address the root causes, we are treating symptoms rather than the disease.”
The discussion highlighted how environmental pressures fuel displacement, conflicts and instability. Participants warned that resource abundance can create insecurity by attracting external interference and illicit exploitation.
As Apsaco 2026 concluded, a clear consensus emerged: Africa’s security challenges are interconnected and cannot be addressed through military means alone. Effective responses will require integrated approaches that bring together governance, development, technology, strategic communication, environmental sustainability and security.
Marking its 10th anniversary, Apsaco reaffirmed the importance of long-term thinking, evidence-based analysis and African-led solutions. The conference ultimately reinforced a central message that resonated across all six panels: the future of Africa’s peace and security architecture must be strategically grounded, institutionally resilient and driven by Africans themselves.