Rising Tensions in Tigray Risk Regional Conflict

Internally displaced persons walk past a Tigrayan flag in the Tshehaye IDP camp.

Rivalries among Tigrayan political leaders threaten to derail the process of reintegrating Tigray into Ethiopia’s federal structure and could rapidly escalate into a wider conflict involving Eritrea and regional actors.

Mapping China’s Strategic Port Development in Africa

Chinese firms are present in over a third of all African port developments, some of which could be used for expanded Chinese naval presence on the continent.

Topic in Focus
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China in Africa

A selection of Africa Center analyses tracking China in Africa.

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Recalibrating Coastal West Africa’s Response to Violent Extremism

Coastal West African countries can strengthen resiliency to the threat of violent extremism by enhancing a multilayered response addressing local, national, and regional priorities.

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Africa’s 2025 Elections: A Test of Credibility to Uphold Democratic Norms

Democratic progress will require policymakers and journalists to recognize and prize genuine processes of democratic participation within Africa’s wide ranging 2025 electoral line up.

Topic in Focus: Combating Organized Crime
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Both cyber and cyber-enabled crime are on the rise in Africa. Poverty, ease of internet access, low levels of state capacity to counter cybercrime, and a lack of social awareness about cyber threats all drive these types of crime. By analyzing key threats related to the cyber-enabled drug trade and cybercrime (including phishing, whaling, and online identity theft) law enforcement and decision makers can develop national and continental strategies to counter the rise of both cyber and cyber-enabled crime in Africa.

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This guide provides tools, background, and oversight mechanisms for journalists and civil society actors investigating organized crime in Africa. Whether they are investigating violent extremist, groups or non-statutory militias, natural resource theft, maritime crime, arms and drug trafficking, and financial crime, public watchdogs can shed light on how organize crime affects African countries and their citizens.