17/01/2026
International Conference
Geopolitical Shift in Africa
At the Bourse du Travail de Paris
In a context of profound reconfiguration of the international order, this conference provides relevant analyses on Africa's stratégic positioning, evolving geopolitical balances, and issues of sovereignty.
The discussions offered sharp and necessary perspectives on Africa's evolving geopolitical positioning, power reconfiguration, and the continent's growing adency in a rapidly shifting global order. Beyond the panels, the conference was a valuable space for dialogue with policymakers, researchers, and civil society actors committed to engaging Africa on its own strategic terms.
Master of Ceremonies: Ms. Trycia Nyota Van Den Berg, Economist, Strategic Intelligence Expert, and Director of the 3MBIS Consulting Firm
Speakers and contributors include:
- Dr. Paul KANANURA, President of the AFRIKA Institute and Geopolitical Analyst
- H.E. Hamada Madi Bolero, Former Prime Minister, Acting President of the Union of the Comoros, Former Secretary General of the Commission de l'océan Indien (COI)
- General Jacques Perget, President of the Sully Institute, former senior officer and international relations professor
- Ambassador Ezzedine Zayani, Former Ambassador, President of the Tunisian Center for Global Security Studies, Advisor to the African Union
- Leslie Varenne, Journalist, Director of Iveris
- Dr. Ali Rastbeen, President of the Paris Academy of Geopolitics
- Seidik Abba, Journalist, Writer, Academic, Africa Specialist
- Dr. Aicha Bacha, Research Associate, Université Libre de Bruxelles, President of the European Center for Development and Geostrategic Studies
- Mme Imen Chaanbi, Geopolitical and Strategic Intelligence Consultant at 5 WE Consulting Services and Strategik.IA, IHEDN Auditor, Executive Secretary of MIM
- M. Steve Bousson-Liotard, Delegate General of the Republican Outreach
- M. Gnakouri Jean-Marc Gbodjo Jean-Marc Gbodo, PhD Candidate in Contemporary History, Bordeaux Montaigne University
- Mme Astou Sakho, President of the National Network of Women Engaged in Kedougou
- M. Jean-François Le Blanc de Hauteville, Geopolitical Analyst and Lobbyist
SUMMARY
1.
The breakdown of multilateral norms led international relations to drift back toward a Hobbesian state of nature, where power increasingly outweighs rules.
2.
Great-power competition intensified, turning Africa into a strategic arena rather than a partner in global governance.
3.
External interventions and expanding security vacuums multiplied, weakening state authority and fueling instability across the continent.
4.
We are now in a context of strategic choice.
5.
African sovereignty and development were undermined, as geopolitical rivalries disrupted long-term peacebuilding and cooperation efforts.
6. Limited structural power in global governance
Africa remains underrepresented in key international decision-making forums, reducing its ability to shape global rules and international arrangements.
7. Persistent external dependency and fragmentation
Historical legacies and fragmented political positions weaken Africa’s bargaining power and reinforce asymmetric partnerships.
8. Geopolitical instrumentalization rather than strategic partnership
Africa is often treated as a theatre for great-power competition rather than as a co-architect of global arrangements, leading to marginalization in outcomes.
9. Incomplete decolonization and constrained sovereignty
Many post-colonial states inherited formal independence without full political, economic, or security sovereignty, creating long-term structural dependence.
10.
AES search for strategic autonomy amid global power shifts.
Africa’s current geopolitical repositioning reflects a desire to reclaim agency, diversify partnerships, and escape neo-colonial constraints.
11.
Western double standards and impunity in African crises.
Prolonged conflicts in Sudan, the DRC, the Sahel, and elsewhere have resulted in massive civilian suffering with limited legal or political consequences for perpetrators or external actors. This reinforces perceptions of selective justice and erodes trust in the international order.
12.
The need for endogenous strategic intelligence — Africa by Africans.
13.
The AES is not a historical accident.
The Alliance of Sahel States reflects accumulated frustrations over security failures, sovereignty constraints, and unequal partnerships, making it a structural response rather than an episodic rupture.
14.
Preserve liberty and reinforce regional sovereignty.
15.
With Imen here, we conducted a deep dive into the recomposition of international alliances.
Africa’s geopolitical pivot illustrates a broader realignment toward diversified partnerships, transactional diplomacy, and strategic autonomy in a fragmented global order.
16.
Francophone Africa is undergoing a profound geopolitical shift, marked by the erosion of traditional alignments and the reconfiguration of political, security, and diplomatic partnerships.
17. From a Senegalese prism
Africa must move from being a space of influence to a geopolitical actor — capable of strategic vision, collective coordination, and sovereign decision-making — with a strong focus on natural resources.
18.
Geopolitical credibility has become a prerequisite for fundraising, as investors and donors increasingly assess political stability, strategic alignment, and governance capacity.
19.
Mobilizing resources now requires narrative power and strategic positioning, not only projects, as capital follows influence, trust, and long-term geopolitical coherence.
20. Deep dive into the balance of power
The Alliance of Sahel States reshapes West Africa’s geopolitical architecture by asserting security sovereignty, reducing reliance on traditional partners, and challenging existing regional and international power balances.
21.
AES accelerates a geostrategic realignment in West Africa, signaling a shift toward alternative alliances, pragmatic partnerships, and a redefinition of regional cooperation beyond established multilateral frameworks
