Unity in the face of security challenges

The 2025 African Defence Leaders’ Conference, which was recently held in Kenya, highlighted a wide range of security challenges facing the continent, including violence, extremism, the climate crisis, and misinformation. Despite Africa’s abundant mineral potential, a multitude of overlapping crises continue to hinder the continent’s development and integration.

Held under the theme “Enhancing African Security: Sustaining Unity of Effort”, the 2025 African Defence Leaders’ Conference brought together policymakers, military leaders, and security experts to seek long-term solutions to current security challenges.

Speaking at the conference, President of Kenya William Ruto stressed that transnational threats such as terrorism, cyberattacks, and the climate crisis are undermining Africa’s resilience and development.

Charles Muriu Kahariri, Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, called on African countries to address the root causes of political, economic and social instability, and to consider the use of force only as a last resort, giving priority to diplomatic solutions and confidence-building measures.

For a long time, terrorism and violent extremism have been among Africa’s greatest challenges, destabilising communities and weakening governance structures.

According to the Global Terrorism Index Report by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, 2024 marked the second consecutive year that the Sahel region was considered the centre of terrorism, accounting for more than half of all deaths caused by terrorist attacks worldwide. Specifically, of the total 7,555 terrorism-related deaths globally in 2024, the Sahel recorded 3,885 fatalities, accounting for over 51%.

Armed conflict, poverty, and crime have created a “fertile ground” for terrorist groups to thrive. Political instability and a lack of foreign investment have hindered economic development. And in a vicious cycle, poverty and violence fuel public discontent, which in turn creates more opportunities for extremism to flourish.

The wave of unconstitutional government changes has further disrupted Africa’s political and legal order, including coups in Gabon, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Statistics show that over a 40-year period (from 1960 to 2000), Africa experienced an average of four coups per year. Extremist groups hiding in the region may exploit such instability, including the “security vacuums” left in the wake of coups, to carry out terrorist attacks.

Climate change is also a serious threat. Although Africa contributes only 3% to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it bears a disproportionately heavy burden of environmental degradation.

According to Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the continent suffers annual losses of between 7 billion USD and 15 billion USD due to the impacts of climate change. The AfDB President highlighted the worst drought in Malawi’s history, Zimbabwe’s declaration of a state of national disaster due to severe drought, and Mozambique’s struggle with devastating floods as evidence that the continent is being “besieged” by extreme weather events.

With its vast landmass, rich mineral resources, and abundant workforce, Africa is no longer on the sidelines of global strategies as it once was, it is now increasingly attracting cooperation and investment interest from major powers.

African leaders have been urging unity among nations to collectively respond to these challenges. Terrorism, violent extremism, and climate change are threats that no country can tackle alone. To unleash its development potential, African nations need the close companionship and support of the international community, in which financial assistance is a key to solving the problems of poverty and underdevelopment.

NDO