Repositioning Africa in a rapidly changing global order

The report argues that Africa remains hindered by colonial legacies, financial dependency, and weak institutional leadership. It highlights critical crises in food security, youth unemployment, and rising conflict, while critiquing the AU's leadership selection process and its focus on reparations over immediate structural reforms. The document recommends a more proactive AU Commission, a reformed Peace and Security Architecture, and a unified foreign policy to transition Africa from a passive observer to a powerful global actor.

• Africa's global positioning is severely limited by a continued dependence on neocolonial frameworks and external influence, with institutions like the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie maintaining the influence of former colonial powers.
• The African Union (AU) suffers from significant financial dependency, with 70% of its funding provided by external donors such as USAID, GIZ, the UK, DANIDA, and China, which undermines its sovereignty and ability to independently address continental challenges.
• Africa faces an acute food security crisis characterized by a paradox where the continent holds 60% of the world's most arable land but produces only 10% of global agricultural output and remains a net food importer.
• There is a profound demographic disconnect between Africa's population and its leadership; while the continent has a median age of 19, the average age of candidates for AU leadership in 2025 is 69.
• The AU's leadership election process is criticized as flawed and opaque, specifically the rotational system adopted in 2018, which is argued to favour regime loyalists over competent candidates.
• The report argues that the AU's 2025 theme of 'reparations' is a strategic distraction from more urgent existential threats and structural economic reforms needed to build actual power and resilience.
• Africa's security architecture is described as outdated and reactive, with the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) failing to adapt to contemporary threats like climate change and terrorism.

APA

Atta-Asamoah, A. (2025). Repositioning Africa in a rapidly changing global order. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1747829199714-Ad-hoc-report-iss-ipss .pdf

Chicago

Atta-Asamoah, Andrews. Repositioning Africa in a rapidly changing global order. Institute for Security Studies, 2025. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1747829199714-Ad-hoc-report-iss-ipss .pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Atta-Asamoah |first1=Andrews |title=Repositioning Africa in a rapidly changing global order |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=February 2025 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1747829199714-Ad-hoc-report-iss-ipss .pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{attaasamoah2025repositioning, author = {Atta-Asamoah, Andrews}, title = {{Repositioning Africa in a rapidly changing global order}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1747829199714-Ad-hoc-report-iss-ipss .pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }