Recent weeks have once again drawn attention to Africa’s place in the global risk landscape.
Three years on, the war in Sudan continues to drive one of the world’s most serious humanitarian crises, with millions displaced and international attention still uneven. At the same time, commemorations marking thirty-two years since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda offered an important reminder of the long-term value of prevention, resilience and recovery.
Across the Sahel, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso continue to navigate a difficult mix of security pressure, political transition and humanitarian strain. Displacement and food insecurity remain part of daily reality, alongside shifting external influence.
Further east, the Horn of Africa remains closely tied to wider global dynamics. The security of Red Sea routes, instability in Somalia and growing geopolitical competition involving global and regional powers all continue to shape the region’s risk environment.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, competition over critical minerals is intensifying as demand grows for resources linked to energy transition and emerging technologies. Climate stress — from droughts to flooding — is further compounding vulnerability across communities and infrastructure.
Alongside these more visible pressures sits a slower but more decisive force shaping long-term outcomes: Africa’s demographics. With a median age of around 19–20 years and roughly 60% of the population under 25, the continent’s risk landscape is also a youth landscape. This scale of young people is not just a statistic — it translates into accelerating demand for education, employment, housing and governance capacity. It also means that the region’s resilience, innovation and stability will increasingly be shaped by how effectively these expectations are met.
Yet the picture is not only one of risk. Across the continent, there is steady investment in infrastructure, digital growth, renewable energy and regional cooperation — building foundations for longer-term resilience.
Join us this week for Global Risk Forum 435 & 436 as we explore Africa’s evolving strategic environment and its growing role in global risk and resilience thinking—come along and join the conversation.
- Global Risk Forum 435
- Thursday, 7th May at 17:00 BST / 12:00 EDT
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- Global Risk Forum 436
- Friday, 8th May at 10:00 BST
- REGISTRATION >>
