Cyberspace: Security and sovereignty challenges in West Africa

Within a few years, cyberthreats have become a major geopolitical issue and a growing concern for many States. However, the West African context and the pressing threats to territorial integrity in the Sahel region have delayed the awareness in the sub-region, so that the policy concerns have been mostly limited to the fight against cybercrime. In the context of the rapid digital growth in West African States, this note analyses the diverse implications of cyberspace in terms of security and sovereignty. This work is partially based on interviews and fieldworks conducted in Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger.

Crédit photo : câbles sous-marins en Afrique (Creative Commons)