2025 Abidjan International Conference on Security

Ten Years of Commitment to Security in West Africa

International Conference on Security and Geopolitical Dynamics in the Region

Over the past decade, West Africa has faced a steady deterioration of its security environment. Transnational terrorist groups have exploited states’ structural weaknesses, identity-based conflicts, social exclusion, and injustice to expand their territorial influence—particularly in the Sahel and border regions. These external threats are compounded by internal tensions driven by disputed elections, poor governance, and the politicization of security issues.

At the same time, the West African region has become the stage of a major geopolitical reconfiguration. The withdrawal of traditional partners, the growing influence of non-Western actors (Russia, China, Turkey, Gulf States), and increasing interstate rivalries are reshaping alliances, intervention doctrines, and forms of security cooperation. This geopolitical transition poses significant challenges to states, regional organizations (ECOWAS, AU), and development partners, who must adapt their strategies to a rapidly evolving landscape.

Against this backdrop, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, through its Regional Programme on Security Policy Dialogue in West Africa (SIPODI), has played a catalytic role over the past ten years in strengthening security institutions, governance structures, and the human-rights dimension of security policy. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the SIPODI Programme, an international high-level conference will be organized in partnership with the Centre de Recherche Politique d’Abidjan (CRPA) to assess current security challenges and explore future pathways for regional cooperation and policy action.

Conference Objectives

• Analyse the impact of current geopolitical dynamics on regional security in West Africa.

• Identify ongoing transformations in national security policies.

• Foster dialogue among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and technical partners.

• Showcase the achievements and best practices developed by the SIPODI Programme over the past decade.

• Strengthen the visibility of the partnership between the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the CRPA on security issues.