Cyber governance in Africa: politics, sovereignty and cooperation

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Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo (2023), "Cyber governance in Africa: at the crossroads of politics, sovereignty and co-operation", Policy Design and Practice, 6:2, 146–159, DOI: 10.1080/25741292.2023.2199960

Africa has recently begun to explore an agenda on digital transformation. After the adoption of the 2019 Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration, in February 2020 the African Union Commission (AUC) adopted the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa, which was followed by the European Union's digital roadmap that same year. The European Union has made digital transformation one of the pillars of its engagement and cooperation with Africa, committing to stimulate the continent's digital transformation and to strengthen the rules-based international order and the multilateral system (European Union Commission: 2020).

In recent years, cyber governance has been at the forefront of the diplomatic and political agendas of important bilateral and multilateral meetings (Potter: 2002). The discourse continues to develop within formal and informal consultations through regional and international diplomatic initiatives. The promotion of security and stability in the cyber-environment can be strengthened by the adoption of appropriate policies and the establishment of cooperation measures that can contribute to appropriate cyber governance.

For effective cyber governance, cooperation is imperative because, in the context of a borderless cyberspace, collaborative approaches generate shared responsibility among states (Mueller: 2020). The seventh key action of the United Nations roadmap for digital cooperation is the promotion of trust and security in the digital environment.

To promote trust and security in the digital environment, cooperation is necessary (Meyer: 2020). The 2021 report of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) reaffirms that "…an open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful ICT environment is essential for all and requires effective cooperation among states to reduce risks to international peace and security". The final report of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), which confirmed the results of the GGE reports, urges states to cooperate with other states to implement responsible behaviour in cyberspace.

The debate on governance and cooperation in Africa for security and stability in cyberspace has been largely unexplored (Microsoft: 2021). Africa's readiness for cyber governance raises many questions about the effectiveness of African governance mechanisms in ensuring cyber-resilience in the region (Schlehahn: 2020). Disparities in digital capacities and political structures…