Rabat, Morocco – August 4–6, 2025. Nearly 100 representatives from 13 African countries (Angola, Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, and Tunisia), together with international and regional partners, took part in Africa Shield 2025, the first African counter-proliferation workshop.
Organized by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the European Union’s CBRN Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE), in cooperation with UNICRI, the event created a unique platform for African stakeholders to exchange views between them and with donors and international organisations.
The three-day programme combined policy discussions with practical exercises. A poster session highlighted 21 initiatives on governance, border security, and non-proliferation frameworks. World Café discussions addressed interagency cooperation, private sector compliance, and risk assessment, while a table-top exercise placed participants in the middle of evolving proliferation scenarios, underscoring the importance of preparedness and coordination.
Key messages from the workshop emphasized the need for regular joint exercises, stronger legal frameworks, and agile responses to emerging threats such as disinformation, drones, and biotechnology. Participants also highlighted the importance of regional and international partnerships to ensure sustainable capacity-building.
Closing the event, representatives from DTRA, the EU – represented by the Chargé de Mission a.i., and the African Atlantic Façade CBRN Regional Secretariat praised the collaborative spirit of the workshop and underlined Africa Shield’s role as a continuing platform for operational cooperation. Future editions are expected to focus on crisis communication, legal frameworks, and the impact of new technologies.
Details
- Publication date
- 6 October 2025
- Threat area
- CBRN Risk Mitigation