Central Africa: Averting Multi-dimensional Political, Economic Crises

The results of a recent study were presented to the public in Yaounde on February 20, 2018.

With 51 million people and Gross Domestic Product, GDP of 67.7 billion US dollars (35,995 billion FCFA) in 2016, Central Africa remains a sub-region fraught with risks of instability. This is explained amongst others by economic, political, demographic, infrastructural, financial, agricultural, energy and governance issues.

A 2017 study entitled "Gathering storm clouds: Political and economic uncertainty in Central Africa" conducted by South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, ISS; in conjunction with the African Centre for International, Diplomatic, Economic and Strategic Studies, CEIDES, was presented to the public in Yaounde on February 20, 2018.

The authors, Dr Richard Fonteh Akum, Senior Researcher with ISS and Dr Zachary Donnenfeld, ISS Researcher, warned that if urgent, sustained measures were not taken now, the situation in the sub-region could reach multidimensional crisis point. They cited the 2014 fall in commodity prices, general instability, political violence, governance challenges and the need for change in demand for services and opportunities for millions more people, as causes of crises.

The authors therefore recommended t...