The rapid expansion of Africa’s cities is considered as one of the continent’s main socio-economic challenges.

Unlike in Europe, North America and East Asia, the spatial trend of urban expansion in sub-Saharan Africa is horizontal. Rather than growing upward through taller buildings, Africa’s cities expand into their peri-urban rural outskirts. Thus, peri-urban areas are undergoing considerable spatial, socio-economic and administrative change: farmland is absorbed by buildings and commercial activities, land prices are spiking and new class dynamics can be observed.

The war in Ukraine, burden-sharing between Allies, U.S. disengagement from Europe, new areas of conflict... At a time when the Alliance has just celebrated its 75th anniversary and the Stoltenberg era is drawing to a close after ten years at the head of the organization, NATO's agenda bears witness to the diversity of its areas of action, as well as to the different perceptions of the Allies on these issues.

Playing a crucial role in the global economy, the maritime economy, which includes maritime transport, fishing, the extraction of underwater resources, the leisure and tourism sectors and, increasingly, marine renewable energies, is particularly exposed to the deterioration of international relations when it is expressed primarily in common spaces. As such, it seems inexorably destined to (re)become an essential issue for the navies in charge of securing maritime activities.