Africa Shield 2026: Securing development as a new security priority
The Africa Shield 2026 regional counterproliferation workshop, held July 14–16 in Tunis, focused on protecting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials used in development.
From July 14 to 16, Tunis, Tunisia hosted the Africa Shield 2026 Regional Counterproliferation Workshop, bringing together over 100 participants from across Africa, including law enforcement officials, military representatives, policymakers, and national coordinators responsible for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1540.
The workshop was led by the International Counterproliferation Program of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), in partnership with the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence Risk Mitigation Initiative and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.
Securing growth
The workshop examined how governments can ensure that materials used for peaceful purposes remain secure as industries expand and cross-border links deepen. Discussions highlighted a practical challenge: ensuring that the systems protecting these materials develop alongside the industries and services that depend on them.
From response to prevention
Africa Shield reflects a move from responding to CBRN incidents after they occur towards preventing vulnerabilities before they are exploited. The programme focuses on reducing risks through stronger border controls, export monitoring, emergency preparedness, and closer coordination between agencies.
Major Brittany Brown, coordinator of DTRA’s Global Threat Reduction Africa Region Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, said Africa Shield provides an opportunity for participating countries to “exchange expertise and lessons learned” while deepening partnerships to address increasingly complex transnational security challenges.
The enforcement gap
Many African countries already have legal frameworks regulating chemicals, radioactive materials and strategic trade, but implementation remains uneven. Authorities often face shortages of funding, specialised personnel and modern equipment needed to inspect shipments, monitor facilities and investigate possible violations.
The expansion of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area adds another layer of complexity. Governments must strengthen security measures without undermining the trade and investment the agreement is designed to promote.
Why it matters
Africa Shield reflects a broader evolution in Africa’s security priorities, expanding the focus beyond traditional threats to the institutions, regulations and technical expertise needed to safeguard increasingly modern economies.
As Nigeria-based analyst Mubarak Aliyu noted: “The same materials that strengthen healthcare, scientific research, mining and industry can also become security risks if poorly managed.”
