Illegal Gold Mining in Ghana and the Chinese Role

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 21 July 2026 an analysis titled "Ghana's Illegal Gold Mining Crisis: A National Security Threat with Regional Implications" by Edem Srem.

Ghana is experiencing an environmental crisis due to illegal, small-scale, and unregulated gold mining known locally as galamsey.  According to one account, an estimated 50,000 illegal Chinese miners are now operating in Ghana, supported by broader networks of financiers, equipment suppliers, transporters, intermediaries, and informal refiners.  Chinese operators and equipment have accelerated the mechanization of mining, which has led to an increase in environmental damage.  

Comment: The estimate of 50,000 Chinese miners in the country seems too high, but galamsey has been a long-standing irritant in Ghana-China relations.  

Chinese Artificial Intelligence Surveillance in 11 African Countries

 The Institute of Development Studies published in March 2026 a major study titled "Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance Across 11 Countries" edited by Wairagala Wakabi and Tony Roberts.

The report provides a comprehensive account of smart city surveillance in Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  China is by far the largest supplier of AI surveillance technologies to African governments, including to all 11 covered in this study.  

The rapid expansion of smart city surveillance is having a chilling effect on ordinary citizens and journalists.  The scale and invasive nature of mass surveillance is often not legal, necessary, or proportionate.  There is little evidence that the expansion of digital surveillance reduces overall crime.

Somali Fraud in Minnesota: Prosecute Bad Actors but Don't Demonize Entire Community

 The Wall Street Journal published on 4 December 2025 an article titled "A Sprawling Fraud Scandal Puts Minnesota's Somali Community in the Spotlight" by Scott Calvert and Jeanne Whalen.  

About 80,000 people of Somali descent live in Minnesota. About 60 persons have been convicted of massive fraud from child nutrition, housing, and autism service programs funded by taxpayers.  President Trump has used the situation to refer to the Somali community in Minnesota as "garbage" and urged them to return to Somalia.

Comment:  This episode is clearly a major blot on the reputation of the Somali community in Minnesota.  But the answer is to prosecute to the full extent of the law all of those persons who are guilty and not to vilify the entire Somali community.  

South Sudan's Illegal Gold Mining

 SwissAid published on 21 November 2025 a document titled "Africa Gold Report: South Sudan."

Gold mining in South Sudan, a medium-size gold producer by African standards, is highly informal and illegal.  Gold production is done exclusively by artisanal and small-scale mining methods.  All the gold is exported outside formal channels.  National and foreign armed groups are involved in its movement.  South Sudanese authorities have failed to govern the sector effectively.

Chinese Gold Miners Warned in Central African Republic

 The China-Africa Security Radar posted on 22 November 2025 an article titled "'Mining Slave' Warning in CAR Sparks Fierce Debate among Chinese Netizens."

The Chinese embassy in Bangui, Central African Republic, issued a strong warning about the dangers facing Chinese nationals involved in gold mining.  This led to a vigorous internet debate among Chinese netizens as to how to respond to the warning.  

China's Foreign Police Training

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 13 November 2025 a detailed study titled "China's Foreign Police Training: A Global Footprint" by Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Isaac B. Kardon, and Cameron Waltz.  

This carefully researched study notes that China's police training is one of the Global Security Initiative's most concrete deliverables and most measurable commitments.  Countries in Africa and China's neighbors in Central and Southeast Asia have been the most frequent participants of its police training activities.  

China-Africa Police Collaboration

 China-Africa Security Radar published on 9 November 2025 a commentary titled "China-Africa Police Collaboration."

Between 2018 and 2021, more than 2,000 African police and law enforcement officials received training at Chinese police academies.  The programs combined technical and operational training.  

Ethiopian/Eritrean Migrant Entrepreneurs Created Shopping District in South Africa

 The Conversation published on 26 October 2025 an article titled "Ethiopian Quarter: How Migrants Have Shaped a Thriving Shopping District in South Africa's City of Gold" by Tanya Zack.

Entrepreneurial migrants from Ethiopia and Eritrea created a major shopping center in Johannesburg, South Africa, by repurposing abandoned buildings into more than 3,000 tiny shops that draw on global supply chains, mainly Chinese wholesalers.  The model has effectively turned the inner city into an inland port.   

Chinese Surveillance Systems in Africa

 Instituto Analisi Relazioni Internazionali published on 9 September 2025 an article titled "Chinese Surveillance Systems in Africa: A SWOT Analysis" by Daniele Balducci.

Some 22 African countries have contracted with Chinese companies for the acquisition of digital surveillance technologies.  African countries have a variety of reasons for turning to Chinese companies, including affordable prices and wanting to diversify their sourcing.  The article identifies strengths and weaknesses of partnering with Chinese companies.  

Sudan Conflict Impacts Stability in Chad

 The International Crisis Group published on 1 September 2025 an analysis titled "Keeping Chad Stable as Sudan's Conflict Rages."

Chadian support for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in neighboring Sudan's war with the Sudan Armed Forces has embroiled Ndjamena in the conflict.  Chad also hosts about 875,000 Sudanese refugees and 300,000 Chadian returnees, creating a humanitarian crisis.  The end of US aid, increasing crime, and ethnic conflict are exacerbating the situation.  The UAE is playing an outsized role in Sudan and Chad.

For a French translation, click here.  

Abuses of Chinese Surveillance Technology in Africa

 The East Asia Forum published on 30 May 2025 an article titled "Africanising Chinese Surveillance Technology" by Bulelani Jili, Georgetown University.

African states accepting Chinese loans and subsidies for surveillance technology often fail to implement regulatory frameworks that adequately safeguard privacy and data protection.  Authoritarian African governments use this technology for intrusive and unjustified monitoring. 

US AFRICOM View of Security Situation in Africa

 The Center for Strategic and International Studies posted on 30 January 2025 a one hour and 15-minute podcast titled "AFRICOM at 17: Shaping U.S.-Africa Relations" with Mvemba Phezo Dizolele and Brigadier General Rose Lopez Keravuori, director of intelligence at U.S. AFRICOM.

This is a wide-ranging conversation with a person who has served for three and a half years as director of intelligence at U.S. AFRICOM.  It covers all parts of the continent and includes comments on other key external actors such as Russia, France, China, and Turkey.  

Chinese Counterterrorism in Africa

 The Stimson Center published on 31 July 2024 an analysis titled "Chinese Counterterrorism in Africa" by Cobus van Staden.

China's approach to counterterrorism in Africa blurs the lines between crime and terrorism on both sides of the relationship.  This analysis emphasizes the role of non-state actors in the context of low state capacity and explains some of the factors that inform the limitations of Chinese counterterrorism approaches in Africa.

Chinese Nationals Implicated in Nigeria's Illegal Lithium Mining

 The Associated Press published on 26 May 2024 an article titled "Nigeria Is Emerging as a Critical Mineral Hub.  The Government Is Cracking Down on Illegal Operations" by Taiwo Adebayo.

Nigerian authorities recently arrested 32 persons, including two Chinese nationals, for engaging in illegal lithium mining.  These arrests follow earlier seizures of lithium and arrest of Chinese nationals, who employ Nigerians to dig for the lithium at remote sites.

The South Africa Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Centre

 The University of Witwatersrand Africa-China Reporting Project posted on 10 October 2023 an article titled "The South Africa-Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Centre in the Media: 2022-2023." 

Eighteen years ago, the governments of South Africa and China established the South Africa Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Centre to assist in the protection of the Chinese community living and working in South Africa.  In April 2023, the Centre opened its 15th branch office in South Africa.  

Relative Strength of Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces

 The Washington Post published on 3 May 2023 an article titled "Sudan's Warring Generals Closely Matched Ahead of Latest Ceasefire" by Katharine Houreld and Hafiz Haroun.  

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are fairly evenly matched military organizations.  The SAF has an estimated 134,000 personnel, including the air force and navy, while the RSF has about 100,000.  The RSF has more recent combat experience in Yemen.  Both the SAF and RSF have in-country access to the manufacture of military equipment and ammunition.  

China Elaborates on Its Global Security Initiative

 President Xi Jinping announced on 21 April 2022 a new Global Security Initiative (GSI) at the Boao Forum for Asia's annual conference in China.  This nebulous initiative raised more questions than it answered about China's "new" security policy.  

On 21 February 2023, China issued "The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper" that provided additional details about the initiative.  Foreign Minister Qin Gang summarized the concept paper by noting it lays out 20 priorities of cooperation for "upholding the UN's role in security governance; promoting coordination and sound interactions among major countries [not identified], facilitating peaceful settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue; tackling traditional and non-traditional security challenges; and strengthening the system and capacity for global security governance."

Comment:  There is relatively little that is "new" in the GSI, although several themes have evolved in the Xi Jinping era.  It mostly brings together long-standing Chinese foreign policy principles such as support for state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, multilateralism, dialogue, and opposition to sanctions.  The concept paper underscores the centrality of Xi Jinping's "community of shared security for mankind" and support for the UN and African Union's peacekeeping mandate, peaceful coexistence, arms control, ASEAN-centered regional security cooperation, Africa-led counter-terrorism operations, UN-led fight against global terrorism, international security governance on artificial intelligence and outer space, global food and energy security, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and cooperation to address climate change.

China's goal is clearly to place security issues in forums where China has more influence or has established mechanisms where it has control such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the China-Horn of Africa Peace, Governance and Development Conference.  

Chinese Private Security Companies in Kenya

 The China Africa Research Initiative published in February 2021 a paper titled "Private Security Companies in Kenya and the Impact of Chinese Actors" by Shuwen Zheng, World Bank, and Ying Xia, private researcher.

The paper examines the development and impact of Chinese private security companies (PSCs) in Kenya.  It concludes that Chinese engagement in overseas security protection is far behind other sectors.  The failure to hold a larger market share is due to fierce competition among PSCs and Chinese investor's ignorance about security needs.

Somalia: Crime and Al-Shabaab

The Conversation posted on 8 April 2020 an analysis titled "How Crime Is Closely Linked to Al-Shabaab's Survival Strategy" by Katharine Petrich, Santa Clara University.

The author concludes that al-Shabaab's criminal activities make the group significantly more resilient to counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaigns, extending both its lifespan and operational capability, by providing financing and recruitment. 

Evolution of Somali Piracy

The Institute for Security Studies posted on 21 November 2018 a nineteen minute video titled "Tackling Somali Piracy on Land and at Sea" by Denys Reva.

The video discusses the question whether enough is being done to address the root causes of piracy in Somalia. The answer is no because some pirates have given up on piracy in favor of other criminal activity such as armed robbery, narcotics smuggling, and human trafficking.