Published on March 10, 2026 – Updated on March 10, 2026

A new piece on economic development by Rabah Arezki

Opinion: Economies in the African continent must reject the false dilemma between autarky and openness and instead pursue a strategic bargain that actually builds sovereign power.

A new economic mantra has taken hold in Washington, Brussels, and Beijing: “sovereignty.” Whether framed as national security, strategic autonomy, or state capitalism, it signals the reassertion of political and national security logic over economic logic across the world’s major powers. For Africa, this turn to sovereignty is not a distant spectacle. It is a decisive test.

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