The 2019 SPSA Report invariably leaves two key questions. The first one, relates to whether or not the year 2019 could be held up as a viable foundation for something bigger and more ambitious for the continent in the light of AfCFTA, and one from which lasting solidarities can be built and consolidated? Second, is whether or not the year was merely another mirror which reflected the many future challenges capable of undermining the solidarities? Finally, this year’s SPSA Report highlights the dense interconnectedness of Africa’s security problems; recognising them as crises that are inscribed on the continent’s landscape and which transcend predefined borders. It also clearly highlights that these challenges are thematically interlinked in terms of how people encounter and experience them. The coming into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) may not be the magical wand that will bring everlasting peace, stability and development, but it clearly offers an opportunity for Africa to press the reset button and set new goals.
