The quest for space capabilities and military security in Africa
Samuel Oyewole
Abstract
Many African nations are increasingly exploring the space frontier in pursuit of their development and security aspirations, with some 30 space agencies, 41 satellites and several ground facilities sponsored across the continent. Although most space programmes in Africa are administered by civilians and designed for research and development purposes, there is also a military-security dimension. During the Cold War, some African countries (prominently South Africa, Egypt and Libya) pursued space, missile and nuclear weapon triad capabilities until domestic and international political dynamics halted or softened those quests. From the second decade of 21st century, however, a new quest for military space capabilities has become evident in Africa. Several African states are embracing space support for military-security purposes. Hence, this study seeks to assess the growing interest and commitment to the acquisition of space capabilities in the military-security framework in Africa, considering the trajectories, opportunities, motivations and possible implications.