State Threats in Sub-Saharan Africa: Identity, Influence and Insecurity | 18 March 2026

Why It Matters

Understanding how state actors weaponise gender and identity in Africa reveals a hidden front of geopolitical competition, demanding targeted, evidence‑based policies to safeguard societies and preserve democratic stability.

Key Takeaways

• State threats exploit gender narratives to divide African societies.
• Covert operations now target private sector, NGOs, and families.
• Digital platforms and drones amplify low‑intensity geopolitical competition.
• Middle powers increasingly use hybrid tactics across Sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Evidence gaps hinder policy responses to gender‑focused state threats.

Summary

The panel convened experts from Rusei to examine how state‑sponsored threats are reshaping Sub‑Saharan Africa through the lenses of identity, influence, and insecurity. By applying a gender‑focused framework, they argue that modern geopolitical competition is no longer confined to overt military posturing; it now permeates societies, exploiting debates on gender, sexuality, and cultural norms to destabilise communities.

The researchers define "state threats" as manipulative, coercive or criminal actions by foreign governments that operate below the threshold of open war. Their analysis shows a surge in covert activities—espionage, sabotage, disinformation—and a widening of targets to include private firms, civil‑society groups, universities, and even families. While Russia, China, Iran and North Korea remain primary actors, a growing cohort of middle powers is also deploying hybrid tactics, leveraging digital platforms, drones, and additive manufacturing to expand their influence.

Key quotations underscore the strategic logic: “No one is too unimportant to be a target,” and the report’s title, *Old Wine, New Bottles*, captures the paradox of familiar actors using novel, technology‑driven tools. The panel highlighted how gendered narratives—militant masculinities, anti‑LGBTQ rhetoric, sexual violence—are weaponised to sow division, often masking inconsistent ideological motives with a single goal of chaos.

The implications are clear: policymakers must move beyond traditional security paradigms and adopt intersectional, gender‑aware analyses to counter these threats. Closing the evidentiary gap—currently only 5% of academic work addresses gender—will be essential for building societal resilience and protecting democratic institutions across the continent.

Original Description

RUSI experts host a panel discussion exploring hostile state actions in Sub-Saharan Africa, the weaponisation of identity and the implications for regional stability.

Speakers:

Matthew Redhead, Senior Associate Fellow

Dr Jessica White, Director of Terrorism and Conflict Research Group

Michael Jones, Senior Research Fellow in Terrorism and Conflict Research Group

Panel Chair - Rosalind Roberts, Director of Research

Explore the work of RUSI's Terrorism and Conflict team: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/research-groups/terrorism-and-conflict