At the seminar “Work Together to Build a Common Security: China and Africa in Action”, held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa on 4 December 2025, the Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation (CDRC), Dr. Abdeta Dribssa, presented a detailed and forward-looking assessment of China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI). He described the GSI as an increasingly significant component of contemporary global security discourse and a major external force influencing Africa’s evolving geopolitical and security environment.
Addressing an audience of government officials, diplomats, scholars, and security practitioners, Dr. Abdeta highlighted how the GSI—first announced by China in 2022—has quickly taken shape as a central feature of the shifting international security architecture. He outlined the initiative’s six foundational principles: respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to the UN Charter, prioritising dialogue over confrontation, advancing the concept of “indivisible security,” addressing the structural and root causes of conflict, and integrating security with development. These, he noted, form an ambitious blueprint for how China seeks to engage with the world on peace and security matters.
Dr. Abdeta emphasised that the GSI offers both meaningful opportunities and important challenges for African states. On the one hand, the initiative widens the scope of Africa’s diplomatic and security partnerships, provides alternatives to traditional security cooperation frameworks, and links security initiatives with China’s broader portfolio of development financing, infrastructure investment, and emerging digital technologies. These features allow African countries to diversify their partnerships and access resources without governance-related conditionalities often associated with Western security assistance.
On the other hand, Dr. Abdeta cautioned that the GSI’s strong emphasis on state-centric approaches and its reliance on advanced surveillance and digital systems require careful scrutiny. Without robust national regulatory frameworks, transparent procurement processes, and inclusive political dialogue, he warned, African governments risk eroding civic space, deepening technological and financial dependencies, and weakening domestic accountability mechanisms. He stressed that African states must adopt a clear-eyed, strategic approach to engagement, ensuring that cooperation under the GSI aligns with their governance priorities, institutional capacities, and long-term stability objectives.
Turning specifically to the Horn of Africa, Dr. Abdeta described the subregion as a “critical testing ground” for the practical application of the GSI. Its geostrategic importance—linking the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indo-Pacific maritime corridors—combined with China’s expanding security presence and the competing interests of multiple external actors, make it a laboratory for China’s evolving security doctrine. He noted China’s growing role in maritime security operations, peacekeeping deployments, and selective mediation efforts. Yet he also underscored the risk that an approach overly focused on sovereignty and regime stability may inadvertently stall inclusive political dialogue or overlook the internal drivers of conflict in fragile states.
Dr. Abdeta concluded by calling for greater African agency and strategic autonomy in navigating an increasingly multipolar security landscape. External partnerships, including those with China, he argued, should reinforce—not replace—African-led mechanisms and continental frameworks. The ultimate objective, he insisted, must be to ensure that Africa’s engagement with global powers supports sustainable peace, democratic governance, and resilient state institutions across the continent.
