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Med-Or Monthly Africa Report | September 2026
The September edition of the Med-Or Monthly Africa Report is now available
The Med-Or September Africa Report is out.
This month’s analysis opens with Umberto Tavolato’s editorial on the beginning of what can be dubbed the “Great Red Sea War”. It results from the convergence into a single confrontation of conflicts that have already consumed the Horn of Africa for years – from Somalia via Ethiopia and Eritrea to Sudan – compounded by Houthi disruptions across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The consequences extend far beyond geopolitics. As war inflates transport and insurance costs, trade between Europe, Asia and East Africa is increasingly diverted away from Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, increasing pressure on East African exporters and making new strategic spaces emerge. Wars redraw political maps. Increasingly, markets are redrawing them too.
The September Report also covers five key developments shaping the continent this month:
- Chepkorir Sambu on how existing conflicts in the Horn of Africa – including Ethiopia and Sudan – are taking on new dimensions as Houthi attacks intensify in the Red Sea, contributing to growing insecurity across the broader region
- Corrado Čok on the obstacles to the peace process between the Congolese government and the Rwanda-backed M23/AFC, amid continued external involvement in eastern DRC
- Matilde Vecchioni on the domestic challenges to General Tchiani’s regime in Niger following a major coup attempt and the role played by foreign guarantors – mainly Russia
- Francesco Meriano on Algeria’s decision to break ties with the United Arab Emirates, amid diverging regional allegiances and growing Gulf tensions
- Luciano Pollichieni on Mozambique navigating a turbulent phase of political turmoil, and the profound implications of its gas reserves for global energy markets
As in the July edition, the Africa Report includes a section dedicated to updates on the main initiatives of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa. The September edition focuses on Enel’s new wind farm cluster in Impofu, South Africa, reflecting the spirit of Italy-Africa cooperation.
Lastly, the photo gallery covers Med-Or’s activities between August and September, including the signing of a MoU between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Med-Or, laying the foundations for future cooperation; Med-Or’s participation in the annual conference organised by the Puntland Development and Research Center (PDRC) in Garowe, Somalia; a meeting with a leading coffee company in Kenya to discuss opportunities in the local coffee industry; Bonifiche Ferraresi’s inauguration of the Institute of Advanced Science for Agriculture (IASA), a Mattei Plan initiative providing advanced education to talented African students; and Med-Or’s participation in a discussion on critical raw materials and related scientific cooperation between Italy and Africa at RemTech Expo 2026.
Please read the full report below in both mobile and print versions.
