Taking part in the 9th edition of the African Peace and Security Annual Conference (APSACO), organized by the Policy Center for the New South on June 19–20, 2025 in Rabat, Hélio Sanches advocated for greater cohesion among African states. For this former Secretary-General of the Cape Verdean government, who is also a lawyer and parliamentarian, the current global context—marked by significant geopolitical upheaval—offers a window of opportunity that Africa cannot afford to miss.
In response to the fragmentation of global power balances, Hélio Sanches called for stronger inter-African solidarity, enabling the continent to play a meaningful role in redefining international power dynamics. “It is time for Africa to see itself as a strategic bloc, capable of defending its interests in a world undergoing profound transformation,” he declared.
The Cape Verdean lawmaker also urged the members of ECOWAS to take a decisive step forward in regional integration. According to him, the West African economic community must equip itself with more robust decision-making tools in order to move beyond a purely consultative role and become a true engine of regional convergence.
Held under the theme “Africa Facing Global Uncertainties”, this 9th edition of APSACO brought together experts, researchers, political leaders, diplomats, military officials, and representatives of international organizations. The collective focus was on building lasting peace across the African continent in the face of a deeply unstable global environment.
In this context, Hélio Sanches’s address resonated as a call for strategic unity—at a time when Africa is urged to step out of the periphery and assert itself as a central actor in the emerging global order.
