Why cybersafety matters in the African Union–European Union partnership

‘We are working with government ministries to make sure that our support reflects the scale of current threats’Originally published on Global VoicesVisit of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to Angola. Image by European Union on the EU website (CC BY 4.0). When an investigative journalist in Africa follows a corruption trail, the danger no longer ends with physical threats. Their devices become targets for spyware, silent monitoring, and online attacks that expose sensitive information.

Reporters Without Borders warned in its recent reviews that journalists across the region increasingly face digital surveillance and online harassment. This trend threatens their work as much as traditional forms of intimidation. Kenya has recorded similar concerns. The national cyber-incident response team detected more than 4.5 billion cyber-attacks in three months, evidence of the scale of the threat across the region.

These incidents show that digital insecurity is no longer a distant or technical issue. It affects individuals, institutions, and essential democratic processes. This rising pressure shaped the mood at the recent African Union–European Union Summit in Luanda, Angola, last month. Leaders discussed peace, security, and digital transformation, yet the pace of digital threats raised a clear question.

If the partnership is to remain effective, experts say that cyber-safety must be at the center of its agenda. A continent under pressure Africa’s digital growth continues to expand as more services move online. This progress has also created new forms of exposure. The scale of attacks recorded in Kenya, where billions of threat events were detected within a single quarter, reflects a wider regional pattern.

Interpol’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2025 shows that similar threats are spreading across the continent and increasingly affect critical sectors, including health systems, telecommunications networks, and public administration. The report notes that attackers exploit weak systems and uneven readiness, which makes recovery slow and costly for many states. It highlights a rise in intrusions linked to criminal groups and coordinated actors who take advantage of gaps in digital governance. The number of people coming online continues to grow, but protection has not kept pace.

The International Telecommunication Union reports that access remains uneven, especially for women who face a wide digital gender gap across the continent. Lower access and limited digital literacy leave many women vulnerable to misinformation, identity misuse, and online violence. These inequalities show that safety and inclusion remain central to Africa’s digital future. Cybersecurity companies also record rising threats.

A 2025 Kaspersky review highlights increases in malware infections, data breaches, and system-wide attacks that affect both established institutions and community organisations. With fewer than 25,000 certified cybersecurity professionals serving a population of more than 1 billion, many countries face these challenges with limited capacity.

This creates conditions where digital opportunity and digital risk now move side by side. What the Luanda summit covered The African Union(AU)–European Union(EU) Summit in Luanda brought together leaders who recognized that digital transformation now shapes political, social, and economic life across both regions.

Discussions covered peace, security, data protection, connectivity, innovation hubs, and training for young people. Although the agenda focused on long-term goals, the scale of cyber threats gave the digital sessions greater urgency and showed the need for joint action.

European officials highlighted ongoing work under the Global Gateway agenda, which aims to improve digital infrastructure and support inclusive development. In an interview at the summit, Mathieu Briens, Director for Africa at the European External Action Service (EEAS), explained that the initiative operates at continental, regional, and national levels depending on the priorities African partners identify.

He noted that digital growth must reach rural communities and stated that women and girls need safe online spaces where they can participate without fear. Henriette Geiger, Ambassador of the European Union to Kenya, also addressed these issues during the summit. She noted that cybersecurity now guides EU-Kenya engagement. She said, “We are working with government ministries to make sure that our support reflects the scale of current threats.” Her remarks highlighted the need for robust safeguards in an expanding digital environment.

These discussions showed that digital cooperation is no longer a specialised subject. It touches democratic participation, economic opportunity, social inclusion, and human rights. Leaders expressed interest in expanding digital systems. The sessions also made clear that safety and readiness must remain central if both regions are to build a secure and inclusive digital future.

Why cyber-safety must be people-centered Online violence against women came into focus as the summit opened during the sixteen days of activism. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, Special Envoy to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, described the hostility women face in digital spaces and noted that the attacks intensify when they take leadership roles.

She observed that this pressure discourages many women from speaking online. She encouraged them to share their stories with confidence and affirmed that the African Union (AU) has established networks to support women facing harm.

Her remarks reflected wider regional concerns. Research shows that women are less likely to access the Internet than men and face higher exposure to harassment once they are online. These conditions limit participation and restrict leadership. Stronger digital protection is therefore essential for inclusion and public engagement.

The need for cooperation becomes clearer when the starting points of the two regions are compared. Europe has established regulatory systems such as the NIS2 Directive and stronger institutional capacity in cybersecurity. Many African countries continue to build their systems while threats rise. Financial support alone cannot bridge this gap.

Effective partnership calls for shared planning, shared standards, and sustained investment in long-term capacity. The conversations in Luanda showed that cybersafety influences daily life in ways that reach beyond the technical field. It influences the ability to speak, organise, work, and participate in public affairs. Without stronger protection, digital transformation will not benefit everyone.

The partnership now carries an opportunity to guide a safer and more inclusive digital future. This can only be achieved when women, youth, journalists, and local communities remain at the center of policy decisions. The need is clear. The next step is to see how both regions act on these commitments.

Written by Cecilia Maundu