Dakar hosts Rentrée numérique to address African digital sovereignty

The 5th edition of the Rentrée numérique is taking place in Dakar, Senegal, focusing on the theme “Digital technology at the heart of geostrategic dynamics: the African challenge.” The two-day event brings together decision-makers, experts, and entrepreneurs to discuss how the continent can utilize digital transformation as a lever for development, sovereignty, and stability.

Key topics include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data protection, and the reduction of technological dependency. During a keynote titled “From the chessboard to the rules of the game,” Professor Abdoullah Cissé argued that Africa must move beyond simply finding its place in the digital world to actively participating in the creation of its rules. The discussions emphasize the importance of managing digital infrastructure, such as undersea cables, satellites, and data centers, to ensure the continent becomes an instrument of power rather than a subject of external dependency.