In January 2026, the United States announced its withdrawal from 66 international organizations and treaties, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
The State Department explained the move bluntly: “The United States will no longer participate in wasteful, ineffective, or harmful international organisations that undermine our sovereignty and fail to serve our national interests.”
This sweeping retreat signals a deliberate shift away from multilateral cooperation. For Africa, it is not just a geopolitical headline; it is a reminder that global governance is shifting, and regions like ours must step forward to protect and advance digital rights, inclusion, and freedom.
AI Risks and Digital Democracy
According to CIPESA’s State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2025, artificial intelligence is already reshaping civic space across the continent. The report warns, “Without a deliberate, proactive, and rights-based approach to AI governance in Africa that is inclusive, transparent, and contextually relevant, AI risks becoming a powerful tool that deepens existing inequalities, facilitates authoritarian control, and fundamentally undermines democratic values and human rights.”
Key findings include:
- Positive Potential: AI is improving public service delivery, fact-checking, and advocacy.
- Negative Impacts: AI-generated disinformation, poor content moderation, and algorithmic bias are shrinking civic space.
- Surveillance Risks: AI-powered facial recognition and predictive policing are expanding state surveillance.
- Regulatory Gaps: Most African countries lack comprehensive AI legislation, leaving rights unprotected.
CIPESA concludes that governments are at a crossroads: they can harness AI for empowerment or deploy it as a tool of digital authoritarianism.
State of the Internet in Kenya 2020–2024: Progress, Challenges, and Digital Rights Under Pressure
Funding Under Siege
At the same time, African civil society faces a funding crisis. KICTANet’s 2025 Africa Tech Policy Summit revealed that geopolitical shifts—tariff wars, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and donor fatigue—are reshaping priorities.
Rose Maruru of EPIC-Africa captured the urgency: “The sector is under siege… funding that we have relied on is also being cut.” A survey of nearly 400 organisations found massive losses, with some losing up to 75% of their annual budgets.
Grace Githaiga, CEO of KICTANet, added: “We convene at a critical moment because the global landscape is rapidly evolving… These dynamics have profound implications for digital rights, especially in Africa.”
The message is clear: without diversified funding and stronger local partnerships, advocacy risks collapsing just when it is most needed.
Why Africa Must Step Forward
The convergence of U.S. withdrawal and funding volatility creates both risks and opportunities:
- Leadership Opportunity: Africa can assert influence in shaping global digital norms through frameworks like the AU Continental AI Strategy.
- Civil Society Power: Local coalitions must fill governance gaps left by U.S. disengagement and donor retreat.
- Resilience Imperative: Diversified funding, stronger local partnerships, and innovative sustainability models are essential.
This is Africa’s moment to move from being policy takers to policy shapers.
The U.S. retreat and donor volatility are more than diplomatic manoeuvres; they are a call to action for Africa. As CIPESA reminds us, AI can empower civic space or entrench authoritarianism. As KICTANet warns, funding cuts threaten the very survival of advocacy organisations.
If the U.S. is stepping back and donors are turning inward, Africa must step forward. The future of digital rights depends on it.
