After more than two decades of multiple civilian and military missions and operations in Africa aimed at crisis management, capacity building, and stabilization, the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is facing a critical juncture. While past interventions have come to demonstrate the EU's operational maturity, persistent structural weaknesses in terms of mandates, funding, coordination among member states and alignment with local priorities, have also led to gloomier assessments over their overall effectiveness. Increased competition with other security providers like Russia, China, or Turkey, has further deteriorated conditions on the ground and compromised the continuance of previous flagship initiatives. This paper builds upon the present transition period by taking stock of past deployment of missions in the African continent and comparing recent cases of CSDP transformation within the Gulf of Guinea and Mozambique to antecipate emerging trends. I argue that the search for new frameworks/acronyms underscores the prevailing aim to lock down an approach that simultaneouly enhances operational flexibility, fosters greater local legitimacy, and addresses the root causes of instability. A recalibrated, integrated, and politically agile CSDP, however, requires a more equitable and sustainable balance between European strategic interests and African security positions.

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• Political Science - Social Sciences