The paper examines through a legal analysis of some articles of the Cote d’Ivoire Stepping Stone Agreement, how ECOWAS can strengthened its approach in negotiating a comprehensive EPA for the region. These articles are scrutinized with a special focus on market access as to point out fields that need to be re-thinked with regard objectives set out in the agreement. It is argue that current bilateral and multilateral Trade and Investment Agreements are shrinking in their legal framework the policy space need for development in countries that need it the most. This study, underlines the fact that the legal provisions contain in the Cote d’Ivoire IEPA do reduce actually its ability to set up policies tool aim at achieving development goals. It is the sustainability of the IEPA legal provisions that is questioned under this topic with regard to sensitive issues such as the safeguard measures, the stand still clause, the MFN clause, the Rules of Origin etc….. In so doing, the analysis reveals as well the ambiguity of the IEPA relationship with the Cotonou Agreement and the multilateral trade rules of the WTO. This ambiguity is highlighted in an attempt to drawn the attention of the region on the fact that; if there is indeed a need to update the Economic Partnership Agreement currently negotiating with the EC, this cannot be done without first of all updating the negotiating approach of the region. In fact, its weak bargaining approach coupled with that overwhelming of the EC has resulted in the agreement currently on the table. Substantial changes can be made with this regard by acknowledging the insufficiencies in the legal framework of the IEPA but also in learning lesson from mistakes the region itself and Cote d’Ivoire have done in negotiating EPAs and its Interim version. Thus, since EPAs often triggered the debate on liberalization and what it may carry in terms of consequences on developing countries’ economies, examples of countries that took a different step toward liberalization and whose current situation may be use as a testimony by ECOWAS are quoted. Finally, propositions are made to ECOWAS region as to enlarge current development space while battling for more flexibility under the EPA. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

Located in the south of the Moroccan Sahara, the Adrar Souttouf Massif is the northern continuation of the Mauritanides at the western margin of the West African Craton. The massif itself exhibits a complex polyphase geologic history and contains four geologically different, SSW-NNE trending main units named from west to east: Oued Togba, Sebkha Gezmayet, Dayet Lawda, Sebkha Matallah. They are thrusted over each other in thin-skinned nappes with local windows of the discordantly overlain Archaean Reguibat basement. The eastern margin of the massif is bordered by the Tiris and Tasiast-Tijirit areas of the Reguibat Shield as well as its (par-) autochthonous Palaeozoic cover sequence, termed Dhloat Ensour unit. More than 5.500 U-Th-Pb age determinations and over 1.000 Hf isotopic measurements on single zircon grains from igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks of all the massifs units and its vicinity have yet been obtained. Most of the zircons were studied with respect to their morphological features. This method improves the accuracy of provenance studies by detecting varying zircon morphologies in space and time. These data are accompanied by U-Th-Pb age determinations on apatite as well as rutile. Together, they allow proposing a model of the geologic evolution of this poorly mapped area for the last 635 Ma. A combination of the obtained data with extensive zircon age databases of the surrounding cratons and terranes facilitates continental-scaled palaeogeographic reconstructions. Regarding the geologic evolution of the Adrar Souttouf Massif, the assembly of the first units began prior to 635 Ma. Although containing all the major zircon age and Hf-isotope populations of the West African Craton as well as some Mesoproterozoic grains, the Sebkha Gezmayet unit lies to the west of the Dayet Lawda unit of oceanic island arc composition. Hence, the Sebkha Gezmayet unit must have been rifted away from the craton prior to the formation of the oceanic unit within the West African Neoproterozoic Ocean at about 635 Ma. Recently published Hf and zircon age data of this unit suggest that the island arc was derived from a juvenile mantle source. Subsequently, the accretion of precursors of the Oued Togba and Sebkha Gezmayet units as well as a partial obduction of the oceanic Dayet Lawda unit and the Neoproterozoic sediments of a foreland basin (Sebkha Matallah unit) onto the Reguibat Shield took place. Peak metamorphism in the obducted oceanic rocks was reached at about 605 Ma. Magmatism in the western units between 610 and 570 Ma suggests on-going tectonic activity. The Early and Middle Cambrian is characterised by the erosion of the Ediacaran orogen and deposition of thick sedimentary sequences at the Sebkha Matallah unit, which acted as foreland basin. These sediments show a mostly West African zircon record with only some Mesoproterozoic grains provided by the westernmost parts of the massif. Initial rifting of the Oued Togba and Sebkha Gezmayet units from the remaining areas presumably occurred during the Late Cambrian. Coeval granitoid intrusions occurred on both sides of the rift. The two rifted units were likely involved to the polyphased Appalachian orogenies, which is emphasised by Devonian magmatism. Thus, and with respect to the isotopic data, the Oued Togba unit is interpreted to be of Avalonia affinity, while the Sebkha Gezmayet unit can likely be linked to Meguma. The units which remained at the West African Craton underwent intense sediment recycling during the entire Ordovician to Devonian times. Final accretion of all units and formation of the current massif was achieved during the Variscan-Alleghanian orogeny. This was accompanied by magmatism in the Sebkha Gezmayet unit and intense metamorphism of the Reguibat basement, whose zircons often show lower discordia intercepts of Carboniferous or Permian age. The post-Variscan period is characterised by erosion of the orogen and subjacent alternating cycles of sedimentation and deflation. The Adrar Souttouf Massifs importance for palaeogeographic reconstructions is given by the striking differences in the zircon age and Hf-isotope record of its westernmost Oued Togba unit and the remaining area. The results obtained from the Oued Togba unit resemble the published data of the Avalonia type terranes including prominent Mesoproterozoic, Ediacaran-Early Cambrian, as well as Early Devonian age populations. Many Mesoproterozoic zircons, which are exotic for the West African Craton prior to 635 Ma, form a ca. 1.20 to 1.25 Ga age peak that is an excellent tracer for detrital provenance studies and source craton identification of the sedimentary rocks. This is also valid for some sedimentary samples that do not show ages younger than 700 Ma, but large quantities of Mesoproterozoic zircon. These rocks can be correlated to similar sediments in Mauritania and W-Avalonia and are thought to be of pre-pan-African", i.e. pre-Ediacaran or even pre-Cryogenian age. They may give direct insights to the source area in Early to Mid Neoproterozoic times. Accordingly, comparison with published data of Amazonia and Baltica, allows setting up new hypotheses for the pre-Ediacaran history of the Avalonian type terranes. Lacking of magmatism in Amazonia between ca. 1200 and ca. 1300 Ma favours Baltica as source craton for the Avalonian terranes and requires a new point of view for the Neoproterozoic palaeogeography.

No description available.

This thesis is a revised history of the Royal Niger Company. It seeks to include perspectives and narratives missing from the company's history. These are the contribution of its African employees to the company's trading and military operations as well as the link between the company's need for managers and skilled artisans that could work in the disease climate of the Niger with the rise of a new social class in West Africa. This class here, referred to as Anglicized Africans, came into existence as Africans acquired western education and artisan training in missionary schools on the West Coast of Africa. Without the Anglicized Africans, maintaining trading stations and steam vessels on the Niger would not have been possible. At the same time, working for the company gave Anglicized Africans opportunities for material and social advancement not available to other indigenous people. The Anglicized Africans who worked with the RNC in the early colonial phase of company rule would later play a critical role in colonial politics and anti-colonial nationalism. This study draws attention to their antecedents to help us better understand their later role in the colonial and post-colonial states. The thesis also explores how the company's operations affected existing social and political structures in West Africa. The most significant conflicts were the company's wars with the Nembe Kingdom and the Sokoto Caliphate. The internal political changes within the Nembe Kingdom due to the Akassa War have not been discussed in previous company histories. This revised history of the company explains how conflict with the RNC caused the balance of power within the Nembe state to shift to a previously marginalized Christian faction led by Anglicized Africans. The thesis also expands on the company's operation of a fully functioning army of African and European soldiers, the largest British fighting force on the Niger from 1886 to 1899. The tactics and strategy of this semi-autonomous military force are explored for the first time, and the integration of the Constabulary into the West African Frontier Force is covered in more detail than has previously been done. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This thesis is a revised history of the Royal Niger Company. It seeks to include perspectives and narratives missing from the company's history. Previous histories of the company have not sufficiently included the perspectives of the Africans who interacted with the company as employees, customers, competitors, and adversaries. This dissertation seeks to remedy this problem by using archival sources to glean information about the lives and perspectives of these Africans. It also covers the conflicts between the company and indigenous polities, especially the Akassa War, in more detail than has previously been done. It also seeks to clarify the somewhat muddled history of the transition of the Royal Niger Constabulary into the West African Frontier Force. The Constabulary was a precursor of the Frontier Force, and the transition of its personnel and traditions into the new force is one of the lasting legacies of the company.

No description available.

No description available.

This thesis provides an assessment of monetary integration in the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) focusing upon its feasibility and trade implications, in order to inform policy about the group’s deep integration scheme. The first aspect of the original contribution of the thesis focuses on one of the main issues in the debate of the monetary union in the WAMZ, namely the degree of asymmetry in macroeconomic shocks. The study examines the real effective exchange rate (REER) behaviour among the prospective candidates to assess the degree of potential costs of giving up monetary policy autonomy. The evidence reported from VECM, impulse response and variance decomposition analysis points to heterogeneous economies. Therefore, idiosyncratic shocks imply the need for different policy responses to adjust to macroeconomic shocks. The findings strengthen the case for policy autonomy in the region. The second aspect of original contribution of the thesis evaluates the potential effect of a common currency on trade among WAMZ member countries. Using the existing currency union in ECOWAS, the CFA franc zone, the chapter estimates the effect of a common currency on bilateral trade over the period 1980-2016 using the gravity model. The main conclusion reached is that membership of the CFA franc zone has promoted bilateral trade among members by 60%. The findings support the hypothesis that a common currency increases bilateral trade, which is a helpful guide for a WAMZ monetary union. In summary, the thesis demonstrates that in the long term, a common currency would promote intra-community trade, but at present, a monetary union is not feasible due to asymmetric macroeconomic shocks. Therefore WAMZ deep integration scheme would require members instituting adequate alternative adjustment mechanisms such as fiscal transfer schemes. / Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for the financial support and Division of Economics (now Accounting, Finance and Economics Group) for the offering of the Graduate Teaching Assistant Studentship

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the aftermath of the Second World War, the development challenges facing Third World countries - those that were independent, those emerging from colonialism and those still under colonialism - led to the proliferation of bilateral and multilateral development institutions. These institutions were intended to assist the developing countries in terms of the provision of both human (technical) skills and material resources as well as to formulate programmes that would promote co-operation for socio-economic development and transformation. If the enormous development problems facing Africa including poverty, hunger, disease can be alleviated, then multilateral institutions have a major role to play in its scientific and technological development as well as in helping to create the appropriate institutional mechanisms for regional and sub-regional co-operation in science and technology (S&T) in Africa. The United Nations system, including UN-affiliated institutions, has therefore come to represent the best hope of realising the dream of most developing countries in their quest for development, due to its institutional capacity to provide development assistance as well as influence the international development agenda which affects Africa. For example, among the institutions in this study, the World Bank Group remains the biggest donor organisation in terms of the funding of development projects and programmes. UNESCO has a leading role as the UN agency whose mandate relates directly to S&T development and peace. The ECA is the representative body of the UN in Africa and therefore able to influence the direction of development policy and programmes. Similarly, the need to develop also led African countries to establish their own regional and sub-regional institutions for co-operation to draw together both human and material resources. However, the development issues discussed and promoted in the developing world over the years have focused more on national income, terms of trade, market access and in recent times on structural adjustment and poverty reduction strategy programmes. But the most important aspect of the development process - the knowledge capability gap (in terms of S&T) - has been much neglected especially at the regional and sub-regional levels. Therefore, in using regional and sub-regional levels of analyses, the research project looks at the programmes supported by the following institutions: the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the African Development Bank (AIDB), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Thus the study uses a theorydriven evaluation based on INEXSK (INfrastructure, EXperience and Skills, and Knowledge) approach broadly, to investigate the extent to which these multilateral institutions live up to their stated goals of improving the knowledge base for development in the African continent. An important aspect of the study also entails a historical review of science, technology and institutional co-operation in Africa. Furthermore, an important outcome of the study reveals the lack of functional regional and sub-regional organisational frameworks to promote rigorous scientific and technological research and development in the African continent, except for a few centres and programmes supported by some multilateral and bilateral institutions including NGOs. In spite of many years of structural adjustment the World Bank's lending for S&T has marginalised African countries; while the AIDB support for S&T and regional programmes is woefully inadequate. This is a momentous task it has to address if the NEP AD Initiative is to be successful in the years ahead. To guide future initiatives the study draws on the lessons and experiences of the European Union's and the Association of South East Asian Nations' (ASEAN) regional scientific and technology co-operation programmes. The study advocates a knowledge-based development paradigm, which is transnational in approach, and it makes specific recommendations for regional and sub-regional programmes and strategies to promote the socio-economic development and transformation of Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: OPSOMMING Ná afloop van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog het Derde Wêreldlande - dié reeds onafhanklik, óf besig om kolonialisme af te skud, óf nog steeds onder 'n koloniale moondheid se bewind - sekere ontwikkelingstruikelblokke en -uitdagings in die gesig gestaar. Dit het gelei tot die totstandkoming van verskeie bilaterale en multilaterale ontwikkelingsinstellings. Die doel met sulke instellings se hulpverlening aan ontwikkelende lande was drieledig: om tegniese vaardighede aan te bied; om materiële hulpmiddele te verskaf; en om programme, wat samewerking vir sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling en transformasie sou bevorder, te formuleer. Indien die las van die geweldige ontwikkelingsprobleme in Afrika (insluitend armoede, hongersnood en siektes) verlig sou kon word, het multilaterale instellings 'n belangrike rol om te vervul: om te help met, enersyds, die wetenskaplike en tegnologiese ontwikkeling van die kontinent, en andersyds die ontwikkeling van toepaslike institusionele meganismes vir streek- en sub-streeksamewerking in wetenskap en tegnologie (W&T). As gevolg van die Verenigde Nasies se institusionele kapasiteit om ontwikkelingshulp te verskaf, asook om die internasionale ontwikkelingsagenda te beïnvloed, verteenwoordig dié stelsel die beste hoop van die meeste ontwikkelende lande om hulle ontwikkelingsdrome te verwesenlik. Van die instellings wat by die VN geaffillieer is, en wat in hierdie ondersoek geëvalueer word, is die Wêreldbankgroep, die grootste skenkerorganisasie vir die befondsing van ontwikkelingsprogramme en -projekte. So ook het UNESCO 'n leiersrol as die VN agentskap van wie die mandaat direk betrekking het op die ontwikkeling van W&T. Die EKA is die liggaam wat Afrika verteenwoordig by die VN, en beïnvloed daarom die koers van ontwikkelingsbeleid en -programme. Die noodsaak om die kontinent te ontwikkel het ook gelei daartoe dat Afrikalande hulle eie streek- en sub-streekliggame, wat menslike en materiële hulpbronne bymekaar bring, begin stig het. Die ontwikkelingskwessies wat oor die jare in die ontwikkelende wêreld bespreek en aangemoedig is, het egter meer en meer gefokus op nasionale inkomste, handelsvoorwaardes, toegang tot markte en, in die afgelope tyd, strukturele aanpassings en armoede verligtingstrategie programme. Die belangrikste deel van die ontwikkelingsproses - die vernouing van die kennisgaping in W&T - is gevolglik afgeskeep, veral op streek- en substreekvlak. Hierdie navorsingsprojek analiseer dus, op streek- en sub-streekvlak, ontwikkelingsprogramme wat deur die volgende instansies ondersteun word: die Verenigde Nasies se Opvoedkundige, Wetenskaplike en Kulturele Organisasie (UNESCO), die Wêreldbank, die Verenigde Nasies se Ekonomiese Kommissie vir Afrika (EKA), die Organisasie vir Afrika-eenheid (OAE), die Ontwikkelingsbank van Afrika, die Suider- Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap en die Ekonomiese Gemeenskap van Wes-Afrikaanse State. Die navorsing gebruik 'n teorie-gedrewe evaluering gebaseer op 'n INEXSK ("INfrastructure, EXperience and Skills, and Knowlege") benadering, om te bepaal in watter mate hierdie multilaterale instellings hulle doelwitte, met betrekking tot die verbetering van die kennisbasis vir ontwikkeling van die Afrika-kontinent, bereik. 'n Historiese oorsig van die wetenskaplike, tegnologiese en institusionele samewerking in Afrika vorm 'n belangrike deel van die navorsingsverslag. Die navorsing dui ook op 'n gebrek aan funksionele organisatoriese raamwerke om op streek en sub-streekvlak streng wetenskaplike en tegnologiese navorsing en ontwikkeling aan te wakker en te bevorder. (Daar is darem 'n paar noemenswaardige uitsonderings van sentra en programme wat deur party van die bilaterale en multilaterale instellings ondersteun word.) Ten spyte van strukturele aanpassings wat oor baie jare plaasgevind het, het die Wêreldbank se lenings vir W&T Afrikalande gemarginaliseer; en die Ontwikkelingsbank van Afrika se ondersteuning vir W&T en streeksprogramme is heeltemal ontoereikend. Daar is 'n geweldige taak wat in die toekoms aangespreek moet word indien die NEPAD inisiatief hoop om suksesvol te wees. Die verslag gebruik die lesse en ervarings van die Europese Unie en die Vereniging van Suid- Asiatiese Lande se streeksamewerkingsprogramme vir wetenskap en tegnologie as rigtingwyser vir toekomstige inisiatiewe. Die verslag beveel 'n transnasionale kennisgebaseerde ontwikkelingsparadigma aan, en maak spesifieke aanbevelings vir streek en sub-streekprogramme en strategieë om die sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling en transformasie van Afrika te bevorder.

Ce travail analyse la construction de la politique d’immigration en Espagne à travers le cas desmigrations ouest-africaines, un révélateur privilégié des ambiguïtés et ambivalences qui latraversent. Dans le contexte du retournement des flux migratoires qui transforme l’Espagne en unedestination de plus en plus importante, nous abordons la mise en place compliquée d’une politiquenationale qui, dès sa naissance en 1985, doit conjuguer les obligations européennes et les intérêtsinternes. Nous étudions comment la virulente politisation de la question migratoire, en 2000,constitue un moment clé dans le développement de la politique espagnole, en modifiant d’abord leprocessus d’européanisation. L’Espagne, qui initialement est un récepteur passif de normes etpratiques européennes, se transforme ainsi en une actrice clé dans l’UE en matière d’immigration,tant par son adhésion à la sécurisation de l’immigration, que par son rôle dans le processusd’internationalisation des enjeux, où son action vis-à-vis du continent africain devient unarchétype. Nous analysons ainsi le développement du volet extérieur de la politique espagnole qui,par une focalisation exacerbée sur les flux subsahariens, impulse une diffusion poussée des enjeuxmigratoires dans les rapports avec l’Afrique. La réévaluation et revalorisation des relations del’Espagne avec le Maroc, en tant qu’espace de transit des flux, et le réengagement conséquent enAfrique de l’Ouest, à la suite du Plan Afrique, témoignent du rôle du continent africain commeterrain d’expression privilégié de l’externalisation du contrôle des flux. Le décryptage de cerégime euro-africain des migrations en essor, ainsi que de sa négociation, permet de saisir enprofondeur les conséquences et les effets collatéraux de cette politique. / This project aims to analyse the development of Spanish immigration policy through the caseof West African migrations which significantly reveals the ambiguous and ambivalent nature ofthe policy. In the context of migratory flows reversal, Spain has become an increasingly importantdestination for immigrants, so I wish to address the complicated implementation of a nationalpolicy which, from its birth in 1985, has had to reconcile EU obligations with internal interests. Ishall look at how the virulent politicisation of immigration issues in 2000 not only represents akey moment in the development of Spanish policy, but Europeanization process as well. Thesignificance of this is that Spain, a country which was at first a passive recipient of Europeannorms and practices, steadily became a central actor in the key debates and issues surroundingimmigration in the EU. These include the Spanish alignment to the securitisation process ofimmigration as well as becoming a model in the internationalisation of immigration policythrough its action towards the African continent. I will also analyse the development of theexternal dimension of Spanish policy, which through an exacerbated focus on sub-Saharanimmigration leads to a widespread effect of the migratory issues in its dealings with Africa. Thereassessment and consequent improvement of Spanish relations with Morocco was a crucialmoment due to the country’s strategic importance as a “transit zone” to Europe. This trendcontinued with the consequent re-engagement in West Africa following the Africa Plan which Ibelieve reflects the role of the African continent as a privileged field of expression towards theexternalisation of migratory flows control. The deciphering of this emerging Euro-Africanframework of migration governance and its negotiation help us to fully comprehend theconsequences and collateral effects of this policy.

La dynamique des cratons reste, encore actuellement, énigmatique dans la mesure où ceux-ci sont souvent considérés comme des domaines stables à l’échelle des temps géologiques. Dans ce travail, nous avons reconstitué l’évolution d’un des plus grands cratons, le Craton Ouest Africain. Nous nous sommes également penchés sur l’étude de ses bordures nord et ouest (Anti-Atlas et marge atlantique respectivement). Cette étude utilise les méthodes de thermochronologie basse-température (traces de fission et (U-Th-Sm)/He sur apatite) ainsi que la géologie structurale. Le choix de ce craton est justifié par les multiples contextes géologiques dont témoignent ses bordures au cours du Phanérozoïque (plateforme, avant-pays distal, marge passive). Ces contextes variés au cours du temps en font donc une cible idéale pour évaluer l’influence des diverses forces susceptibles d’affecter le craton.Tout d’abord, suite à une subsidence importante au cours du Paléozoïque, le craton enregistre un refroidissement important entre le Jurassique supérieur et le Crétacé inférieur, postérieurement à l’ouverture de l’Atlantique Central. Cet événement n’est pas directement lié aux seuls processus affectant les marges passives puisque non seulement la marge est affectée, mais aussi l’intérieur du craton (jusque 800 km à l’intérieur des terres) et le domaine mobile non-cratonique au Nord. Ce refroidissement traduit une phase d’exhumation kilométrique qui permet alors le dépôt d’une épaisse séquence détritique sur la plateforme saharienne. L’hypothèse d’un raccourcissement comme explication n’est pas valide et l’hypothèse d’une anomalie thermique mantellique à cette époque rend mieux compte de cet événement d’érosion majeur. L’hypothèse thermique possède un autre avantage : celui de rendre compte du réchauffement qui suivit à l’Apto-Albien et au début du Crétacé supérieur, à la fois par le craton mais aussi par ses bordures, par le biais de la subsidence thermique.Deuxièmement, à partir du Crétacé supérieur, la tendance générale est au refroidissement dans toute la région étudiée, synchrone avec l’initiation de la convergence Afrique/Europe. La chaîne du Haut Atlas au Maroc représente à ce moment un témoin privilégié des déformations se produisant pendant le Cénozoïque. Nous avons déterminé un calendrier tectonique précis dans l’avant-pays méridional de la chaîne, afin d’avoir un point de comparaison avec l’enregistrement cratonique. Ainsi, une première phase tectonique se déroule à l’Eocène supérieur. Celle-ci fait écho à un événement de déformation de plus grande échelle qui affecte toute le craton, résultant sans doute d’une réorganisation de grande ampleur dans la dynamique de la convergence. La phase récente Plio-Quaternaire est bien décrite à l’échelle de l’Afrique du Nord dans la chaîne Atlasique, mais pourrait s’avérer trop récente pour pouvoir être décelée par nos thermochronomètres à l’intérieur du domaine cratonique. Enfin, une phase de soulèvement spécifique au domaine atlasique marocain est enregistrée pendant le Miocène inférieur-moyen et met en place des nappes dans la chaîne. Les thermochronomètres basse-température ne la détectent pas à l’intérieur du craton, et elle pourrait donc être géographiquement restreinte au domaine atlasique.Ce travail a démontré que l’absence de sédiments au cours du Méso-Cénozoïque, qui en première approche font de ce craton une zone dite « stable », occulte une réalité géologique autre, faite de la succession de plusieurs phases épeirogéniques. Une évaluation des processus à l’œuvre permet de proposer que les phénomènes mantelliques ainsi que les transferts de contraintes sont des acteurs majeurs à l’origine de ces mouvements. Néanmoins, la juste contribution de chacun de ces processus nécessite encore un travail approfondi. / The dynamic evolution of cratonic domains remains enigmatic as they are usually considered as stable through geological times. In this work, we unraveled the evolution of one of the largest cratonic area, the West African Craton (WAC), and its north and west boundaries (Anti-Atlas and Atlantic passive margin, respectively), through low-temperature thermochronology (apatite fission-track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology) and structural geology. The WAC was studied since its boundaries witnessed many different geological settings (platform, distal foreland, passive margin) during the Phanerozoic, making it a good candidate to evaluate the various driving forces acting on the craton.First, after a continuous Paleozoic subsidence, the craton records the most important cooling event between Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, postdating the onset of the Central Atlantic Ocean spreading. This event is unrelated to the sole passive margin in itself and affected both the craton (up to 800 km inland) and the mobile boundary in the north (Anti-Atlas and High Atlas). It represents kilometer-scale erosion that led to the deposition of thick detrital formations, the red beds, across the whole Saharan platform. This event is not characterized by shortening and is better explained through a mantle-related thermal anomaly during this exhumation. The thermal hypothesis explains the subsequent thermal subsidence undergone by the craton and its north boundary during the Aptian-Albian and the early stages of the Late Cretaceous.Second, from Late Cretaceous onward, dominant cooling trend has imprinted the thermal histories of the studied region, coevally with the onset of the Africa/Europe convergence.The High Atlas belt in Morocco is an accurate witness of the deformations occurring during Cenozoic times. We determined the precise tectonic schedule in the southern foreland of the belt and compared this evolution with the cratonic one. We show that the first Eocene tectonic event echoes to a major craton-scale deformation and results probably from a significant geodynamic change in the convergence zone. The Pliocene-Quaternary phase, well known at the North African scale, is only recorded in the Atlas belt, but might be too recent to have significantly imprinted the thermochronological record inside the craton. Finally, another uplift specific to the Moroccan Atlas Belt during Early to Middle Miocene led to the emplacement of tectonic nappes. This event is not recorded by LTT on the craton and may be restricted to its mobile boundary.This work demonstrates that, despite the lack of Mesozoic-Cenozoic sediment record that may advocate for a stable geological history, the West African Craton suffered significant epeirogenies during this period. Deep seated processes as well as stress transmission prove to be good candidates to account for these cratonic motions, although further work is needed to unravel the exact contribution of these various processes.