Continuing the Conversation
The Latest: Three Things to Know About the U.S.-Africa Partnership
USIP’s Joseph Sany explains what was accomplished at the USALS, what steps will be needed to further the summit’s objectives and the critical issues to be discussed at the forthcoming coming African Union Summit.
America Must Now Build the Partnership it Offered to Africa
A month after leaders from 49 African states returned home from the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, USIP's Ambassador Makila James focuses on the six steps that can help the United States go ‘all in on Africa’s future.’
Ask the Experts: What’s Next for U.S. Policy in Africa
Ambassador Johnnie Carson discusses the Biden administration’s post-summit goals, what African leaders hope to take away from the talks, and why this moment offers a unique chance to reframe the U.S. approach toward Africa.
The Latest @ USIP: African Youth Ambassadors on Youth, Peace and Security
Several of the African Union’s youth ambassadors explore how the summit offers a chance to build partnerships — especially at the local level — that promote youth-led peacebuilding efforts, as well as how African countries can draw on U.S. experience in addressing some of the major societal challenges facing African youth.
U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Amplifies African Civil Society Voices
USIP spoke with several participants of the summit’s Civil Society Forum to discuss the importance of peacebuilding for everyday Africans, the need to amplify marginalized voices in African politics and public life, and what the summit can do to help open up African societies to a more diverse array of contributions from their citizens.
What follows is expert analysis and commentary in the lead up to the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders summit.
The Importance of the Summit
- The Latest @ USIP: Africa’s Security Challenges
Interview with Retired Admiral James Foggo, who served as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. - America and Africa Need a New Partnership
The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit — and Africa’s ‘Agenda 2063’ — provide the opportunity. - Will the U.S.-Africa Summit Address U.N. Security Council Reform?
African leaders have long sought Security Council reform. With new momentum and U.S. support, it could finally come to fruition. - Leverage the Private Sector for a Durable Peace in Northern Mozambique
The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit provides a critical opportunity to bolster recent gains in Cabo Delgado. - Africans’ Views on the Key Issues: What African and U.S. Leaders Need to Know
Citizens’ views on challenges like climate change and democratic backsliding can help shape solutions. - 10 Things to Know about the U.S.-China Rivalry in Africa
The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit is about U.S. relations with the continent — but China sits in the background.
Coups and Transition to Civilian Governance
- The Latest: Africa’s Coups and Transitions
USIP experts Chris Kwaja, Joseph Sany, and Susan Stigant look at how several post-coup transitions have unfolded in Africa — as well as how the summit can help get them back on track. - How to Advance Peace and Stability in Coastal West Africa
Senior Study Group explores the threats to stability in the region and offers recommendations for U.S. policymakers. - Another Coup in the Sahel: Here’s a Way to Halt This Cycle
Burkina Faso shows a need for new policy—with ‘national dialogue’ at the center. - Chad’s National Dialogue Concludes Amid Uncertainties for the Transition
Questions over the process’s inclusivity loom large as Chad begins work of constitutional reform and elections.
Africa’s Peacebuilding Mechanisms
- Ethiopia’s civil war is raging. How can it get on track toward peace?
As the conflict enters its deadliest phase, U.S. leadership and collaboration with African partners are desperately needed to stop the slide. - 42 Months on, How Does Sudan’s Democracy Movement Endure?
Sudanese use old precedents, new methods and youth’s energy to keep demanding civilian rule. - In Senegal’s War-Torn Casamance, a Dialogue Builds Stability
A small town shows how to build the peace that can boost Senegal’s stabilizing role in West Africa.
Democracy and Elections
- U.S. and African Leaders Need to Focus on Democratization
This month’s summit conference can help reverse recent years’ setbacks to democracy in Africa. - The Latest @ USIP: What’s at Stake in Nigeria’s Elections?
Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, discusses how his team is working to ensure free, fair and credible elections. - What’s Next for Kenya After William Ruto’s Presidential Victory?
While Kenya faces a dire economic situation, Ruto’s biggest challenge may be overcoming the country’s legacy of ethnic politics. - Amid Nigeria’s Turmoil, an Election Could Alter its Democracy
International and domestic support for Nigeria’s election commission is urgent.
Women and Youth: Peace and Security
- The Latest @ USIP: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Women’s Inclusion in African Leadership
Interview with Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - Barriers for Young Women in Northern Nigeria
In answering calls to participate in their communities, young women confront systems designed for their exclusion. - A Kenyan Peacebuilder Explains What’s at Stake in Her Country’s Elections
Above all else, Kenyans want a peaceful election resulting in a new government that can address the country’s governance and economic woes.
Counterterrorism and Global Shocks
- Armed Actors and Environmental Peacebuilding
Lessons from Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo - Kenya: As Drought Deepens Land Conflicts, Peacebuilders Respond
Climate change is fueling violence among herding communities; a grassroots movement is creating solutions.
