Africa Center Commentary & Analysis

US Strikes on ISIS in Somalia Underscore Threat, Vulnerabilities

By J. Peter Pham

On November 3, the United States carried out two separate airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Somalia, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced in a statement. The operations marked the first time that US forces have targeted ISIS militants in the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa country, where al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab has […]

Getting South Sudan Right

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, delivered a stern message to South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in their meeting in Juba on October 24: the United States is “disappointed” in Kiir’s leadership and he must not take US assistance for granted. In a stark reminder of the perilous situation in the six-year-old […]

Africa Rising? Kenya Extends the Continent’s Losing Streak

By Bronwyn Bruton

For decades, Africa was portrayed by the international community as the hopeless continent. Then, as African countries staged a takeover of the world’s fastest-growing economies list in the early 2000s, the narrative shifted to “Africa rising.” It was eventually noticed that not all of Africa was rising. In fact, if anything, Africa was splitting in […]

Mind the Gap: Intelligence-Sharing Challenges Proved Deadly for US Troops in Niger

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The death of four US servicemen in a militant ambush in Niger on October 4 has exposed the unsatisfactory intelligence-sharing relationship that exists between Washington and Niamey. Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rudy Atallah, a nonresident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, described this relationship as “not robust.” The consequences have been deadly. […]

Financial Pressure Needed to Prevent Financial Crimes in the DRC

By Rachel Ansley

The United States should apply sanctions on illicit financial networks and crack down on money laundering in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where a “violent kleptocracy” has fueled an ongoing and deadly conflict, John Prendergast, co-founder of The Sentry and founding director of the Enough Project, said at the Atlantic Council. Increased consequences […]

Disrupting illicit financial flows in Congo

By Africa Center

On Thursday, October 19, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, in collaboration with The Sentry at the Enough Project, hosted a discussion on illicit financial flows in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), occasioned by the release of the group’s new report: The Terrorist’s Treasury. Atlantic Council Vice President and Africa Center Director Dr. J. […]

Roundtable with Nigerien Tuareg leader

By Africa Center

On Tuesday, October 17, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted Dr. Adal Ag Rhoubeid, President of the Movement for Democratic Renewal (MDR) Tarna, for a private roundtable discussion on the security situation in Niger and the broader Sahel region. Atlantic Council Vice President and Africa Center Director Dr. J. Peter Pham welcomed guests and Africa […]

In Somalia, Bombings Highlight Limits of US Military Assistance

The deadly bombings in Mogadishu, attributed to, yet not claimed by al-Shabaab, highlight the need for a new strategy from both US forces and the Somali government to counter violent extremism as militant groups adapt to increased US military action, according to an Atlantic Council analyst. “The weekend’s attacks highlight the limits of the military […]

Negotiating democracy and security in Kenya

By Africa Center

On Monday, October 16, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, in collaboration with the International Republican Institute (IRI), hosted Ambassador Martin Kimani, director of Kenya’s National Counter Terrorism Centre and special envoy for countering violent extremism, and Dr. Korir Sing’Oei, legal adviser in the executive office of the deputy president of Kenya, for a private roundtable […]