Africa Center Commentary & Analysis

What the US Embassy Warnings in East Africa Tell Us about al-Shabaab

By Joshua Meservey

On Wednesday, the US embassy in Kampala, Uganda warned US citizens of a possible attack on Westerners in the city by the Somali terrorist organization al-Shabaab. On March 19, the US embassy in Djibouti closed for several days to “review its security posture;” the embassy did not provide further details, but the closure was likely […]

What’s Russia Doing in Africa?

Atlantic Council’s Pham shares insights on Russia’s acitivities on the continent Under pressure from the West over its actions in Ukraine, including the annexation of Crimea, Russia is increasingly turning its attention to Africa, says J. Peter Pham, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. “Recent developments have validated these concerns as the siloviki around […]

Russia’s Return to Africa: An Update

By J. Peter Pham

One year after the disputed referendum to join Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula to Russia, the Kremlin is increasingly finding in Africa a welcome break from what has otherwise been its continued international diplomatic and economic isolation as a result of its aggression against its Eastern European neighbor.

Guinea Democracy Stillborn?

By J. Peter Pham

While it was the first of France’s African colonies to achieve independence, democracy came rather late to Guinea. The country’s first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré, who ruled with an iron grip from 1958 until his death in 1984, turned out to be a Marxist ideologue who aligned his country with the Soviet Union, ruining the […]

Interview with Chairman of Nigeria’s Electoral Commission

By Africa Center

Transcript of Interview with Professor Attahiru M. Jega, OFR Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Federal Republic of Nigeria   March 19, 2015 J. Peter Pham: For those who do not follow Nigeria closely, could you briefly give us an overview of the sheer scale of what is involved in organizing general elections in the Federal […]

Nigeria on the Eve of the 2015 Elections

By Africa Center

In February, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections, citing the ongoing threat posed by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The presidential polls were rescheduled to March 28; in the interim, the Nigerian military—with the aid of its neighbors—has launched a military offensive against Boko Haram.

Atlantic Council Exclusive: Electoral Commission Chairman Discusses Readiness for Nigeria’s 2015 Elections

By Africa Center

Nigeria made waves last month when its Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced just one week before the scheduled date for general elections that polls would be delayed by six weeks. The decision, taken on the advice with Nigeria’s top security officials, came as terrorist group Boko Haram continued to attack and occupy a large […]

The State of Human Rights and Democracy in Sudan: A Conversation with Deputy Assistant Secretary Steven Feldstein

By Africa Center

In his remarks in October at the Atlantic Council, US Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth affirmed the US government’s willingness to engage with Khartoum in talks, effectively extending an olive branch to the Sudanese government. Still, obstacles to improved US-Sudan relations remain, including a stalled national dialogue process; continuing conflict in […]

Democratic Congo’s Democracy Deficit

By J. Peter Pham

The incumbent regime ruling the rather ironically-named Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to narrow the political space in the country as it approaches elections which are supposed to be held next year, going so far this past weekend as to arrest a US diplomat who was detained along with other participants at a […]

J. Peter Pham Writes on President Obama’s Legacy in Africa

By Africa Center

Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham authored an essay for the latest edition of the French-language magazine Pouvoirs d’Afrique. In the piece entitled “What Legacy will Barack Obama Leave in Africa?”, Pham writes, “With both U.S. political parties, Democratic and Republican, under pressure to demonstrate to the electorate ahead ofthe 2016 presidential election that they are […]