Africa Center Commentary & Analysis

Through high-level relationships and a track record of well-respected analysis, the Africa Center speaks directly to the stakeholders who matter, shaping policy on the foremost issues of this dynamic continent.

Article

Aug 28, 2014

The Disintegration of Libya

By Ricardo René Larémont

Bottom Line Up Front: Opposing militias are battling for the control of Libya among the worst violence since the fall of the Qadhafi regime in 2011; a civil war which may continue for years has begun The Libyan government’s mistakes early during the transition process after the fall of Qadhafi included delegation of policing authority […]

AfricaSource

Aug 14, 2014

US-Africa Leaders Summit: Highlights

By The Atlantic Council

The Africa Center hosted a busy week of events around the US-Africa Leaders Summit, welcoming four heads of state, the head of a regional governmental organization, numerous ministers, corporate executives, and other stakeholders for lively and thoughtful conversations about the important African issues of the day. Below is a sampling of some of our favorite […]

AfricaSource

Aug 14, 2014

Africa’s Projected Population Boom

By JAMES ATTWELL AND JOSHUA MESERVEY

Africa’s demographic trends have been gaining attention for years, and our last maps for this week show why. Africa today has just over 1 billion people, but by the end of this century it is projected to hold more than 4 billion. Nigeria is a major part of the story; already Africa’s most populous country […]

AfricaSource

Aug 13, 2014

Select Countries’ African Trade Partners

By James Attwell and Joshua Meservey

Today’s graphs show selected trading heavyweights and their five largest African trading partners, along with the trade volume by US dollar amount per country. The BRICS countries minus China are presented in a bar graph for ease of comparison.

AfricaSource

Aug 12, 2014

Africa’s Exports and Imports

By James Attwell and Joshua Meservey

Today’s map documents the primary imports and exports, and primary export destinations, of all African countries (excluding Swaziland, for which there is no recent data). China leads the pack as the primary export destination for fourteen countries, while nine countries export primarily to Europe. Most of the latter are in North Africa, unsurprising given those […]

AfricaSource

Aug 11, 2014

A Snapshot of Africa’s Economies

By James Attwell and Joshua Meservey

The US-Africa Leaders Summit concluded last week, and in honor of the billions of dollars’ worth of deals that emerged from the Summit, the Africa Center has created a series of maps and charts—a new one of which will be released daily—highlighting different aspects of the continent’s economic story. The map featured here presents three […]

Event Recap

Aug 8, 2014

Challenge and Opportunity in the Heart of the Sahel: Discussion with Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou

By The Atlantic Council

On Friday, August 8, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, president of the Republic of Niger, for a roundtable discussion moderated by J. Peter Pham, Africa Center director. After introductory remarks by Pham, President Issoufou made an opening statement outlining the challenges and opportunities in his country as well as the ongoing […]

Africa

Event Recap

Aug 7, 2014

Discussion with the President of Burkina Faso and the ECOWAS Commission President

By The Atlantic Council

On Thursday, August 7, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted H.E. Blaise Compaoré, president of Burkina Faso, and H.E. Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, for a roundtable discussion at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC. J. Peter Pham, Africa Center director, welcomed participants the […]

Africa

Event Recap

Aug 6, 2014

The Evolution of Private Equity in Africa: A Discussion with the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association

By The Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center cohosted a discussion with the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) on “The Evolution of Private Equity in Africa.” Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham opened the event with welcoming remarks which were followed by an introduction by Africa Center Visiting Fellow Aubrey Hruby, who also moderated the […]

Africa

Event Recap

Aug 6, 2014

Investment and Ingenuity: Overcoming Obstacles to Doing Business in Sub-Saharan Africa

By The Atlantic Council

On Wednesday, August 6, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a public event to mark the release of its new Issue in Focus report, “Investment and Ingenuity: Overcoming Obstacles to Doing Business in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The report was authored by Africa Center Visiting Fellow Aubrey Hruby. Atlantic Council Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham opened […]

Africa