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.

AfricaSource

Nov 17, 2016

Bond Notes: A Final Blow to Zimbabwe’s Rock Bottom Economy?

By Chloë McGrath

A briefer on Zimbabwe’s impending quasi-currency Seven years since abandoning its own currency, Zimbabwe’s government is moving full steam ahead to introduce what it calls “bond notes” into the country’s multi-currency system. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) announced this month that it has released the regulations creating the legal precedent to print and circulate […]

Africa Economy & Business

Event Recap

Nov 17, 2016

USAID Strategy Session for SADC Ambassadors

By Africa Center

On Thursday, November 17, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a strategy session for Southern African Development Community (SADC) ambassadors on the response to the drought in southern Africa. The session was led by the Honorable R. David Harden, assistant administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance at the US Agency for […]

Event Recap

Nov 10, 2016

Al-Shabaab’s Media Insurgency

By Africa Center

On Thursday, November 10, in cooperation with Hate Speech International (HSI), the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a panel discussion on HSI’s newest report, Continuity and Change: The Evolution and Resilience of Al-Shabaab’s Media Insurgency, 2006-2016. Africa Center Deputy Director Bronwyn Bruton welcomed attendees to the event, and Kjetil Stormarck, director of HSI, gave an […]

Africa Somalia

AfricaSource

Nov 7, 2016

An Israeli Pivot to Africa

By Liviya David

With increased partnership at the top of the agenda, a September meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and over fifteen African heads of state at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) marks a critical point in Israel’s recent refocus on Africa. Conventional analysis on recent Israel-Africa relations suggests that Israel’s primary […]

East Africa Israel

AfricaSource

Nov 3, 2016

COP22, Climate Change, and Africa’s Future

By J. Peter Pham

On Monday, November 7, the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will convene in Marrakech. The meeting’s venue in the fabled Moroccan caravan town—long a cultural, religious, and trading hub between the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa—will focus attention on the irony that while among the regions of […]

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment

AfricaSource

Nov 1, 2016

South Africa’s ICC Withdrawal is a Distraction from a Broader Political Crisis

By Chloë McGrath

South Africa, commonly lauded as a beacon of democracy on the African continent, has finally caught the attention of the international community after its official decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The press and human rights organizations are abuzz with the news – decrying the country’s betrayal to “millions of victims of […]

Event Recap

Oct 27, 2016

Ethiopian State Minister Details Causes of Ongoing Unrest, State of Emergency

By Africa Center

On Thursday, October 27, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted His Excellency Taye Atske-Selassie, state minister for political affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. After an introduction from Africa Center Director Dr. J. Peter Pham, Taye presented formal remarks. Taye discussed the sustained protests that have taken […]

Africa East Africa

AfricaSource

Oct 25, 2016

Senegal: A Strategic Plan to Change the Face of a Nation

By Mayécor Sar

In a region that has too often been plagued by coups, civil wars, and general political strife, Senegal, one of Africa’s oldest democracies, is somewhat of an outlier. This reputation for political stability is further enhanced by the considerable number of multinationals, international organizations, and NGOs that have selected Senegal as the regional centre for […]

North & West Africa

New Atlanticist

Oct 14, 2016

In DRC, Questions About President Kabila’s Intentions

By Ashish Kumar Sen

President’s advisor says Kabila will respect constitutional term limits, not seek a third term Joseph Kabila has no intention of seeking a third term in office. The fact that he will likely remain president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) long after his term ends in December—until a successor is elected—is simply because […]

Event Recap

Oct 13, 2016

Discussion with Diplomatic Adviser to President Joseph Kabila

By Africa Center

On Thursday, October 13, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a discussion on the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Ambassador Barnabé Kikaya Bin Karubi, diplomatic adviser to President Joseph Kabila, and Corneille Nangaa Yobelou, president of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The event was co-hosted with the International Republican Institute (IRI) and […]

Africa