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.

New Atlanticist

Sep 8, 2014

As ISIS Upends States in the Mideast, Boko Haram is Doing the Same in Africa

By New Atlanticist

Governments and Media, Seized With Iraq-Syria Crisis, Are Paying Scant Attention in Nigeria In the ninety days since ISIS militants suddenly seized Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, international news media, governments, and even last week’s NATO Summit have swung their attention and agendas to debating how to counter the explosive growth of the group’s apparent capacities […]

Africa Nigeria

AfricaSource

Sep 8, 2014

Africa’s Islamic State?

By J. Peter Pham

Even as, coming out of the annual NATO summit in Wales, the United States and its allies are promising to ratchet up their response to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, another militant group, Boko Haram, is rapidly gaining ground in Africa, achieving many of the same operational and strategic successes that have made […]

Extremism Nigeria

AfricaSource

Sep 4, 2014

Succession in Somalia: al-Shabaab after Godane

By Joshua Meservey

  Ahmed Abdi Godane, leader of al-Shabaab, the Somali terrorist group and al-Qaeda affiliate, may have been killed in a US airstrike on Monday. The Pentagon said on Tuesday that the military was gunning for Godane in the strike and that it was confident it hit the target, though there is no confirmation Godane is […]

Somalia

AfricaSource

Sep 4, 2014

Palacio: Africa Beyond Ebola

By Ana Palacio

Atlantic Council Executive Committee Member Ana Palacio writes for Project Syndicate on why despite this summer’s Ebola threat, there are still many reasons to be optimistic about emerging opportunities in Africa:

Africa
20140904 jmeservey book review

Article

Sep 4, 2014

Joshua Meservey on The Flechas: Insurgent Hunting in Eastern Angola

By Joshua Meservey

Atlantic Council Africa Center Assistant Director Joshua Meservey authored a book review of The Flechas: Insurgent Hunting in Eastern Angola, 1965-1974 for the forthcoming issue of the Journal of the Middle East and Africa.

Africa

Event Recap

Sep 4, 2014

In Wake of US Drone Strike, Atlantic Council Hosts Discussion with Senior Somali Counterterror Adviser

By The Atlantic Council

On Monday, the United States launched a military strike in southern Somalia against Ahmed Abdi Godane, head of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab group, and other leaders. While details of the operation are still emerging, it is evidence of continued US interest neutralizing the threat posed by al-Shabaab within Somalia as well as to neighboring countries.

Africa Somalia

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.

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