Sahel Watch

On Thursday, April 29, the Africa Center hosted a private roundtable on the evolving situation in Chad, featuring US, French, and Chadian perspectives.

In the midst of the fast-moving changes in Chad, there is an opportunity to begin to address the country’s democracy and development deficits. As Washington contemplates its next steps, emphasis should be placed on listening to Chadians, engaging the African Union, pursuing on-the-ground diplomatic engagement, and acting quickly, yet strategically.

On Wednesday, March 27, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted H.E. Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga, prime minister, and H.E. Kamissa Camara, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, of the Republic of Mali, for a discussion on the security situation in Mali and the Sahel region. Maïga presented his country’s efforts to improve security at both […]

Africa’s story is increasingly one of economic dynamism that is driven, in part, by political reform and improvements in governance. But, there are also very real security, humanitarian, and developmental challenges that remain to be confronted. The United States has a stake in helping to tackle these challenges, not least because it is in its own national interest to do so.

African nations have rarely been perceived as essential partners in the pursuit of US national security and economic interests, but a re-assessment of Africa’s strategic importance is past due. Transnational threats emanating from the continent continue to evolve, and trade and investment relationships have deepened. A better and broader understanding of the threats and opportunities […]