Programs

The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center promotes dynamic geopolitical partnerships with African states and helps redirect US and European policy priorities toward strengthening security and bolstering economic growth and prosperity on the continent.

Content

Defense Industrialist

Oct 3, 2017

The military implications of Catalonian secession—an update

By James Hasik

assuming that Catalonia was admitted to NATO, what would the newly independent country contribute? At the 2014 Strategic Foresight Forum at the Atlantic Council, Anne Marie Slaughter of the New America Foundation opined that an independent Catalonia would do a fine job of defending itself. After all, Catalonia is a country of over 7 million people, with more than $300 billion in GDP. Spending just 1.6% of that—well below the widely-ignored NATO threshold, of course—provides over $4.5 billion annually. y de-emphasizing the military forces that any landlocked country will have, and instead steering investments towards those it is comparatively positioned to provide, Catalonia could punch above its weight in European political affairs.

Defense Policy Eastern Europe

In the News

Oct 1, 2017

Pham Mentioned in allAfrica on Sudan

By J. Peter Pham

Read the full article here.

Sudan

Event Recap

Sep 20, 2017

Roundtable with H.E. Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta

By Africa Center

On Wednesday, September 20, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a roundtable discussion with His Excellency Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, President of the Republic of Mali. Atlantic Council Board Treasurer Mr. Brian C. McK. Henderson and Atlantic Council Vice President and Africa Center Director Dr. J. Peter Pham welcomed distinguished guests and introduced the president. In […]

Africa Economy & Business

Event Recap

Sep 18, 2017

Roundtable with H.E. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré

By Africa Center

On Monday, September 18, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, in partnership with the US Chamber of Commerce, hosted a roundtable discussion with H.E. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso. Atlantic Council Vice President and Africa Center Director Dr. J. Peter Pham and Mr. Scott Eisner, President of the US-Africa Business Center at the […]

Africa Economy & Business

Event Recap

Sep 7, 2017

Double issue brief launch: consumers and competition

By Africa Center

On September 7, 2017, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center launched two new issue briefs that tackle the complexities of investing in Africa. The first, titled Escaping China’s Shadow: Finding America’s Competitive Edge in Africa, was written by senior fellow Aubrey Hruby, and the second, Capturing the African Consumer Market: Truths, Trends, and Strategies for the […]

Africa Economy & Business
President Xi Jinping of China addresses the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Business Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Established in 2000, the Summit, which takes place every three years, facilitates large-scale investment deals between China and Africa. Photo credit: Republic of South Africa/Flickr.

Issue Brief

Sep 7, 2017

Escaping China’s shadow

By Aleksandra W. Gadzala

China’s major financial commitments to Africa, coupled with its double digit returns, have discouraged American companies from breaking into African markets.

Africa China

Issue Brief

Sep 7, 2017

Capturing the African consumer market

By Aleksandra W. Gadzala

For America’s consumer goods companies, the latest shifts in African consumer trends hold much promise. Africa’s population is growing at an outstanding rate and spending by consumers and businesses on the continent is forecast to grow significantly over the next decade. However, US investors often oversimplify and misunderstand African markets, which remain highly segmented, fluid, […]

Africa East Africa

Issue Brief

Sep 7, 2017

Capturing the African consumer market

By Aleksandra W. Gadzala

For America’s consumer goods companies, the latest shifts in African consumer trends hold much promise. Africa’s population is growing at an outstanding rate and spending by consumers and businesses on the continent is forecast to grow significantly over the next decade.

Africa East Africa

AfricaSource

Sep 6, 2017

Germany’s compact with Africa

By Xaviera Gitau

Over the past three years, as thousands of refugees drowned off Europe’s coasts, Germany’s open-door policy towards asylum seekers propelled the country to a position of global humanitarian leadership, and turned its chancellor, Angela Merkel, into a global icon for human rights advocates. As of 2016, the nation of 82.5 million absorbed 890,000 refugees, and […]

Africa East Africa

In the News

Sep 6, 2017

Atlantic Council Report Featured in the Washington Post: Report Recommends Consolidating State Dept. Foreign Aid Programs Under USAID

Read the full article here.

South & Central Africa United States and Canada

Experts

Events