East Africa

East Africa

Spanning from Sudan in the north to Tanzania in the south and centered around the strategic Horn of Africa, East Africa is a gateway to the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian Ocean. East Africa includes a diversity of states, ranging from the relatively successful developmental models of Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya to the weak conflict-prone examples of South Sudan and Somalia. Playing host to the African Union and several other regional organizations, East Africa is a critical area with both high hopes for growth and demands for stability.

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Content

AfricaSource

May 22, 2026

Ethiopia and Eritrea are on the brink of war again

By François Christophe

There is a real risk that the current war of words spirals out of control.

Africa East Africa

AfricaSource

May 21, 2026

For a sustained ceasefire or truce in Sudan, remember: Trust, but verify

By Ernst Jan Hogendoorn

Negotiators should insist any ceasefire or truce agreement allows for a dedicated, on-the-ground monitoring mechanism.

Conflict Human Rights

MENASource

Apr 9, 2026

Egypt’s foreign minister: One cannot secure waterways ‘while ignoring the political order of the states’ along the shore

By Maisoon H. Kafafy

Maisoon H. Kafafy reached out to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty for his thoughts on this turbulent moment and the instability in the Horn of Africa.

East Africa Ethiopia

AfricaSource

Apr 7, 2026

How a deeper US-Burundi partnership could unlock mineral and security gains

By Maureen Farrell, Rose Keravuori

Fraught with fragility yet rich in critical minerals and peacekeeping expertise, Burundi offers the United States a chance to diversify supply chains and strengthen regional security.

Critical Minerals East Africa

Dispatches

Mar 3, 2026

How a crisis over a stockpile of uranium created an opening for US reengagement in Niger

By Adal Rhoubeid and Maureen Farrell

The recent failed coup in Benin has had the unintended consequence of creating a path forward for US reengagement in the Sahel.

East Africa Nuclear Energy

Dispatches

Feb 26, 2026

Lessons from Sudan for US economic engagement with Venezuela

By Lesley Chavkin

Sudan offers important lessons for the United States as it looks to stabilize Venezuela and rebuild its economy following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Economy & Business Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

MENASource

Jan 26, 2026

Amid Arab competition, the war in Sudan requires a US balancing act

By Giorgio Cafiero

For US policymakers, the path forward in achieving a resolution in Sudan demands more than reactive diplomacy.

Africa Conflict

MENASource

Jan 15, 2026

After Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, what comes next?

By Amit Yarom

Recognition reshapes the scope of bilateral engagement but does not eliminate the constraints tied to Somaliland’s contested status.

Africa East Africa

Issue Brief

Dec 12, 2025

From the DRC to Sudan, Trump’s disruptive moves could revive stalled negotiations

By Maureen Farrell

Across Africa, US President Donald Trump’s unorthodox diplomacy is unsettling old patterns—reviving talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and injecting new momentum into Sudan mediation. The gains may be fragile, but the openings are real.

Africa East Africa
A destroyed military vehicle and bombed buildings in Khartoum.

AfricaSource

Nov 25, 2025

El Fasher is only the latest wake-up call to the genocide unfolding in Sudan

By Rama Yade

Sudan’s civil war has become one of the world’s deadliest crises—and the massacre in El Fasher exposes a genocide unfolding in plain sight. As regional powers fuel the war, millions face famine, displacement, and systematic violence.

Conflict Crisis Management
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Experts

Fellow

Godfrey Odongo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Africa East Africa

Fellow

Oscar Meywa Otele

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

Africa Climate Change & Climate Action

Advisory Council member

Marsha Parcou

Global Advisor, Women for Prosperity

Freedom and Prosperity Center

East Africa Entrepreneurship

Fellow

Patrick Quirk

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center GeoStrategy Initiative

Civil Society Conflict

Fellow

Jeannine B. Scott

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Africa Center

Africa Civil Society

Fellow

Thomas S. Warrick

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative GeoStrategy Initiative

National Security Terrorism