East Africa

Let’s Give Somalia’s Government the Non-Recognition It Deserves

By J. Peter Pham

One year ago the Obama administration broke with the Somalia policy of its three predecessors by according diplomatic recognition to the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Last month, in his annual Worldwide Threat Assessment report to Congress, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper bemoaned that the Somali regime’s “persistent political infighting, weak leadership […]

EU Defense Ministers Support the Way Forward for CSDP and EU Operations

By European Union

The informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers took place on 20 and 21 February in Athens, chaired by Greek Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos on behalf of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.

A New US Crisis Response Force for Africa

“Send in the Marines” Is Now a Faster Option Following the deadly September 2012 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the Marine Corps created a new crisis response force for Africa – smaller and faster than its predecessors – and recently ordered its first emergency mission.  On January 3, a team of Marines […]

J. Peter Pham Discusses “Lessons from the Former Somalia” at US Army War College

By J. Peter Pham

J. Peter Pham, director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, spoke today on “Lessons from the Former Somalia” at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In his invited lecture to students in the College’s Department of National Security and Strategy, Pham discussed the role that state collapse, extremism, insurgency, piracy, famine, foreign intervention, […]