Building Africa’s Airlift Capacity: A Strategy for Enhancing Military Effectiveness
Airlift assets provide vital capabilities and multiply the effectiveness of Africa’s resource-limited militaries and collective peace operations.
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Unfinished Business: A Framework for Peace in the Great Lakes
Despite numerous peace agreements, Africa’s Great Lakes region has been in a persistent state of conflict for the past two decades. The contributions and shortcomings of some of the most significant previous peace initiatives, however, offer vital lessons as to how to mitigate the local level tensions, national political dynamics, and competing regional interests that have led to recurring outbreaks of violence.
Africa and the Arab Spring: A New Era of Democratic Expectations
"Big-man” politics, efforts to circumvent term limits, and the broader debate about legitimacy reflect Africa's ongoing struggle for governance norms.
Optimizing Africa’s Security Force Structures
Combating irregular forces has become a common feature of the contemporary African security landscape. However, the security sector in most African countries is ill-prepared to conduct effective counter-insurgency operations. Realigning force structures to address these threats while building security sector professionalism to gain the trust of local populations is needed to do so.
Democracy and the Chain of Command: A New Governance of Africa’s Security Sector
Download this Security Brief as a PDF: English | Français | Português As many African countries continue down the path of democratic reform, Africa’s defense and security forces must make fundamental changes to adapt to a democratic model of governance. In this paper, General Dominique Djindjéré puts forward five priority reforms Africa’s defense and security... Continue Reading
Nonstate Policing: Expanding the Scope for Tackling Africa’s Urban Violence
Download this Security Brief as a PDF: English | Français | Português The increasingly internal nature of Africa’s security threats is placing ever greater pressures on Africa’s police forces. Yet severe resource and capacity limitations, combined with high levels of public distrust, leave most African police forces incapable of effectively addressing these expanding urban-based threats in... Continue Reading
Lessons Learned from Peace Operations in Africa
Download PDF: English | Français | Português Peace operations have been a principal tool used to curb conflict in Africa over the past decade, with over 40 operations deployed since 2000. This Security Brief takes stock of lessons learned from these experiences and the implications they hold for improving the effectiveness of future peace operations... Continue Reading
U.S. Security Engagement in Africa
A significant development in Africa over the past decade has been the generalized lessening of violent conflict. Revitalized, expanded international peacekeeping, bolstered by a newly launched African Union determination to tackle security challenges, has reinforced this trend. But, much more cohesive interagency coordination under strong White House direction is required if the United States is to contribute to Africa’s sustained stability given the region’s persistent conditions of poverty, inequality, and weak governance.
Advanced Area Studies 201 Workshops (AFRICOM/CJTF-HOA/MARFORAF)
This advanced-level seminar provides a thorough examination of leading security issues in Africa, including governance challenges, transnational threats, and engagement by the United States and other external actors on the continent. Each seminar session includes a presentation from a subject matter expert who will raise key issues and themes and facilitate discussion among participants. As an... Continue Reading
Community Chapters Leaders Forum
The Africa Center’s Community Leadership Conference Program is designed to assist African leaders who have already completed one of our programs to organize formal alumni chapters in their respective countries that will enable them to continue building on the lessons and experiences they have gained.
Additional Reading on Peacekeeping
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Securing Legitimate Stability in the DRC: External Assumptions and Local Perspectives By Jaïr van der Lijn, Tim Glawion, and Nikki de Zwaan, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, September 30, 2019 Surveys and interviews conducted in South Kivu examine the roles of the Armed Forces of the DRC... Continue Reading
Additional Reading on Democratization
(See more recent readings on this topic here.) Elections in the Tshisekedi Era : A Bad Start? By Groupe d’étude sur le Congo and Ebuteli, October 31, 2022 The lessons of the controversial 2018 elections have seemingly not been learned, and numerous challenges remain as DRC prepares for elections in late 2023. The Electoral Commission... Continue Reading