Africa’s Contemporary Security Challenges

September 10-12, 2019
Washington, D.C.

Syllabus | Program Schedule

Overview of the Africa Center

Presented by:

Required Reading:

Plenary 1: Conflict Trends in Africa

Presented by:

Recommended readings:

Plenary 2: Security Implications of Megatrends

Presented by:

  • Dr. Raymond Gilpin (slides | video)
  • Ms. Michelle Ndiaye

Recommended readings:

Plenary 3: Citizen and Community Security

Presented by:

Recommended readings:

Plenary 4: Maritime Security

Presented by:

Recommended readings:

Plenary 5: Cyber Security

Presented by:

  • Mr. Benjamin Crockett

Recommended readings:

Plenary 6: Democratic Transitions

Presented by:

Recommended readings:

Plenary 7: Violent Extremism: Case Study of the Sahel

Presented by:

  • Dr. Anouar Boukhars

Recommended readings:

Plenary 8: Riots and Protests: Case Study of Zimbabwe

Presented by:

Recommended readings:

Plenary 9: Civil War: Case Study of South Sudan

Presented by:

Recommended readings:

Case Study Exercise and Brief-Back: A Complex Emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Format:

  • Participants will be assigned to one of three sub-groups: crisis of political transitions; the conflict in Kasai, or the UN Organization Mission in DRC.
  • Readings identified for each of the sub-groups are required, in order to facilitate discussion.
  • As participants meet in their sub-groups, they will discuss the following:
    • The pathway to the security challenge and how it has evolved;
    • The ways that the security challenge creates obstacles to achieving peace and political development;
    • The role and/or limitations for the international and regional communities to improve security.

Required Reading

Sub-Group 1: Assessing the Unrest in Kasai:

Sub-group 2: Assessing the Electoral Dynamics:

Sub-group 3: Assessing the Challenges Facing MONUSCO:

Plenary 10: Continental Response: Africa’s Peace and Security Architecture

Presented by:

  • Dr. Nathaniel D.F. Allen (slides)
  • Ms. Michelle Ndiaye (slides)

Recommended readings:

Plenary 11: National Responses to Security Challenges

Presented by:

  • Mr. Mvemba Dizolele

Recommended readings:

Plenary 12: Leveraging External Security Partners

Presented by:

  • Ambassador David Shinn

Recommended readings:

Plenary 13: Towards Effective Security Sector Institutions in Africa

Presented by:

Recommended readings:

Alumni Community Overview

Presented by: