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China’s expanding involvement in Africa is an integral piece in President Xi Jinping’s grand strategy to restore the country to its perceived rightful place of global prominence.
Over the past two years, it has become increasingly clear that undermining the Arusha Accords, once hailed as Burundi’s best chance for peace, is a key objective of the Nkurunziza government.
Much of the task of building a sustainable peacekeeping capability comes down to prioritizing logistical capacity as a component of a national policy.
Air Brigadier General Andriamahazoarivo has been a member of the Africa Center alumni community since 2009. He participated in the 2009 Next Generation of African Security Sector Leaders Course, the 2014 Thematic Outreach Program Symposium in Antananarivo, and most recently, the 2015 Senior Leaders Seminar in Washington, DC. He currently serves as the Director of... Continue Reading
At the core of Burundi’s political crisis are the Arusha Accords, widely attributed with having brought Burundi out of its 1993–2005 civil war.
With President Obama traveling to Kenya and Ethiopia this week, the Africa Center’s Dr. Ben Nickels, Chair of Transnational Threats and Counterterrorism, reviews some of the key issues that merit watching. Question: What are the top security priorities that should be on the agenda during President Obama’s visit to Kenya and Ethiopia? NICKELS: The trip... Continue Reading
The crisis in Burundi took a dangerous turn when, after weeks of popular protests, a group of senior army officers launched a failed coup against President Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term. Protestors have since returned to the streets and insist that demonstrations will continue until the question of the third term is resolved. One... Continue Reading
The outpouring of public grief in Kenya over al-Shabaab’s gruesome massacre of 152 students at a University campus in the northeastern town of Garissa turned into frustration as hundreds of students from the country’s universities participated in protests demanding improved security at higher learning institutions. The attack, which al-Shabaab said was in retaliation for Kenya’s... Continue Reading
Burundi’s SSD program proactively addresses the politics of reform at the policy and operational levels, and can inform other African SSR initiatives.
The youth bulge, combined with high levels of unemployment, corruption, inequity, and disaffection with government represent an expanding recruitment pool for a wide range of extremist groups, urban gangs and other destabilizing actors. Yet, if channeled toward productive outlets such as trade schools, entrepreneurship, community leadership and reform campaigns, African youth can be a dynamic... Continue Reading
Surging demand for ivory and rhino horn, mainly in Asia, has put wild African elephants and rhinoceroses on the path to extinction. More than an environmental tragedy, however, wildlife poaching and trafficking has exacerbated other security threats and led to the co-option of certain African security units. African states need to develop a broad range of law enforcement capabilities to tackle what is effectively a transnational organized crime challenge. Asian and other international partners, meanwhile, must take action to reduce runaway demand for wildlife products.
An Africa Center academic outreach visit to Liberia included in-depth presentations on the frequently distrustful relationship between the news media and security institutions, as well as the media’s role in security sector reform.