With Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Washington, and President Obama in Ethiopia and Kenya, U.S. Africa policy has taken center stage. Experts from the U.S. Institute of Peace are available for comment and analysis. To request individual interviews, please contact Allison Sturma at 202-429-3869 or asturma@usip.org.

Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Senior Advisor
Carson previously served as assistant secretary of state for the bureau of African affairs from 2009-2013. His 37-year Foreign Service career includes ambassadorships to Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

Ambassador Princeton Lyman, Senior Advisor
Lyman served as United States special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan from 2011 to 2013.  His previous career in government included assignments as deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs and ambassadorships to Nigeria and South Africa.

Susan Stigant, Director of Africa Programs
Stigant's focus is on the design and implementation of constitution-making processes in post-conflict and transitional states. Previously, she managed constitutional development and engagement programs in Somalia, Yemen, and South Sudan with the National Democratic Institute.

Additional Resources

• Happening Now: Twitter Conversation: President Obama in Kenya and the Horn of Africa
  Experts from USIP and the PeaceTech Lab will participate in a Twitter chat today from 1:00pm-2:00pm to examine the political and security challenges in the region. Join the conversation #ObamaInAfrica.
• Obama, in Africa, Will Need to Balance Agenda, Ex-Envoys Say, USIP
  At a recent roundtable, Ambassadors Carson and Lyman provided background and analysis on the significance of President Obama’s travel.
• Obama’s Chance to Revisit Kenya, The New York Times
  Written by Ambassadors Johnnie Carson and Mark Bellamy, this article looks at which issues President Obama must address while in Kenya.