United States Institute of Peace

At the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the United States made a point to listen and support Africans’ solutions to the continent’s security, humanitarian and development challenges. While the summit did help deepen ties with African leaders, it also offered a platform for African civil society leaders to make their voices heard in the conversation. USIP spoke with several participants of the summit’s Civil Society Forum to discuss the importance of peacebuilding for everyday Africans, the need to amplify marginalized voices in African politics and public life, and what the summit can do to help open up African societies to a more diverse array of contributions from their citizens.

Type: Blog

USIP’s Andrew Cheatham spoke with Ambassador Johnnie Carson — the newly named special presidential representative for U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit implementation — to discuss the Biden administration’s post-summit goals, what African leaders hope to take away from the talks, and why this moment offers a unique chance to reframe the U.S. approach toward Africa.

Type: Blog

Since ISIS emerged in 2011, an estimated 5,000 young men from Tunisia have joined violent extremist organizations in Syria, Iraq and Libya — the highest per-capita population of foreign fighters in the world.

Type: Blog

When Russia intervened in the Syrian civil conflict in 2015, many analysts believed it marked Russia’s return as an influential actor in the Middle East and North Africa. But the war in Ukraine — and the Russian military’s lackluster performance in that war — have since altered Russia’s standing in the region. Eugene Rumer, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses how Russia has expanded its presence in the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, how the invasion of Ukraine has affected Russia’s geopolitical goals, and trends that might affect Moscow’s commitments there going forward — from overextended military resources to global oil prices.

Type: Blog

In recent years, a spate of coups throughout Africa has threatened the continent’s peace, stability and development. While coup leaders often cite popular discontent to justify their actions, post-coup environments in Africa have only exacerbated longstanding issues with security and governance. Without a path for a democratic transition back to civilian rule, many countries controlled by coup regimes are risking further fragility that could spread beyond their borders. As the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit unfolds, USIP’s Chris Kwaja, Joseph Sany and Susan Stigant look at how several post-coup transitions have unfolded in Africa — as well as how the summit can help get them back on track.

Type: Blog

African countries are grappling with a wide range of cross-national security threats, from illicit trafficking to extremist groups such as Boko Haram and al-Shabab. At the same time, China and Russia have expanded their involvement in Africa while U.S. engagement has waned in recent years. Retired Admiral James Foggo, who served as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, discusses his experience working with African security partners, explores ways the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit can bring the continent back to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy, and explains how expanded NATO-African Union cooperation opens doors for engagement with all 54 African countries at once.

Type: Blog

Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf discusses the inspiring persistence of African women in the face of male-dominated societies, the need for women to work collectively across national boundaries, and how African leaders can better promote women’s participation by ensuring gender equality is built into both their policies and practices.

Type: Blog

The American approach to peacebuilding has deep roots in many of the world’s greatest diplomatic successes. From the creation of a new international rules-based system after World War II to the end of the Cold War, the United States has taken the lead in shaping one of the most peaceful eras in history. USIP’s Andrew Cheatham spoke with Asle Toje, deputy leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, to discuss the definition of peace outlined by Alfred Nobel, the role of the United States as a constructive partner in the international community, and examples where “the American way of peace has been much more influential in delivering positive outcomes … than the American way of war.”

Type: Blog