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Middle Africa

Commentary
Are Military Coups Back in Style in Africa?
There have been five coups in sub-Saharan Africa since August 2020. On a continent that was recently lauded for its democratic advancement, this backsliding suggests the military coup may be dangerously back in fashion. Why are more coups happening now?
Dec 1, 2021
Report
Africa's Role in Nation-Building: An Examination of African-Led Peace Operations
What have the peacekeeping missions undertaken by African institutions in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Darfur, the Comoros, Somalia, and the Lake Chad Basin achieved?
Jun 28, 2019
Research Brief
How African Institutions Help Keep the Peace
African-led missions are often the peacekeepers of last resort, taking on tasks rejected by others. Two of the six African operations examined helped set a relatively peaceful trajectory. Three of the missions contributed to improving security.
Jun 28, 2019
Commentary
Cameroon's Days as Reliable U.S. Partner May Be Numbered
The Cameroonian government is becoming more authoritarian under President Paul Biya. His re-election could be bad news for Cameroon and the region, but also for the United States.
Oct 26, 2018
Commentary
Sahel Governments Need More Security Assistance
Developments in the Sahel are cause for alarm. Despite the presence of an active French counterterrorism force and a UN peacekeeping mission, al Qaeda groups are thriving. The region would benefit from approaches that combine police and military operations with economic development and improved governance.
Sep 14, 2017
Commentary
The U.S.-France Dustup Over Counterterrorism in the Sahel
It's time for Paris and Washington to get together with the G5 nations of the Sahel and draft a strategy for achieving shared objectives. The French cannot do it alone or even with the support of the G5 nations. The U.S. would be penny wise but pound foolish to stay aloof or even just uphold the status quo.
Jun 23, 2017
Commentary
Lessons from Northern Uganda: Post-Conflict Integration of 'Children Born of War'
Children conceived as a result of sexual violence during armed conflict face socioeconomic marginalization, family rejection, stigmatization, and violence. Grass-roots women's organizations in northern Uganda are helping to integrate these children in post-conflict societies.
Apr 12, 2017
Commentary
A Good Move in Cameroon
President Obama's decision to deploy 300 soldiers to Cameroon to help combat the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram is welcome news. The U.S. is stepping in at the right time, in the right way, by providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support that will greatly enhance Cameroon's and others' chances.
Oct 18, 2015
Commentary
Family Planning Must Be Part of the Humanitarian Response in Africa's Conflict Zones
Worldwide, nearly 800 women die every day due to mostly preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. More than half of these deaths occur in fragile states torn by armed conflict and generalized violence.
Jul 1, 2015
Commentary
What the Ebola Crisis Taught Us About Emergency Preparedness
The 2014 Ebola outbreak was the most severe of its kind. At the height of the crisis, 800 to 1,000 new cases were reported per week in Africa across the three most heavily affected countries. As of last week, there were only 12 confirmed cases. What must be done to prevent and mitigate future crises of this nature?
Jun 4, 2015
Commentary
First Steps Toward Addressing DR Congo's Rape Crisis
An effort to address atrocities against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo has fallen short of advocates' hopes for justice. With its focus on criminal prosecution, the strategy failed to consider the weak infrastructure of the judicial system, left victims' needs unmet, and did little to address prevention.
Jun 11, 2014
Commentary
The Central African Republic Must Save Itself
The real salvation for African states in crisis lies with the emergence of competent, trust-worthy and wise leadership. The emergence of such leaders could worthily honor the legacy of Nelson Mandela. Until then, in the Central African Republic at least, it is on France.
Dec 13, 2013
Report
The Benefits of Nation-Building Interventions Have Exceeded the Costs
Most interventions in the past 25 years have been followed by improved security, some degree of democratization, and significant economic growth—with only a modest commitment of international military and civilian manpower and economic assistance.
Feb 4, 2013
Report
Can More Be Done to Improve Energy Security in the Gulf of Guinea?
Improving the security of the Gulf of Guinea's oil infrastructure would increase output and promote additional investment, to the benefit of oil importing nations. The U.S. Air Force has expertise that could help build local security capabilities.
Nov 21, 2012
Commentary
Book Review: 'Why Nations Fail' by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
'Why Nations Fail' is a sweeping attempt to explain the gut-wrenching poverty that leaves 1.29 billion people in the developing world struggling to live on less than $1.25 a day. You might expect it to be a bleak, numbing read. It's not. It's bracing, garrulous, wildly ambitious and ultimately hopeful, ...
Apr 24, 2012
Report
Reconstruction Under Fire: Case Studies and Further Analysis of Civil Requirements
Building on a framework for integrating civil and military counterinsurgency (COIN), this volume presents an approach to the civil component, illustrated with three case studies from Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Jun 8, 2010
News Release
European Union Has Developed a Nascent, but Growing Capacity to Deploy and Employ Armed Force
Over the past few years, the European Union has demonstrated the capacity to deploy and employ armed force outside its borders in support of broader common policy objectives, creating a new player in nation-building operations.
Jul 8, 2008
Report
European Forces Play Growing Role in Nation-Building, Peacekeeping Operations Worldwide
Over the past few years, the European Union has demonstrated the capacity to deploy and employ armed force outside its borders in support of broader common policy objectives, creating a new player in nation-building operations.
Jun 5, 2008
News Release
UN Nation Building Record Compares Favorably with the U.S. in Some Respects
The United Nations provides the most suitable institutional framework for all but the largest and most demanding of nation-building missions, due to the UN’s comparatively low cost structure, high success rate, and high degree of international legitimacy.
Feb 18, 2005
Report
The UN's Role in Nation-Building: From the Congo to Iraq
Reviews UN nation-building efforts to transform unstable countries into democratic, peaceful, and prosperous partners, and compares those efforts to U.S.-led missions.
Jan 30, 2005

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