Photo: iLab/CSIS
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 23, 2024 – The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) today announced that Judd Devermont has been appointed as non-resident senior adviser with the CSIS Africa Program.
Devermont, who previously directed the CSIS Africa Program, rejoins CSIS after serving as special assistant to President Joseph Biden and senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council. In this role, he was responsible for coordinating U.S. responses to major political, security, and economic challenges across the African region.
"The U.S.-Africa relationship is vital for global security and prosperity. The United States must prioritize its engagement with the African continent, and Judd’s expertise will be instrumental in guiding policymakers towards a stronger partnership," said John J. Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS. "We are honored to welcome Judd back to CSIS and look forward to his impactful work with our Africa Program."
As director of the CSIS Africa Program from 2018 to 2021, Devermont published more than one hundred written analyses on African issues, convened high-level private and public conferences, and hosted Into Africa, a bi-weekly podcast on African politics and policy, in addition to co-hosting 49, a podcast on U.S. strategy toward Africa. Devermont was also the lead author of the U.S. Strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 and contributed to U.S. Strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa in 2012.
“We at the CSIS Africa Program are delighted to welcome back our friend and colleague Judd Devermont,” said Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, director and senior fellow with the CSIS Africa Program. “Judd brings great commitment and sharp policy acumen that will further contribute to our analyses of the complex landscape of developments in Africa.”
Currently, Devermont is an operating partner at Kupanda Capital, a pan-African platform to advise, create, and scale companies that have lasting impact. He was previously the national intelligence officer for Africa at the National Intelligence Council from 2015 to 2018 and served on the National Security Council during the Obama administration from 2011 to 2013.
“I am delighted to return to CSIS and contribute to the Center’s dynamic Africa Program under the leadership of Mvemba Phezo Dizolele. I look forward to enriching the program’s events, scholarship, and policy engagement,” said Judd Devermont.
The CSIS Africa Program conducts analysis on ongoing political, economic, and security developments across East, West, Central, and southern Africa. To learn more and read recent analyses by the CSIS Africa Program, visit here.
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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world’s greatest challenges.