Africa Program

The Africa Program analyzes key trends shaping Africa’s present, future, and the continent’s evolving role globally. By centering African knowledge and agency, the program conducts forward-thinking research to foster debate and inform U.S. policy toward African countries.

Through examining the complex and rapidly evolving trends shaping Africa’s present and future, the CSIS Africa Program works to address the most pressing public policy issues facing Africa and U.S.-Africa relations. The Africa Program produces balanced and forward-thinking analysis to inform policy, foster solutions, and deepen understanding of Africa’s role in global affairs and its relations with the United States and the rest of the world. We achieve our mission through public convenings, working group discussions, publications, and partnerships with African think tanks and academic institutions. This work aims to foster dialogue that brings together key practitioners, policymakers, private sector leaders, and subject matter experts to analyze and develop practical options for addressing important challenges and opportunities in Africa as well as the continent’s evolving geostrategic role.

Contact Information

Media Queries

Focus Areas

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People, Power, Politics

From the evolving security and governance landscape to the rapid pace of demographic shifts, digitization, and urbanization, Africa is undergoing a profound emergence as an integral part of the new global order.

Photo: Riccardo Gangale/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Financing Africa's Future

Africa’s development pathway requires creative thinking and bold international cooperation that recognizes the continent’s unique challenges and opportunities. Innovative financing and strategic foresight are integral to bridging Africa’s infrastructure financing gap.

Photo: AMANUEL SILESHI/AFP via Getty Images

Africa, the United States, and the World

The relationship between the United States and Africa is undergoing a vital evolution amidst a shifting geopolitical landscape. This moment calls for nuanced and adaptive approaches that balance U.S. interests with African priorities.

Featured Analysis

Latest Publications

Photo: Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu/Getty Images

Photo: Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu/Getty Images

What May 15 Means for Somalia’s Federal Architecture and Global Shipping

New reports of piracy off Somalia’s coast are grabbing headlines, but the bigger story is a looming constitutional crisis on May 15 that poses a long-term risk to the country’s federal legitimacy, regional stability, and, ultimately, to global shipping lanes.

Commentary by Aaron Stanley — May 11, 2026

See all analysis by the Africa Program

Featured Event

The Future of AGOA: Building American Prosperity Through African Partnership

March 3, 2026 • 9:00 – 10:45 am EST

The event will include keynote remarks and a fireside chat with the Members of Congress, followed by a panel discussion with leading experts. The dialogue will explore bipartisan pathways to examine how a modernized AGOA framework could deepen U.S.–Africa economic ties.

Hosted by Africa Program
Photo: CSIS

Photo: CSIS

Recent Events

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Featured Projects

Photo: SIDIKI KEITA/AFP/Getty Images

African Elections Tracking and Analysis

This project seeks to track, analyze, and report on elections across Africa, many of which shape the continent’s trajectory in global politics in the coming decades.

View Project Here
Photo: Santi Visalli/Getty Images

Africa Policy Accelerator

The Africa Policy Accelerator (APA) is a professional network that meets monthly to discuss current political, economic, and security developments shaping U.S.-Africa relations. Through discussions and guest speakers, APA addresses challenges and provides career insights.

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Into Africa

Into Africa Banner

Fearless music activists. Savvy tech entrepreneurs. Social disrupters. Into Africa shatters narratives that dominate U.S. perceptions of Africa. With the world’s youngest population, the decisions made across Africa today—good or bad—will shape the world’s future. Featuring in-depth interviews, the CSIS Africa Program sits down with policymakers, journalists, academics, and other trailblazers in African affairs to shine a spotlight on the people and stories shaping cultural, political, and economic trends across the continent today and for decades to come.

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All Africa Program Content

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What May 15 Means for Somalia’s Federal Architecture and Global Shipping

New reports of piracy off Somalia’s coast are grabbing headlines, but the bigger story is a looming constitutional crisis on May 15 that poses a long-term risk to the country’s federal legitimacy, regional stability, and, ultimately, to global shipping lanes.

Commentary by Aaron Stanley — May 11, 2026

Into Africa

Into Africa: Season One Reflections

In this season finale, we revisit our guests’ reflections on what continues to inspire hope for them.

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu — May 7, 2026

Photo: CSIS
Into Africa

Beyond Aid: Redefining Africa’s Development

Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps, and Noam Unger, Vice-President of the Global Development department at CSIS, join Oge to assess the current state of the international development and humanitarian assistance landscape and explore what challenges and opportunities this moment presents for Africa’s future.
 

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu and Noam Unger — April 23, 2026

Photo: CSIS

The Sudan War in 10 Charts

Sudan's civil war has entered its fourth year as the world's largest, most underfunded, and most overlooked humanitarian crisis.

Commentary by CSIS Scholars — April 17, 2026

Audio Briefs

Can Gen Z Protests Reshape Governance in Africa?

An audio version of ⁠Can Gen Z Protests Reshape Governance in Africa?⁠, a new Commentary by CSIS's Khasai Makhulo and Oge Onubogu. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Khasai Makhulo and Oge Onubogu — April 10, 2026

Audio Briefs

Can Gen Z Protests Reshape Governance in Africa?

Across Africa, Gen Z–led protests are redefining political engagement. But can this new wave of activism move beyond disruption to deliver lasting institutional change?

Commentary by Khasai Makhulo and Oge Onubogu — April 10, 2026

Into Africa

Emergency Response Rooms and Collective Action in Sudan

In this youth roundtable, Catherine Nzuki, Associate Fellow with the CSIS Africa Program, is joined by two Sudanese scholars to discuss Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms, a grassroots network of young volunteers delivering food, medicine, and essential services across all eighteen states in Sudan.

Podcast Episode by Catherine Nzuki — April 9, 2026

Photo: CSIS