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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Platform for U.S.-Africa Policy Exchange

The CSIS Africa Program is launching a new cohort-based fellowship that connects mid- to senior-level African analysts, researchers, and institutions directly into U.S.–Africa policy conversations.

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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.

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Into Africa

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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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Into Africa

Old Playbooks, New Threats: Africa’s Evolving Security Landscape

In the season two premiere of Into Africa, Dr. Olajumoke Ayandele, Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University, and Peter Bofin, Senior Analyst, Southeast Africa at ACLED, join Oge to unpack this evolving threat landscape. Together, they examine how technology is reshaping how armed groups recruit, finance, and operate. 

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu — July 2, 2026

Photo: CSIS

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