Africa Program

Conducting sustained, timely research and analysis on the major elements of U.S. policy toward Africa.

3 Focus Areas

Shifts in Governance and Security: Greater connectivity, rapid urbanization, and population growth are transforming Africa’s politics and security landscape. The Africa Program anticipates how these factors underpin leadership transitions, public protests, and insurgencies, and examines the implications for the United States and Sub-Saharan African countries.

Navigating Foreign Partners: The map of foreign partners operating across Africa is growing more complex, with China, India, Japan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey deepening their engagements. The Africa Program seeks to contextualize Africa’s evolving foreign relations and reposition the U.S.-Africa relationship in this new dynamic.

The Future of African Cities: Urbanization is Africa’s present and its future. Sub-Saharan Africa is already 40 percent urban, while tens of millions of people are flooding into cities year after year. The Africa Program charts how urbanization is transforming the continent and advises the U.S. government in crafting policies that harness Africa’s vibrant urban center and tackle challenges to public health, infrastructure, and security.