Strengthening African Security Capacity

Analyzing the capacity and professionalism of African national, regional, and continental security institutions and U.S. efforts to support them.

Africa’s security institutions have struggled to keep up with the rapidly evolving, complex security threats facing the continent. While there are some notable exceptions, many of Africa’s military and civilian security organizations are poorly resourced and professional standards are low. The situation is replicated at the regional and continental level, where the African Union struggles to fund and organize effective responses to conflict, state collapse, and terrorism. CSIS research seeks to understand the challenges facing African security institutions, examines what is required to improve the situation, and considers how U.S. security assistance can make a positive impact.