The Africa Center brings together leading African experts in Washington for a conversation examining Africa’s growing role on the geopolitical landscape, its increased agency in impacting global events, and the future of US-Africa relations in light of these advances. This event took place again...

STEPPING INTO FOCUS: AFRICA, BRICS, AND THE WAR IN UKRAINE - The 2023 BRICS Summit in South Africa and the recent trip to Kyiv and Moscow by a peace delegation of African leaders raise the question: What are African expectations around these international appearances? How will the continent step ...

SUDAN CRISIS: CHARTING A PATH FORWARD - After two months of fighting in Sudan, civilians remain caught in the middle of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Targeting against non-combatants and a resurgence of violence in Darfur hav...

GREEN HYDROGEN FOR AFRICA: OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES IN AFRICAN MARKETS - Although hydrogen energy is becoming an increasingly important decarbonization tool, the high financial costs and carbon intensity of its production present significant barriers to its widespread adoption.

However green ...

For Africa Day 2023, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar join the Africa Center’s Senior Director, Rama Yade, to discuss their visions and views on the current state of US-Africa relations and US policy towards Africa. This event serves as an opportunity to follow up on the rec...

A CONVERSATION WITH SENEGAL’S MINISTER OF ECONOMY, PLANNING AND COOPERATION, OULIMATA SARR - As part of its annual dialogue series—held each year during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings—the Africa Center, in cooperation with the GeoEconomics Center, hosted Senegalese Minister of Finance and...

A CONVERSATION WITH CAMEROON’S MINISTER OF ECONOMY, ALAMINE OUSMANE MEY - As part of its annual dialogue series—held each year during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings—the Africa Center, in cooperation with the GeoEconomics Center, hosted Cameroon’s Minister of Economy, Planning, and Regiona...

AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES ON BRETTON WOODS AND URGENCY OF REFORMS IN 2023 - The 2023 Spring Meetings focused on reshaping development for a new era, which included discussions on reforms that could help the Bretton Woods monetary institutions better address development needs on the African continent. ...

AC FRONT PAGE: BLACK TRAILBLAZERS IN FOREIGN POLICY - Since its founding sixty-two years ago, the Atlantic Council’s mission has been inclusion in a fundamental sense: helping Americans understand that they are part of a broader international community. This year during Black History Month, the A...

HOW FREE MARKETS SHAPE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT - One of the defining questions of our time is whether free markets or economies controlled by authoritarian regimes are better at delivering prosperity for their people.

A panel of distinguished experts held a discussion on free markets and development ...

RUSSIA’S INFLUENCE IN AFRICA, A SECURITY PERSPECTIVE - On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and the Policy Center for the New South, in collaboration with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, hosted a twin report launch event for Russia’s influence in Africa on the...

A CONVERSATION WITH JUDD DEVERMONT, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES - On February 16, the Africa Center hosted Special Assistant to the US President and National Security Council Senior Director for African Affairs, Judd Devermont, for a conversation on the next steps in U...

JOHN ROGERS SPEAKS AT THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL WELCOME DINNER FOR THE US-AFRICA LEADERS SUMMIT - Atlantic Council Chairman John F.W. Rogers delivered the opening speech at the Atlantic Council’s US-Africa Leaders Summit Welcome Dinner on December 12, 2022. African Heads of Delegation, led by H.E. Mac...

A CONVERSATION WITH H.E. VINCENT BIRUTA, FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA - Known as one of the countries which set up the most severe COVID-19 restrictions systems, Rwanda seemed to have achieved a solid economic recovery and have reconnected with the path of development. As a growing ...

SAHEL DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT - It has been almost ten years since the beginning of the security crisis in the Sahel. In the throes of multiple insurgencies, Sahelian countries and their foreign allies seem to be aware of the limits of military containment. While the international community is working...

HIGH LEVEL READOUT ON FOCAC 2021: EXPERT VIEW ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE CHINESE COMMERCIAL FOOTPRINT IN AFRICAN MARKETS - The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a high-level panel event on the outcomes of the 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the evolution of the Chinese comme...

AFRICAN ECONOMIC RECOVERY: THE STRATEGY OF BOAD IN A POST-COVID-19 WORLD - While international development organizations stress African resilience, what is the The West African Development Bank’s (BOAD’s) role? Will the capital increase of the bank be strong enough to support an efficient strateg...

AN AC FRONT PAGE CONVERSATION WITH US REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UN LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD - As a post-COVID-19 world emerges and the new US administration sets its foreign policy agenda, Africa stands as a land of opportunity. At the Africa Center, we are inspired by Africa’s prospects. Africa is th...

A CONVERSATION WITH SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA DANA L. BANKS - As a post-COVID-19 world emerges and the new US administration sets its foreign policy agenda, Africa stands as a land of opportunity. At the Africa Center, we are inspi...

CONVERSATION WITH PATRICK ACHI, THE PRIME MINISTER FOR THE IVORY COAST - While international development organizations stress African resilience, this event took place during the Ivory Coast’s Prime Minister’s visit in Washington D.C. in March 2022. This event featured remarks from Prime Minister...

A CONVERSATION WITH H.E. ANATOLE COLLINET MAKOSSO, PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO - With the IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings taking place from April 18th to the 22nd, 2022, the Africa Center has convened the timely “2022 Spring Meeting Dialogues,” raising African voices during t...

A CONVERSATION WITH H.E. SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, ZAMBIA FINANCE MINISTER - With the IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings taking place from April 18th to the 22nd, the Africa Center has convened the timely “2022 Spring Meeting Dialogues,” highlighting African views during the strategic gatherin...

A CONVERSATION WITH ALICE ALBRIGHT - For its inaugural #AroundThe2022Summit conversation, the Africa Center was thrilled to host Alice Albright, the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), for a discussion held between the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (C...

FIRESIDE CONVERSATION WITH H.E. WAVEL RAMKALAWAN, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES - The Atlantic Council hosted H.E. President Wavel Ramkalawan of the Republic of Seychelles for a fireside conversation on political developments in the country on the margins of the US-Africa Leaders Summit...