Ansari Africa Center

The Atlantic Council established the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center in September 2009 with a mission to promote strong geopolitical partnerships with African states and to redirect US and European policy priorities towards strengthening economic growth and prosperity on the continent.

The Africa Center provides thought leadership on emerging security, geopolitical, and economic challenges in Africa through congressional testimony, publications, briefings, events, and a robust media presence. The Center assists policymakers in addressing the complex security challenges facing Africa, including the problems of state collapse; humanitarian crises; piracy; the growing nexus between extremism and criminality in West Africa and the Sahel; the ongoing political transitions in North Africa; ongoing challenges in Central and Southern Africa; and the growing impact of Islamist extremism on African polities and economies. Within the context of the Atlantic Council’s work to promote constructive US leadership and engagement in international affairs, the Center supports and collaborates with the public and private sectors in forging practical solutions to challenges and opportunities—particularly economic opportunities—in Africa. The Center seeks to persuade policymakers and the public sector of the strategic importance of Africa while analyzing the efforts of new actors on the continent—including China, India, Brazil and Turkey—and their impact on US and European interests. In its newest initiative, to be launched in 2013, the Center will inform decisions about participating in Africa's economic and commercial opportunities by engaging in a collaborative partnership to create an innovative real-time African Investment Scorecard.

Over the course of the past year, the Africa Center has provided an important platform for assessing and revising US policy toward Sudan and South Sudan and has been at the cutting edge of analysis on the growth of extremism in the Sahel and West Africa as well as the fragile progress being made in Somalia. In addition to ongoing work on these specific geopolitical challenges, the Center’s programming focuses on five policy initiatives: Influencing African Security Policy, African Prosperity, Emerging Economic Powers in Africa, Conversations with African Leaders, and Leaders of Tomorrow.

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

To join the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center mailing list, email africa@acus.org.

NEW LOCATION

The Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center are located in the Atlantic Council’s Satellite Office at 888 16th Street, NW | 8th Floor | Washington, DC 20005.

What Xi Sees in Africa

J. Peter Pham | March 25, 2013

Just days after completing his ascent by adding the state presidency to his posts as Communist Party general secretary and Central Military Commission chairman, Xi Jinping has embarked on his first trip overseas as China’s top leader, a journey that includes a week in Africa, with stops in Tanzania, South Africa, and the Republic of the Congo.

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J. Peter Pham Discusses “The BRICS and Africa” with African Security Sector Professionals

March 19, 2013

J. Peter Pham, director of the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, spoke today to participants in the “Next Generation of African Security Sector Leaders” program sponsored by the National Defense University’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies on The BRICS and Africa.

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IntelBrief: Implications of the Kenyan Elections

March 18, 2013

In the latest in the series of “IntelBriefs” on African security issues being produced by the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center in partnership with the Soufan Group, an international strategic consultancy, Ansari Center Deputy Director Bronwyn Bruton argues that while International Criminal Court (ICC)-indicted Uhuru Kenyatta has secured a presidential victory in the recent Kenyan elections, he is unlikely to be ostracized by the international community, which has little leverage and too much to lose if relations with Nairobi become strained.

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Rudolph Atallah on Al-Qaeda in Africa (CBN News)

March 17, 2013

Rudolph Atallah, senior fellow of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, joined Erick Stakelbeck on CBN News to discuss Al-Qaeda's expansion to Africa.

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J. Peter Pham on Morocco and Western Sahara (2M TV)

March 15, 2013

J. Peter Pham, director of the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, discussed Morocco and the dispute over Western Sahara on Morocco's 2M television network news.

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J. Peter Pham and Rudolph Atallah Address Former Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Regional Security in North Africa

March 07, 2013

J. Peter Pham, director of the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, and Senior Fellow Rudolph Atallah were two of the six experts invited as speakers at a meeting of the Aspen Ministers Forum held from March 7-10, 2013, in Marrakesh, Morocco.

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Bronwyn Bruton Discusses Early Kenyan Election Results (Public Radio International)

March 07, 2013

Bronwyn Bruton, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, joined Warren Olney on the KCRW and Public Radio International's To the Point to discuss the early results of the Kenyan elections and the integrity of the vote counting process.

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IntelBrief: Eritrea on the Edge

March 05, 2013

In the latest in the series of “IntelBriefs” on African security issues being produced by the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center in partnership with the Soufan Group, an international strategic consultancy, Ansari Center Deputy Director Bronwyn Bruton and Intern Sam Fishman argue that the political climate is slowly changing in Eritrea.

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Bronwyn Bruton Discusses Implications of Kenyan Elections (CTV News Channel)

March 04, 2013

Bronwyn Bruton, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, joined Amanda Blitz on the CTV News Channel to discuss today's election in Kenya and its implications for US interests in the Horn of Africa.

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Rudolph Atallah Speaks on the Crisis in Mali at ACSS

March 04, 2013

Rudolph Atallah, senior fellow of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, gave a presentation on the complexities of the situation in Mali to participants of the National Defense University's Africa Center for Strategic Studies' (ACSS) 2013 Next Generation of Security Sector Leaders course.

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