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Africa Program

As we approach the new year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the support of our partners and friends of the Africa program. For 20 years, our mission has been dedicated to tackling the most critical issues facing US-Africa relations, and your continued support this year has played a pivotal role in our accomplishments.

In the lead-up to 2024, the Africa Program continues its work on African elections, governance, and peacebuilding. We spoke with Prof. Attahiru Jega, Head of the ECOWAS Election Observer Delegation of the Liberian elections, who shared his reflections as well as lessons to be applied to other African elections coming ahead in 2024. Our Africa Up Close blog also explored how domestic election observers can garner confidence in governance and the electoral processes across the continent. We also got a chance to learn from Father Alain Nzadi-A-Nzadi, Director of Centre d'Etudes pour l'Action Sociale (CEPAS), on what we should be watching for in the upcoming Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) elections and his thoughts on how peace can be achieved in the eastern DRC region.

I also want to highlight we’ve published a report from the Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP), Regional Policy Conference, September 19-20 2023, “West and North Africa at the Crossroads of Change: Examining the Evolving Security and Governance Landscape,” in Accra. This conference, co-hosted by the Africa Program, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), and the Sadeq Institute, brought together regional experts to discuss the impact of military coups in the Sahel on socio-political dynamics in the regions. The report highlights key takeaways from the discussions and recommendations for regional and external stakeholders in the Sahel-Maghreb region.

We invite you to read the analysis and watch the events, share with your networks, and follow us on Twitter/X and LinkedIn.

ARTICLE

Q&A: Insights & Perspectives on the 2023 DRC Elections with Fr. Nzadi-a-Nzadi Alain

In a Q&A with the Managing Director for the Research Center for Social Action, this interview discusses the upcoming 2023 Presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), current challenges, and how its outcome can impact US and international relations with the DRC.

Blog | Kgalalelo Nganje

What Greater Autonomy Means for Domestic Election Observers

At a time when international election observation’s influence and credibility in Africa are waning, and the continent’s democratic gains are declining, civil society organizations (CSOs) are making headway in domestic election observation. CSOs’ mandates extend beyond the limited scope of deterring electoral fraud, curbing civil disobedience, or conferring legitimacy to elected governments.

Blog | Marie Grace Kagoyire Gasinzigwa

Collective Memory and Youth in Rwanda: Benefits, Limitations, and Alternative Solutions

Since 1995, Rwanda has steadfastly commemorated more than one million lives that were taken during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The commemorative efforts have promoted a period of "collective memory" reflection as an approach that aims to heal the wounds of the past and contribute to reconciliation between genocide survivors and perpetrators’ families.

Blog | Wubrest F. Adamu

Another Day, Another Femicide: The Reality of Women in Ethiopia and the Vocal Silence of “Reformative Government”

Like all forms of GBV against women and girls, femicide is a problem that affects every country and territory across the globe. According to a report, Africa recorded the second-largest number of female intimate partner and family-related killings. Ethiopia is no different.

COLLECTION

AGOA: Road to Reauthorization

Since its launch, the Wilson Center has followed AGOA’s progress through published numerous articles and held events that examine AGOA’s role in US-Africa relations and Africa’s economy. Ahead of the Forum, many of these sources are provided on this webpage. Throughout November, we continued to monitor and report on outcomes from the forum.

BLOG | Milkee Bekele & Torianna Eckles

Gender-Based Violence and the Tigray Conflict in Ethiopia: A Path to Accountability and Resolution

Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict—one of the world’s deadliest conflicts—has been characterized by a particularly dire level of gender-based violence (GBV). Throughout the two-year war, experts estimate that GBV was committed against at least 40 to 50 percent of women and girls in the Tigray, Amhara, Afar, and Oromia regions of Ethiopia.

BLOG | Adane Tadesse

Fostering Peacebuilding Role of the US-based Ethiopian Diaspora

Studies document that origin country contexts marked by ethnic division and instability tend to produce diaspora communities entangled in similar circumstances. Such is the case of the Ethiopian diaspora based in the United States, the second-largest African diaspora group after Nigeria.

VIDEO

Advancing US-Africa Relations at the State Level: A View from Nigeria

In this interview, Caleb Mutfwang, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Nigeria, shares his insights on the importance of subnational governance in Africa and discusses on how US foreign policy can effectively engage with state governments and subnational systems in Nigeria and across Africa.

Watch & Listen

See some of our latest interviews with experts.

Takeaways from Liberia's 2023 Presidential Elections and Reflections on Democracy in West Africa

African Voices Address Urgent Issues: Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Roundtable 2023

WILSON CENTER COLLABORATIONS & EVENTS

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