Interview: America and You: The G20 Summit

In a panel at Voice of America, I discussed the importance of the U.S. and the African Union being a part of the G20.

Article: A Fragile Opportunity for Peace in Sudan

I discuss the conflict in Sudan and how continued disruption in the region will have harsh consequences both for the Sudanese people, and for the world at large. But once again history educates us on why it is important for the U.S. to offer a supporting hand to any potential peace process in the Sudan to establish a civilian government that will secure lasting stability for the Sudanese people. Read more in allAfrica.

Interview: America and You: The Indictment of Donald Trump

In a panel at the Voice of America, I reviewed the charges against former President Trump, and how they could affect African-American relations.

Article: Deepening Working Relationships in Africa

I discuss the second U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that took place in Washington, D.C., in December 2022 after nearly a decade. The Biden administration’s policy statement emphasized human rights, good governance, food security, peace, and a favorable environment for private sector investments. The summit’s focus was on extending and deepening the partnership between the U.S. and Africa. Read more in the Foreign Service Journal

Interview: A Year of War in Ukraine: Options for Ending the Conflict

I recently spoke with VOA Afrique about the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and options for how the conflict could end.

Interview: My Reaction to the Death of President Mikhail Gorbachev

I recently spoke with Voice of America about President Gorbachev's passing.

Article: A Tipping Point For Democracy In African Countries

I discuss how, throughout my diplomatic career, I have witnessed newly independent African countries inherit multiparty democracies from their former colonial masters. Then watched those young democracies shift into single-party dictatorships with poor decisions and mismanagement swinging the pendulum back the other way. Now, I fear that the pendulum is starting to swing again in some countries on the African continent, and democracies once more are at risk of regression. – in this article for The Hill.

Article: The Time Is Right for a Pivot to Africa

I discuss how Africa is not a battlefield for competition with China and Russia. We must see African aid, development, and investment as worthy security projects in their own right – in this article for Proceedings.

Article: How American diplomacy can help Guinea's people

I discuss how the U.S. can build influence with Guinea’s new regime – and try to help Guineans overcome poverty, corruption, and a cycle of repressive dictatorships – in this article for The Hill.

Article: Dealing with Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

MONUSCO forces on patrol in North Kivu (UN Images)

Violence in the DRC is spiraling out of control. In this article for American Diplomacy, I discuss potential solutions to the conflicts in the east, and the role of politics and the military in perpetuating insecurity.

Bublup Roll: Crises in the Sahel

Photo by Daniel Tiveau/CIFOR

The Sahel – a region spanning the African continent laterally, just under the Sahara Desert – is experiencing one of the world's most dire arrays of crises. Violent extremism, political instability, economic desperation, the effects of climate change, and COVID-19 are all threatening the Sahel at once. In this Roll, I grapple with some of the region's greatest challenges, and how the international community can make a difference there.

How the US can pull Sudan back from the brink

For The Hill, I discuss how U.S. policy towards Sudan can make a difference as the country struggles to move past the Bashir years.

A Proposal for Peace in Cameroon

I outline my proposal for peace in Cameroon in this article for Diplomatic Courier.

How COVID-19 Is Affecting African Economies

Lagos at night. By Chukwuka Tolulope Obu from Wikimedia Commons.

So far, there have been fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths in Africa than expected. But the pandemic has resulted in major resource problems.

African communities and governments mobilized quickly to fight COVID-19. Many countries have successfully imposed lockdowns and quarantines in order to limit community transmission. Nevertheless, cases and deaths continue to increase across the continent.

In addition to the disease itself, the coronavirus has brought deep economic hardship to Africa in three key ways.

• Prices for African commodity exports have decreased dramatically because of reduced economic activity in industrialized nations. This has reduced government revenue available for public health and pandemic management.

• Africans living in the industrialized world in diaspora communities normally send remittances to their families in Africa. Because so many workers have lost their jobs in the United States and Europe, these remittances have been greatly reduced. This has made it increasingly difficult for African families to purchase food and other necessities, which are especially important in the pandemic. Most African workers can't afford to miss a single day of work – stockpiling food and everyday essentials is typically not an option in the best of times.

• The uncertainties of COVID-19 have resulted in capital flight from Africa, further reducing the resources available to manage the pandemic, alleviate suffering, and control the economic fallout.

The complex impact of COVID-19 on Africa requires a multifaceted response. One of the most important contributions that the U.S. government can make is to supply surplus food under the P.L. 480 program, which allows African nations to purchase U.S. food exports in their own local currency. Use of P.L. 480 as part of a broader food aid program would go a long way towards ameliorating the widespread hunger which Africa is facing as a consequence of the pandemic.

Pulling Troops Out of Africa Could Mean Another Endless War

In this article for War on the Rocks, I discuss the potential consequences of the proposed reduction in U.S. military support for Africa – and why troops and arms are not enough on their own.