PUBLICATIONS

Artificial Intelligence in the Modern World: Sub-Saharan African Perspective

Wesli Turner, MSc, Lab Director, and Dr. John Bosco Nizeiman, Senior Research Fellow, Leadership & Governance Policy Lab April 27, 2021

The increasing use of digital technologies has created a more connected world. However, African nations are experiencing knowledge gaps and inadequate digital infrastructures. While investment in tech companies in Africa has surged since 2018, it could decrease if the continent does not develop the capacity necessary for artificial intelligence (AI) innovation in line with its global counterparts. States must define artificial intelligence, invest in research and infrastructure, as well as establish legislative policy frameworks to guide the development and investment in AI. This article analyzes the role of AI in Sub-Saharan Africa and the challenges faced in the adoption of AI. It then proffers policy recommendations based on this analysis.

How Efficient Cook Stoves Can Improve the Environment and Women’s Health

Miriam Dangasuk, Research Fellow, Resource, Environment and Energy Policy Lab April 13, 2021

The World Bank estimates that a cumulative 40 million worker years are wasted annually on gathering fuelwood for use in traditional cookstoves. This work is largely done by women, and it prevents them from otherwise using their free time for income-generating activities or schoolwork. Moreover, in many African countries, women and children spend hours cooking on these traditional cookstoves, which has led to poor health outcomes. Thus, emphasis needs to be put into the adoption and usage of improved cookstoves.

The Province of Cabo Delgado in Mozanbique. Credit ISS

The Islamist Insurgency in Mozambique, is SADC doing enough?

Allen Tavaziva, Research Analyst, Foreign Policy & Diaspora Studies Lab March 30, 2021

Ahlu Sunna wa Jama (ASWJ), an Islamic militant organization, has solidified its power in northern Mozambique through a violent insurgency. As the crisis intensifies, the prospect of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) intervention is becoming increasingly likely. If the bloc can resolve its differences and implement a joint military-humanitarian intervention, a larger regional crisis may yet be averted.

Arrival of medical supplies donated by People's Republic of China to South Africa

Principles for Independence: Maintaining African Autonomy in the Age of COVID-19

Dan Dunham, Research Analyst, Security and Intelligence Policy Lab March 21, 2021

Africa is no stranger to combatting public health crises, and the renewed growth seen in many nations, coupled with the optimism of a new generation of younger and more reform-minded African leaders, means that there is a real opportunity to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so, however, it is important that African nations preserve their autonomy, and maintain a focus on the protection of self-determination, democratic representation, and their own national interests above those of external powers that seek to use COVID-19 aid as a lever of power.

Implications of Sudan’s Foreign Affairs on the future of Sudan

Nurul Husna Atirah, Research Intern, Foreign Policy and Diaspora Studies Lab March 17, 2021

Sudan’s removal from the US State Sponsor or Terrorism List (SST) and the normalization of relations with Israel are two novel aspects of Sudanese foreign affairs that may prove especially significant in shaping the country’s future. While the normalization of ties with Israel was prematurely forced onto the government by the US, the overall outcome has the potential to help move the country forward.

Sanitizer Credit World Bank Photo Collection

A Crucial Barrier to Covid-19 Response in Africa: Public Trust in Government Institutions

Violet Wawire, Research Fellow and Mentor, African Political Economy Policy Lab March 12, 2021

Governments all over the world are grappling with the coronavirus pandemic that is quickly spreading among populations. More than ever, trust between citizens and their governments is a critical factor in facilitating good governance and ensuring an effective response to the pandemic. Within an African context, this paper examines the dynamics that influence public trust in governments and their implications on effectiveness in response to social distancing protocols. The paper derives lessons for African governments to build, maintain and leverage public trust for the management of Covid-19 and other related diseases.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at a parade with military comrades in February 2019

Media Blackout, Restricted Access and Misinformation in Ethiopia Conflict

Sophie Neiman, Research Associate, Security & Intelligence Policy Lab March 8, 2021

Limited access to Ethiopia’s restive Tigray region has curtailed aid workers’ ability to operate there, leaving residents, including millions of children, cut off from essential services. Meanwhile, a slowly waning media blackout means it is near impossible for journalists to confirm details about the fighting, and the needs of residents in areas impacted by battles and airstrikes. Information about the situation in Tigray instead comes via the thousands of refugees who have poured over the Sudanese border in recent months, but their harrowing stories cannot be verified.

The Cost of Breathing: The Sangaredi Mine and the Pfizer Vaccine

Madeline Quasebarth, Research Fellow, African Political Economy Policy Lab February 26, 2021

The global trade network of raw materials has been subject to much research and discussion. This paper links the history of the Guinean Bauxite mine, known as the Sangaredi Mine, to the distribution of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. This linkage serves as a case study which speaks to the more extensive dialogue of exploitative resource mining and global health inequity. The COVID-19 virus and vaccine amplify the neo-colonial legacy affecting Guinea’s economic health and the well-being of its population. The linkage highlighted in this paper serves as an essential avenue to discuss long-standing policies rooted in economic inequity.

Prosperity & Poverty in Post-Independent Africa Debated

Jean Claude Abeck, President and Chief Executive Officer February 26, 2021

Why have many Africans remained the poorest in the world despite their continent’s development potential and the plethora of untapped mineral wealth? Among Africanists, no pastime is more common than the debate over Africa’s impoverishment.

Cattle at a camp in Jonglei state South Sudan

South Sudan & the Dilemma of Civilian Disarmament

Andrew Karl, Research Fellow, Security and Intelligence Policy Lab February 18, 2021

In response to a sharp escalation of intercommunal violence, South Sudan launched a civilian disarmament campaign in July 2020 to counter the proliferation of small arms. Rather than quelling the violence, this coercive campaign risks deepening South Sudan’s pervasive insecurity. Past attempts at civilian disarmament have repeatedly led to violent clashes between communities being disarmed and an abusive security sector, while geographically staged, incomplete disarmament efforts have often escalated intercommunal violence. Further, this approach does nothing to address the demand factors driving proliferation, leading communities to re-arm following the completion of disarmament exercises.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project’s Perpetuation of Inequity and Food Insecurity Among Women

Emily Gould, Research Fellow, Resource, Environment, and Energy Policy Lab February 18, 2021

The construction of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) has led to immense
advancements in Lesotho’s energy sector and economy while also providing valuable water resources to South Africa. Unfortunately, this project’s construction has left many citizens of Lesotho displaced over the last couple of decades. Of those impacted, women suffer at disproportionate rates from food insecurity and financial instability caused by the construction of the LHWP. To mitigate the negative externalities of the LHWP, policymakers should make gender equality a focal point when enacting laws and promoting small-scale irrigation projects.

Dhagax Kure Ancient Rock Paintings, Arabsiyo, Somalia Credit: Yasin Yusuf

Regenerative Farming as Somali Security Policy

Caroline Ognibene, Research Fellow, Resource, Environment and Energy Policy Lab February 11, 2021

The extremist organization al-Shabaab capitalizes on food insecurity and internal displacement to recruit and coerce new members. Environmental damage to crops, upon which many Somalis rely for subsistence and livelihood, severely exacerbates these risk factors. To lessen the pervasive influence of al-Shabaab, and to increase overall stability, Somali farmers should adopt regenerative farming techniques, which decrease environmental vulnerability.

Overlapping Insecurities: Maritime and Agrarian Resource Management as Counterterrorism

Caroline Ognibene, Research Fellow, Resource, Environment and Energy Policy Lab February 9, 2021

The ongoing presence of Al-Shabaab in Somalia exacerbates regional instability and poses a distinctive threat to women. After providing historic context to Al-Shabaab’s rise, this report identifies foreign intervention in Somali resource management as a causal factor behind the group’s continued influence.
This report ultimately suggests three local-level policies that would reduce vulnerability to both Al-Shabaab and foreign actors: seaweed farming, regenerative agriculture, and supportive day centers for women victims.

Confronting the Overlap of Sextortion and Natural Resources in Kenya

Cole Baker, Research Fellow, Resource, Environment and Energy Policy Lab January 22, 2021

This article explores the link between sextortion, defined as corruption involving sexual exploitation, and natural resource scarcity in Kenya. Kenya has become a case study for how resource scarcity—including water scarcity and the scarcity of fish—leads to the increased prevalence of sextortion. After examining the relationship between sextortion and resource scarcity in Kenya and positing the impact of increased resource scarcity, the article examines the limitations and potential roles of civil society and the government in addressing this issue.

Zimbabwe’s Biodiversity Advocates

Rebecca Ellison, Director, Youth, Gender and Vulnerability Policy Lab January 18, 2021

Zimbabwean youth are reshaping environmental advocacy. As leaders of a grassroots movement, their message that biodiversity loss represents an existential crisis facing their generation is resonating with thousands of young people in Zimbabwe. The intersection of environmental and economic risk factors impacting the country is resulting in mounting pressures on the landscape, diminishing the ecological health of biodiverse as well as agricultural areas.

17th Africa Union Summit. Credit- Embassy of Equatorial Guinea

To Benefit from the Belt & Road Initiative, Africa Needs a Unified Approach

Alex Kopytko, Research Intern, African Political Economy Policy Lab January 6, 2021

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the Chinese plan to “improve connectivity and regional co-operation on a trans-continental scale through large-scale investments.” The Chinese argue that the BRI will help develop global infrastructure. This paper investigates how the BRI is playing out in Africa. It argues that the Chinese government has ulterior motives and that countries must use caution when dealing with China. Countries that take a cautious approach to the BRI have seen some success. The African continent has been making strides towards a unified monetary union, and, similarly, African countries need to take a unified and limited approach to handle Chinese aid.

Avoiding Temptation: African Nations Should Not Militarize their Response to COVID-19

Dan Dunham, Research Analyst, Security and Intelligence Policy Lab December 22, 2020

Given the threat from COVID-19, some African leaders have reacted to the pandemic by relying heavily on the tools of military and security infrastructure that are commonly perceived as most reliable when dealing with destabilizing threats to their national wellbeing. Unfortunately, this approach not only alienates the civilian population and further exacerbates the politicization of African militaries, but it also risks worsening the spread of the virus.

Restarting Growth in Countries with Ongoing Conflicts After Covid-19

Apungwa Cornelius Ntabe, Research Associate, African Political Economy Policy Lab December 18, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has caused disruptions across the globe on a scale not previously imagined. The pandemic unquestionably presents an era-defining challenge to public health and the global economy. Notably, it has exacerbated existing crises in conflict-afflicted countries. In light of this, UN Secretary General Guterres called for a ceasefire to allow countries to address the pandemic as it was impossible to embark on two battles simultaneously. This paper contends that the same will be true for the post-COVID-19 recovery, as the presence or threat of conflict will render any attempts at economic growth extremely difficult.[i] Furthermore, it recommends that the fight against COVID-19 should coincide with the fight against various socio-political crises and armed conflicts in order to lighten the challenge of rebuilding the economy and dealing with the conflicts after the pandemic.

A Malian soldier manages a crowd of junta supporters. Credit: Michele Cattani/AFP via Getty

Three Reasons to Be Concerned With The Coup In Mali

Solomon Tejada Brown, Research Analyst, Leadership and Governance Policy Lab December 12, 2020

The West African nation of Mali has plunged into a new era of uncertainty after military leaders seized control from a democratically-elected government in August, 2020. This seizure of power has a multitude of serious consequences not only for Mali itself but for the region at large. Having suffered over eight years of ethnic and religious violence, Mali now faces further insecurity due to the violent usurpation of political power. It will be a long road to recovery from the coup, and an ever longer road to the end of the ongoing Malian humanitarian crisis.

A-stockpile-of-AK-47-rifles-belonging-to-members-of-the-Sudan-People's-Liberation-Army featured

Intensified Insecurity & the Subversion of Security Sector Reform in South Sudan

Andrew Karl, Research Fellow, Security and Intelligence Policy Lab December 2, 2020

Despite the appearance of progress towards sustainable peace in South Sudan, the transitional security arrangements dictated by the R-ARCSS peace accord have produced the explosive potential for intensified insecurity. In adherence to the logic of the “payroll peace,” the parties to the R-ARCSS have subverted and defied the prescribed security sector reforms, leading to a renewed period of military recruitment, a hollowed-out process of force integration, and a stalled DDR program incapable of meeting combatants’ expectations. To avoid the return to major hostilities, further diplomatic engagement is needed to compel the parties to undertake these security sector reforms in good faith.

Figure 1. Borana Immigrants at Ellis Island. Photograph by Augustus F. Sherman, ca. 1905–1920. U.S. National Archives, Ellis Island 2005 Exhibition (New York, 2005). Photograph of the book page by Sora Halake from a copy held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Washington, D.C.

Ethiopia’s Borana Community Traces Its Roots Back to Ellis Island, New York, More Than a Century Ago

Sora Halake, Manager, Media & Communications, Africa Center for Strategy & Policy August 17, 2026

Ethiopia’s Borana Community Traces Its Roots Back to Ellis Island, New York, More Than a Century Ago. Figure 1. Borana Immigrants at Ellis Island. Photograph by Augustus F. Sherman, ca. 1905–1920. U.S. National Archives, Ellis Island 2005 Exhibition (New York, 2005). Photograph of the book page by Sora Halake from a copy held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library,

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with Senior Government Officials and Commissioners of the Ethiopian National Dialogue

The Twin Instruments of Power Consolidation in Ethiopia: National Dialogue and War Narratives

Milkessa Gemechu, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Albion College August 17, 2026

The Twin Instruments of Power Consolidation in Ethiopia: National Dialogue and War Narratives Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), “Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with Senior Government Officials and Commissioners of the Ethiopian National Dialogue,” July 31, 2026 Milkessa Gemechu, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Albion Collegemilkessam@gmail.com This article argues that Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has employed the concept of “national

Rising Protectionism from the United States and Africa’s Future Beyond AGOA

Morgan Anderson, Research Analyst, Foreign Policy & Diaspora Studies Lab August 14, 2026

Rising Protectionism from the United States and Africa’s Future Beyond AGOA OpenAI, AI-generated illustration of rising U.S. protectionism and Africa’s future beyond AGOA, generated with ChatGPT (GPT-5.5) and DALL·E, July 20, 2026 Morgan Anderson, Research Analyst, Foreign Policy & Diaspora Studies Lab andersonmorgan043@gmail.com This backgrounder examines the expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)