May-ntaining High Level of Analysis
The Carnegie Africa Program explores governance, technology, trade, climate and the foreign policy of African states in a changing global context.
May 2026
This month, Fonteh Akum settled into his new tenure as director and senior fellow of the Carnegie Africa Program. The program embarked on its next leadership chapter with our scholars featured in the media and on timely panels, offering their expertise on the economic, political, and transnational trendlines shaping the continent and U.S. policy towards Africa.
Fonteh, alongside Nonresident Scholar Katie Auth and Visiting Scholar Lesley Anne Warner, recently joined the Foreign Policy for America’s Leadership Summit panel: “Rebuilding U.S.-Africa Relations from the Ground Up.” They provided expertise on opportunities for a stronger U.S.-Africa relationship amid the growing role of Africa in global affairs. On Capitol Hill, Nonresident Scholar Tyler Beckelman briefed a bipartisan group of congressional staff on the ‘3D approach’ (diplomacy, development, and defense) and commercial diplomacy strategy as part of the ONE Fellows program.
In a recent piece for Just Security, Vice President for Studies Frances Z. Brown outlined how the U.S.-Israel war with Iran may reshape the already fragmented trajectory of democracy across Africa.
Since joining the Africa Program last month, Lesley has produced timely analysis on security and governance in West and Central Africa. In a World Politics Review (WPR) piece, Lesley examined the civilian cost of the Nigerian government’s counterinsurgency airstrikes. Her latest piece in Just Security analyzed how recent insurgent-led attacks challenge junta-led security in Mali. She also expanded upon her assessment on Preston Stewart’s Talking With Experts podcast. Lesley’s most recent WPR column explores the controversial third-term pursuits of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi.
Meanwhile, the program has further deepened its technology workstream by delving into Africa’s vibrant digital policy landscape through the recently updated Africa Technology Policy Tracker (AfTech). Leveraging AfTech’s data, Fellow Jane Munga published a timely analysis of why digital infrastructure is a top priority for African policymakers. She expanded on these findings in a recent video interview with StrangersX, exploring the possibilities of democratizing AI and the role of digital public infrastructure. Check out the Chart of the Month (below) for a policy breakdown on the emphasis of digital infrastructure in Africa’s digital economy.
Evidence-based policy dialogues around the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) remain top of the policy agenda in Washington D.C. Two of our nonresident scholars, Kholofelo Kugler and Tyler Beckelman, analyzed strategic reforms for a modernized AGOA, presenting key priorities to strengthen U.S.-Africa economic ties while advancing U.S. interests. Building on these insights, the program also convened a private roundtable on the future of U.S.-Africa trade relations, bringing together key representatives from U.S. and African policymaking and business communities.
Stay tuned for key takeaways from this discussion, and for more impactful work about the African continent from our world-class scholars. Follow us on LinkedIn, and on X @AfricaCarnegie.
Chart of the Month
Features
The Strategic Stakes of AGOA Reform and Renewal
Strengthening U.S.-Africa trade and advancing U.S. interests aren’t conflicting goals.
By Tyler Beckelman and Kholofelo Kugler
The Middle East War Will Reshape Africa’s Democratic Trajectory
The economic fallout across Africa from the Iran war will have major impact not only on the day-to-day well-being of African citizens, but complex implications for the prospects of democracy in many African countries.
By Frances Z. Brown
Tshisekedi Maneuvers for a Controversial Third Term in DR Congo
President Félix Tshisekedi’s recent remarks caused alarm among the Congolese opposition, which saw them as nothing less than a trial balloon floated by Tshisekedi to extend his tenure.
By Lesley Anne Warner
Insurgent Offensive in Mali Exposes the Deficiencies of Junta-led Security in the Sahel
Recent events are a direct test of the junta’s proposition that Russian-backed security assistance and the suspension of civil liberties could deliver stability where democratic governance and Western-backed security assistance had failed over the course of preceding decades.
By Lesley Anne Warner
Nigeria’s Airpower-Centric Counterinsurgency Is Costing Civilian Lives
Government airstrikes in Nigeria over the past decade are underscoring the Nigerian military’s continued challenges with intelligence, target identification, and air-ground integration.
By Lesley Anne Warner
Africa’s Digital Infrastructure Imperative
The Africa Technology Policy Tracker reveals policymakers’ priorities for the continent’s digital transformation.
By Jane Munga
From the Archive
The recent inaugural Africa Forward Summit 2026, hosted by Kenya and France, seeks to redefine the current era of France’s engagement with the continent. In June 2022, Africa Program contributing researcher Corentin Cohen published “Will France’s Africa Policy Hold Up?,” examining Macron’s strategy for diplomatic outreach to countries throughout Africa.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.