{
"authors": [
"Zainab Usman",
"Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar",
"Redi Tlhabi",
"Yinka Adegoke",
"Ambassador Elsie Kanza",
"Ambassador Sékou Berthe",
"Ambassador Alima Mahama",
"Ambassador Youssef Amrani",
"Ambassador Hilda Suka-Mafudze",
"Howard French",
"Raul Alfaro Pelico",
"Katie Auth",
"Professor Yemi Osinbajo",
"Nanjala Nyabola",
"Vincent Makori",
"Bright Simons",
"Hannah Ryder",
"Yacouba Sissoko",
"Jennifer Strong",
"Jane Munga",
"Nicholas Bramble",
"Alex Tsado",
"Julian Pecquet",
"Ambassador Jendayi Frazer",
"Tibor Nagy",
"Ambassador Johnnie Carson",
"Ambassador Herman Cohen",
"Jonathan Oppenheimer"
],
"type": "conference",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [
"Events from the Africa Program"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "africa",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "AFP",
"programs": [
"Africa"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"South Africa",
"Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa"
],
"topics": [
"Civil Society",
"Climate Change",
"Foreign Policy",
"Technology"
]
}
2024 Carnegie Africa Forum
Thu, June 27th, 2024 -
Woolly Mammoth Theater & Live Online
Join us for the inaugural Carnegie Africa Forum, a special one-day event that will bring together global thought leaders for discussions on the continent’s role in international cooperation. Hosted by the Carnegie Africa program, this event will leverage the dynamic network of scholars and repository of policy analysis that the program has developed since its founding in 2021 to highlight Africa’s role in the era of climate change, evolving great power competition, and the digital revolution.
Through panels, debates, and remarks from keynote speakers, the Carnegie Africa Forum will provide a platform for building Africa-centric partnerships and engaging in important conversations on topics including Africa’s role in the global energy transition, the consequences of changing geopolitical alignments for African nations, and the future of artificial intelligence on the continent. How will African nations cooperate, balance existing relationships, or strike out on their own as the world races to net zero, becomes more multipolar, and faces disruptive technological changes?
We invite you to participate in the 2024 Carnegie Africa Forum and engage with national figures, academic luminaries, and disruptive innovators shaping Africa's global role. To register for in-person attendance, click here:
Register for in-personRedi Tlhabi, an award-winning international broadcaster, author, and moderator, will serve as the 2024 Carnegie Africa Forum master of ceremonies.
Opening
Thu. June 27, 20244:30 AM - 6:20 AM EDT
Opening Remarks
The 2024 Carnegie Africa Forum kicks off with welcome remarks from the Carnegie Africa program director and senior fellow, Dr. Zainab Usman, and framing remarks from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's president, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar.
Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar
President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar is the tenth president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. A former justice of the Supreme Court of California, he has served three U.S. presidential administrations at the White House and in federal agencies, and was the Stanley Morrison Professor at Stanford University, where he held appointments in law, political science, and international affairs and led the university’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Zainab Usman
Former Director, Africa Program
Zainab Usman was a senior fellow and the inaugural director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Panel
Thu. June 27, 20246:25 AM - 7:10 AM EDT
Positioning for Partnership: African Diplomacy in the United States
As the U.S.-Africa relationship evolves and African countries continue to distinguish themselves on the global stage, members of the African diplomatic corps are critical actors in representing their countries in a dynamic landscape.
African ambassadors in Washington, DC, will examine the status of the U.S.-Africa relationship from their perspectives, the opportunities for increased engagement, and the power of regional and continental integration in shaping the future of Africa's global relations.
Yinka Adegoke
Founding Editor, Semafor Africa
Yinka Adegoke is the founding editor of Semafor Africa where he oversees Africa news coverage and co-leads events including the Semafor Africa Summit and the World Economy Summit.
H.E Dr. Ambassador Elsie Kanza
Ambassador to the United States of America and Mexico, United Republic of Tanzania
H.E. Dr. Elsie Kanza is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary for the Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States of America and Mexico. Formerly, she served as a member of the World Economic Forum's Executive Committee and adviser to its president.
Ambassador Alima Mahama
Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States
Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama is the ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States. She formerly served as Ghana's deputy minister for trade and industry.
Ambassador Youssef Amrani
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States
Ambassador Youssef Amrani is the ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States. His previous ambassadorial postings include South Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
Ambassador Hilda Suka-Mafudze
African Union Ambassador to the United States
H.E. Hilda Suka-Mafudze is the African Union ambassador to the United States. Formerly, she served as Zimbabwe's ambassador to Sudan and Malawi.
Ambassador Sékou Berthe
Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to the United States
Ambassador Sékou Berthe is the ambassador of the Republic of Mali to the United States. Prior to this assignment, he served as special counsel to the president of the transition of the Mali Republic.
Panel
Thu. June 27, 20247:25 AM - 8:10 AM EDT
Africa’s Natural Resources in the Global Race to Net Zero
The race to net zero will affect the market for natural resources, financial flows, and clean energy technologies in Africa. All the while, African countries stand to be disproportionately impacted by climate change despite having contributed only a fraction of total carbon emissions. To achieve a just energy transition, new frameworks and narratives must be developed and advocated for.
Climate policy thought leaders will convene to examine the role of Africa’s strategic minerals, hydrocarbons, and human and other natural resources in the race for net zero; the tension between the global push for a clean energy transition and the continent’s own industrialization goals; and how this renewed international scramble for Africa’s resources can be harnessed into opportunities for the continent.
Howard French
Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Howard French is an author and professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a former foreign correspondent and senior writer for the New York Times, and worked as a bureau chief in China, Japan, West and Central Africa, and Central America and the Caribbean.
Katie Auth
Nonresident Scholar, Africa Program
Katie Auth is a nonresident scholar with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Africa Program.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo
Former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (May 2015 – May 2023)
Professor Yemi Osinbajo served as the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for two consecutive terms from May 2015 to May 2023. Before his political career, Professor Osinbajo was a professor of public law at the University of Lagos and a founding partner of SimmonsCooper Partners.
Raul Alfaro Pelico
Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Energy Agency
Raul Alfaro Pelico is the director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Debate
Thu. June 27, 20248:20 AM - 9:05 AM EDT
Choose Sides, Go it Alone, or Band Together? Africa at the Center of Global Competition
African advocacy for reforming the global financial architecture reflects the salience of voices on the continent in a changing system of global governance. The continent often features prominently in the calculus of the world’s major and middle powers’ efforts to recalibrate their foreign policies and international economic relations.
Leading African entrepreneurs, advocates, and statesmen will take the stage to debate the various options for Africa’s international relations in this new era of geopolitical competition.
Vincent Makori
Managing Editor, TV, for Voice of America's English to Africa Service
Vincent Makori is the managing editor, TV, for Voice of America's English to Africa service.
Bright Simons
President of mPedigree
Bright Simons is the president of mPedigree.
Hannah Ryder
CEO of Development Reimagined
Hannah Ryder is the CEO of Development Reimagined. She is also is a senior associate (nonresident) for the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Nanjala Nyabola
Writer, Political Analyst, and Activist
Nanjala Nyabola is a writer, political analyst, and activist based in Nairobi, Kenya. Her books include Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics: How the Internet Era is Transforming Politics in Kenya and Travelling While Black: Essays Inspired by a Life on the Move.
Musical Performance
Thu. June 27, 202410:05 AM - 10:35 AM EDT
Musical Performance by Yacouba Sissoko
Master kora player Yacouba Sissoko will share his life through music.
Yacouba Sissoko
Master Kora Player
Yacouba Sissoko is a master kora player based out of New York City. Previous performances include the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC; the New York Family Arts Festival; the Grant Park Music Festival in Millennium Park, Chicago; the Portland Jazz Festival; the Detroit Jazz Festival; and the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Panel
Thu. June 27, 202410:50 AM - 11:35 AM EDT
Rise of the Machines: Will AI Enable or Undermine Africa’s Digital Future?
In the digital age, new technologies are constantly transforming industries, expanding civic spaces, and upending regulatory models. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is still nascent on the African continent, suggesting untapped potential that could accelerate Africa’s economic transformation agenda.
Technology policy thought leaders will meet to unravel the opportunities and risks posed by AI to Africa’s development and the contributions of African nations to global AI norms, usage narratives, and standards-setting.
Jennifer Strong
Reporting Fellow for the Pulitzer Center
Jennifer Strong is a reporting fellow for the Pulitzer Center. Her latest podcast, SHIFT, launched in 2023 with PRX.
Jane Munga
Fellow, Africa Program
Jane Munga is a fellow in the Africa Program focusing on technology policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Nicholas Bramble
Head of Economic Policy at Google
Nicholas Bramble is the head of economic policy at Google. Previously, Nicholas served as a presidential innovation fellow with the U.S. Treasury Department and was director of the Yale Law and Media Program.
Alex Tsado
Co-Founder of Alliance4ai
Alex Tsado is a co-founder of Alliance4ai. He is also a co-founder and the COO of Ahura AI.
Panel
Thu. June 27, 202411:50 AM - 12:35 PM EDT
Refining the Tools for a New Era: U.S. Diplomacy in Africa
Almost seventy years since its creation, the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs has led the U.S.-Africa diplomatic effort through various eras. Today, as African nations integrate on the continent and develop new visions for themselves on the global stage, U.S. diplomacy must be retooled to meet the contemporary reality. Understanding the history of U.S. diplomatic relationships with Africa and adapting them for the future is vital to the goal of sustainable and mutually beneficial relations between the United States and African nations.
Julian Pecquet
U.S. Correspondent for Jeune Afrique/the Africa Report
Julian Pecquet is the U.S. correspondent for Jeune Afrique/the Africa Report. He previously covered U.S. policy in the Middle East and North Africa for Al-Monitor and is the founder of Foreign Lobby Report.
Ambassador Jendayi Frazer
Duignan Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2005—2009)
Dr. Jendayi Frazer is the Duignan Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and adjunct senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, she served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2005 to 2009.
Tibor Nagy
Professor Emeritus at Texas Tech University and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2018—2021)
Tibor Nagy is a professor emeritus at Texas Tech. Previously, he served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2018 to 2021.
Ambassador Johnnie Carson
Senior Adviser at the United States Institute of Peace and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2009—2013)
Ambassador Johnnie Carson is the senior adviser at the United States Institute of Peace. Previously, he served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2009 to 2013.
Ambassador Herman Cohen
President of Cohen and Woods International and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1989—1993)
Ambassador Herman Cohen is president of Cohen and Woods International and former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs (1989-1993).
Closing
Thu. June 27, 202412:40 PM - 1:30 PM EDT
Fireside Chat and Closing Remarks
We end the 2024 Carnegie Africa Forum with a fireside chat with Jonathan Oppenheimer, Executive Chairman at Oppenheimer Generations. Dr. Zainab Usman will provide final remarks to close the day’s programming.
Jonathan Oppenheimer
Executive Chairman of Oppenheimer Generations
Jonathan Oppenheimer is a South African businessman and philanthropist. He currently serves as the executive chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, where he leads his family's private, commercial, and philanthropic activities.
Zainab Usman
Former Director, Africa Program
Zainab Usman was a senior fellow and the inaugural director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Carnegie Africa Program Newsletter
This monthly newsletter is a careful curation of the Carnegie Africa Program’s work and interests. We track key trends within the U.S., on the African continent, in Asia, Europe and around the world as they relate to Africa. We announce upcoming events and share information about recent publications.
Africa
The Africa Program focuses on economic, political, and transnational issues shaping Africa’s future. By conducting data-driven research, convening high-level dialogues, forging strategic partnerships, and amplifying African voices, the program addresses a crucial knowledge gap on Africa’s role in a changing global environment.
Event Speakers
Zainab Usman
Former Director, Africa Program
Zainab Usman was a senior fellow and the inaugural director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar
President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar is the tenth president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. A former justice of the Supreme Court of California, he has served three U.S. presidential administrations at the White House and in federal agencies, and was the Stanley Morrison Professor at Stanford University, where he held appointments in law, political science, and international affairs and led the university’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Redi Tlhabi
Award-Winning International Broadcaster, Author, and Moderator
Redi Tlhabi is an award-winning international broadcaster, author, and moderator. She has travelled extensively as a senior journalist presenting for the BBC, Al Jazeera, SABC, and ENewsAfrica.
Yinka Adegoke
Founding Editor, Semafor Africa
Yinka Adegoke is the founding editor of Semafor Africa where he oversees Africa news coverage and co-leads events including the Semafor Africa Summit and the World Economy Summit.
H.E Dr. Ambassador Elsie Kanza
Ambassador to the United States of America and Mexico, United Republic of Tanzania
H.E. Dr. Elsie Kanza is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary for the Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States of America and Mexico. Formerly, she served as a member of the World Economic Forum's Executive Committee and adviser to its president.
Ambassador Sékou Berthe
Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to the United States
Ambassador Sékou Berthe is the ambassador of the Republic of Mali to the United States. Prior to this assignment, he served as special counsel to the president of the transition of the Mali Republic.
Ambassador Alima Mahama
Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States
Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama is the ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to the United States. She formerly served as Ghana's deputy minister for trade and industry.
Ambassador Youssef Amrani
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States
Ambassador Youssef Amrani is the ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States. His previous ambassadorial postings include South Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
Ambassador Hilda Suka-Mafudze
African Union Ambassador to the United States
H.E. Hilda Suka-Mafudze is the African Union ambassador to the United States. Formerly, she served as Zimbabwe's ambassador to Sudan and Malawi.
Howard French
Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Howard French is an author and professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a former foreign correspondent and senior writer for the New York Times, and worked as a bureau chief in China, Japan, West and Central Africa, and Central America and the Caribbean.
Raul Alfaro Pelico
Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Energy Agency
Raul Alfaro Pelico is the director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Katie Auth
Nonresident Scholar, Africa Program
Katie Auth is a nonresident scholar with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Africa Program.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo
Former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (May 2015 – May 2023)
Professor Yemi Osinbajo served as the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for two consecutive terms from May 2015 to May 2023. Before his political career, Professor Osinbajo was a professor of public law at the University of Lagos and a founding partner of SimmonsCooper Partners.
Nanjala Nyabola
Writer, Political Analyst, and Activist
Nanjala Nyabola is a writer, political analyst, and activist based in Nairobi, Kenya. Her books include Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics: How the Internet Era is Transforming Politics in Kenya and Travelling While Black: Essays Inspired by a Life on the Move.
Vincent Makori
Managing Editor, TV, for Voice of America's English to Africa Service
Vincent Makori is the managing editor, TV, for Voice of America's English to Africa service.
Bright Simons
President of mPedigree
Bright Simons is the president of mPedigree.
Hannah Ryder
CEO of Development Reimagined
Hannah Ryder is the CEO of Development Reimagined. She is also is a senior associate (nonresident) for the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Yacouba Sissoko
Master Kora Player
Yacouba Sissoko is a master kora player based out of New York City. Previous performances include the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC; the New York Family Arts Festival; the Grant Park Music Festival in Millennium Park, Chicago; the Portland Jazz Festival; the Detroit Jazz Festival; and the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Jennifer Strong
Reporting Fellow for the Pulitzer Center
Jennifer Strong is a reporting fellow for the Pulitzer Center. Her latest podcast, SHIFT, launched in 2023 with PRX.
Jane Munga
Fellow, Africa Program
Jane Munga is a fellow in the Africa Program focusing on technology policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Nicholas Bramble
Head of Economic Policy at Google
Nicholas Bramble is the head of economic policy at Google. Previously, Nicholas served as a presidential innovation fellow with the U.S. Treasury Department and was director of the Yale Law and Media Program.
Alex Tsado
Co-Founder of Alliance4ai
Alex Tsado is a co-founder of Alliance4ai. He is also a co-founder and the COO of Ahura AI.
Julian Pecquet
U.S. Correspondent for Jeune Afrique/the Africa Report
Julian Pecquet is the U.S. correspondent for Jeune Afrique/the Africa Report. He previously covered U.S. policy in the Middle East and North Africa for Al-Monitor and is the founder of Foreign Lobby Report.
Ambassador Jendayi Frazer
Duignan Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2005—2009)
Dr. Jendayi Frazer is the Duignan Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and adjunct senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, she served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2005 to 2009.
Tibor Nagy
Professor Emeritus at Texas Tech University and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2018—2021)
Tibor Nagy is a professor emeritus at Texas Tech. Previously, he served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2018 to 2021.
Ambassador Johnnie Carson
Senior Adviser at the United States Institute of Peace and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2009—2013)
Ambassador Johnnie Carson is the senior adviser at the United States Institute of Peace. Previously, he served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2009 to 2013.
Ambassador Herman Cohen
President of Cohen and Woods International and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1989—1993)
Ambassador Herman Cohen is president of Cohen and Woods International and former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs (1989-1993).
Jonathan Oppenheimer
Executive Chairman of Oppenheimer Generations
Jonathan Oppenheimer is a South African businessman and philanthropist. He currently serves as the executive chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, where he leads his family's private, commercial, and philanthropic activities.