Finding a Lasting Solution to Instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

About the Author: Johnnie Carson serves as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

As I noted in my recent remarks at the Brookings Institution, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or the DRC, deserves a much higher place on the world’s foreign policy priorities list. Conflict in the DRC has resulted in more than five million deaths since 1998. No other conflict or act of violence since World War II has come anywhere close to taking so many lives. Eastern DRC’s chronic instability also negatively impacts the security, political, economic, and development goals of the country’s nine neighbors. This is one of the reasons why it is imperative for the United States and the international community to work with the DRC and other regional partners to break this cycle of death and suffering and address the consequences of this violence.

The United… more »

(Source: blogs.state.gov)

U.S.-Africa Partnership: The Last Four Years and Beyond

About the Author: Johnnie Carson serves as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

After more than 40 years of experience in Africa – and the ebbs and flows of hope and conflict – I’ve become ever more optimistic about Africa’s future. As those of you who know me are aware, I like to base my conclusions on analysis and factual observations. Here, too, my optimism is grounded in real developments: expanded democracy, rapid economic growth, and greater security and opportunities for Africa’s people. It’s now realistic to think that the 21st century will not only be shaped in Beijing and Washington, but also in Pretoria, Abuja, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa.

In my January 16 remarks at the Wilson Center, I elaborated about this optimism and the Obama Administration’s policies in Africa. Somalia and South Sudan are two places where no one previously believed… more »

(Source: blogs.state.gov)

Conversations With America: Building Americans’ Engagement with Sub-Saharan Africa

Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, will hold a conversation with Jennifer Cooke, Director of the Africa Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and John Norris, Executive Director of the Sustainable Security and Peacebuilding Initiative, Center for American Progress, on “Building Americans’ Engagement with Sub-Saharan Africa.” The discussion will be moderated by Cheryl Benton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and will be available… more »

(Source: blogs.state.gov)

Assistant Secretary Carson to Speak on U.S. Engagement with Nigeria at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 6, 2012

(Source: state.gov)