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Africa, the world's second-largest, second-most-populous continent, is also the most environmentally diverse, politically divided, and economically underdeveloped. RAND research has not treated Africa as a monolith but has focused on regional and national trends—such as global health, maritime violence and piracy, and the spread of radical Islam—while situating Africa's many political conflicts and need for economic growth within a global context.

Report
U.S. Security Governance and Competition Objectives in Africa
Institutional capacity-building (ICB) efforts have been critical to achieving U.S. security objectives in Africa. But as U.S. policy shifts from counterterrorism to strategic competition, could ICB programs also help the United States gain influence in Africa?
Jan 18, 2022
Commentary
Tunisia: Challenges and Successes in COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Tunisia's response to the COVID pandemic has been spotty, though vaccination rates have improved and mortality rates have dropped. When the political instability is factored in, Tunisia's emergence from the pandemic may not be quick.
Jul 22, 2022

Explore Africa

Journal Article
Terrorism, Dynamic Commitment Problems, and Military Conflict
Why do states initiate costly wars when the risk posed by terrorism appears marginal? We present two explanations and empirical evidence.
Jun 21, 2023
Commentary
The Case for a Governance-First U.S. Security Policy in the Sahel
Both terrorism and coups are on the rise in the Sahel. To reverse this troubling trend, the United States could ramp up support aimed at improving security governance, professionalizing militaries, and strongly sanctioning all forms of military takeovers in the region. This would require a real shift from the current U.S. security approach in the region.
Jun 8, 2023
Blog
Violence in Sudan, Alcohol Use, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the violence in Sudan, preventing alcohol-related deaths, the North Korean nuclear threat, and more.
Apr 28, 2023
Commentary
The Fight for Sudan Was Inevitable
When conflict in Sudan did not end after the 2005 peace agreement, the international community fell into a familiar pattern of never-ending negotiations. But conflict resolution focused on agreements that split power between armed groups rarely leads to sustainable peace. The effects of such misbegotten efforts are plain to see.
Apr 27, 2023
Report
Great-Power Competition Outside the Indo-Pacific and Europe
The United States, China, and Russia are competing for influence in secondary theaters like Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Where and why could competition turn into conflict, and what form might that conflict take?
Apr 25, 2023
Report
Quantifying the link between COVID-19, conflict risk, and the global economy
Our research suggests that COVID-19 will significantly increase the risk of civil conflict in African countries. We estimate this effect will, in turn, have negative global repercussions via international trade losses.
Mar 3, 2023
Journal Article
Child Cognitive Development and Parent Roles: A Preliminary Comparison of Moroccan Parents to United States and United Kingdom Benchmarks
This article describes and compares the views and behaviors of parents with children 0-6 years old from Casablanca, Morocco, the US, and the UK on early parental engagement.
Feb 28, 2023
Journal Article
Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study from a Cohort of HIV Clients in Uganda
The paper utilized a longitudinal mixed-methods approach to evaluate the economic impact of COVID-19 on food security and ART-taking behaviors among people living with HIV in Kampala, Uganda.
Jan 19, 2023
Tool
Mapping Chinese and Russian Military and Security Exports to Africa
Military weapons exports and private military and security contractors are important tools for projecting a country's influence around the world. How have China and Russia employed these tools across Africa in recent years?
Dec 13, 2022
Report
Implications of a Global People's Liberation Army: Historical Lessons for Responding to China's Long-Term Global Basing Ambitions
The authors examine three case studies among the United States' competitors to help anticipate what Chinese overseas access and basing might look like in the 2030s while assessing U.S. risks and opportunities posed by Chinese military expansion.
Dec 8, 2022
Report
What Are China's Global Basing Ambitions?
China appears likely to seek military access and basing in its immediate vicinity and in the Middle East, but parts of Africa and the Indo-Pacific are also of interest. The United States should carefully prioritize where to resist Chinese access and basing and where to reinforce U.S. relationships.
Dec 8, 2022
Report
The People's Liberation Army's Search for Overseas Basing and Access: A Framework to Assess Potential Host Nations
Using a framework of 17 indicators, the authors assess and rank potential host nations for Chinese overseas basing and access. They recommend steps to better understand China's overseas plans and to prioritize risks to U.S. forces.
Dec 8, 2022
Journal Article
Incentives and Reminders to Improve Long-term Medication Adherence (INMIND): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
This study aims to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel intervention that uses SMS text messages and conditional incentives to support ART initiators in establishing pill-taking habits.
Nov 22, 2022
Report
China's Role in the Global Development of Critical Resources
China's extensive foreign investments in energy infrastructure and critical minerals have raised concerns. Case studies in coal power, electricity transmission, and seabed mining examine China's behaviors and suggest ways to build capacity among host nations to minimize the potential effects of an overreliance on China.
Nov 7, 2022
Report
The Challenges and Opportunities of Institutional Capacity Building Through Professional Military Education: Lessons from the Defense Education Enhancement Program
This report is intended to inform U.S. personnel, NATO Allies, and other Euro-Atlantic governments of the Defense Education Enhancement Program's status from 2018 to 2020, its opportunities and challenges, and ways the program can be improved.
Oct 11, 2022
Dissertation
Three Essays on HIV Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa
Examines the HIV-related health decisions and investments that are made by people living with HIV as well as the institutions that serve them, and it assesses their indirect effects.
Sep 6, 2022
Tool
Where Has China Sent Weapons and Security Contractors?
China exported weapons to 38 countries from 2018 to 2021. It also exported private security contractors to protect and secure its interests in other countries, such as mining facilities and ports. A map of the exports shows China's expansive influence across Asia and Africa and into Latin America.
Aug 19, 2022
Report
An Exploratory Examination of Agent-Based Modeling for the Study of Social Movements
The authors of this report explore the use of agent-based modeling as a method for studying the effects of information and communications technologies on the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of social movements over time.
Aug 16, 2022
Dissertation
Assessing Program Sustainability for Public Health in Low-Resource Setting
Explores program sustainability for public health in low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Aug 12, 2022
Journal Article
Playing Defense? Health Care in the Era of Covid
This paper presents evidence that the quality of health care interactions changed in important ways during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jul 28, 2022

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Jacqueline Gardner Burns

Senior Policy Analyst

Jacqueline (Jackie) Burns is a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. Burns joined RAND after seven years leading policy initiatives in Africa as a strategy advisor with the U.S. Department of State. During this time, Burns focused on international conflict resolution and negotiations in…
Rita Bahlibi

Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Rita Bahlibi is a Ph.D. student in the Community-Partnered Policy and Action stream at Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. She has an M.S. in finance and economics from West Texas A&M University, a B.A. in journalism with a minor in Africa and Middle East studies…

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