Peace and Security in Africa - Contributions by the United States

This research paper provides an overview of United States contributions to peace and security in Africa, focusing on the current period and immediate future. It defines the nature of instability and insecurity on the continent and outlines the various military, economic, and governance-related measures that Americans believe can attenuate these conditions.

• The document characterizes 'instability and insecurity' in Africa as a complex set of problems that disrupt human relations and quality of life. These manifest as conventional warfare between national armies, conflicts between armies and insurgent groups, ethnic or class-based violence, religious zealotry, state-led human rights abuses, and violent criminality.
• Insecurity in Africa is driven by a variety of destabilizing factors, including poor governance, lack of opportunity, and the collapse of social institutions. Other contributing factors include the availability of arms, natural disasters, environmental degradation, disease, and the influx of refugees.
• Americans believe that while no single 'fix' exists for African instability, a combination of synergistic measures can be effective. These proposed solutions include military interventions to stop violence, the promotion of democracy and accountable governance, the encouragement of free enterprise economies with minimal state involvement, and assistance in combating transnational threats like terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
• The United States has been involved in a wide array of peace and security activities in Africa, involving both public and private sector organizations. However, these activities have not been the result of a centrally planned or coordinated effort.

APA

Henk, D. (n.d.). Peace and Security in Africa - Contributions by the United States. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-35-peace-and-security-in-africa-contributions-by-the-united-states-by-dan-henk

Chicago

Henk, Dan. Peace and Security in Africa - Contributions by the United States. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-35-peace-and-security-in-africa-contributions-by-the-united-states-by-dan-henk.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Henk |first1=Dan |title=Peace and Security in Africa - Contributions by the United States |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-35-peace-and-security-in-africa-contributions-by-the-united-states-by-dan-henk |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{henkndpeace, author = {Henk, Dan}, title = {{Peace and Security in Africa - Contributions by the United States}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-35-peace-and-security-in-africa-contributions-by-the-united-states-by-dan-henk}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }