Judd Devermont
@JDevermont
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Operating Partner @KupandaCapital | Former #NSC , @CSIS , @NSC44 , @ODNI_NIC | Personal Account
Joined August 2012
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On this day in 1963, President Kennedy hosted Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Kennedy praised the Emperor's "memorable and distinctive appearance before the League of Nations in the mid-thirties which so stirred the conscience of the world."
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Friends, this is my last week as
@CSISAfrica
Director. It has been an honor to learn from you and share our analysis, podcasts, and events. Thank you for indulging my tweets about JFK's Africa policy and latest Afrobeats obsession. I will update everyone on my next move soon.
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Two years ago, I sat down with Alpha Conde. He made it clear that he believed he was the only person who could rule
#Guinea
and that there was no risk of imperiling his country's democracy by running for a third term.
Today, I met with
#Guinea
President Conde. I appreciated the opportunity to exchange views, as well as express my concern about a third term bid. I noted
@afrobarometer
polling indicates that 82 percent of Guineans oppose term extensions.
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U.S. policy toward Africa is in need of a facelift—in both substance and strategic vision—to keep up with the region's growing influence on the world stage. The current policy drift leaves the United States ill-equipped for new challenges. (1/12)
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If Alpha Conde has indeed been removed from power in
#Guinea
, it was likely the result of his flagrant disregard for constitutional terms limits and a growing permissiveness toward coups in the region. (1/2)
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Thousands of digitized Nigerian newspaper pages from 1994 - 2010! What an incredible resource.
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This is a "trust, but verify" situation. Let's also take a step back: what spurred
#Ethiopia
to ask
#Eritrea
to withdraw its troops? Consistent international pressure -- including an AU delegation, EU sanctions, UNSC meetings, and visit from
@ChrisCoons
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The
#Ethiopia
conflict is more than just a humanitarian and human rights problem. It is an escalating security crisis that threatens U.S. and regional interests. My latest with
@JendayiFrazer
in
@TheHill
.
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President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Kenyan President Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto for a State Visit to the United States on May 23, 2024. This is the first State Visit for an African leader since 2008.
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#Tanzania
President Magufuli and the ruling CCM have bullied candidates, stifled the opposition, muzzled the media, suffocated civil society, and condone violence.
@mroseharris
and I explain why tomorrow's poll will not be free, fair, or credible.
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#Nigeria
ban of Twitter is a shock to the system. A indisputable sign of democratic backsliding. If
@nassnigeria
fails to debate it this week, it will quicken the downward spiral.
#KeepitOn
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I appreciate
@USAfricaCommand
General Townsend's effort, but this is a very tired beltway argument about Africa's importance. (1/n)
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Houphouet-Boigny told Governor Harriman in 1960: “When I send our students to Moscow, they come back capitalists. When I send them to Paris, they return Marxist.”
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EU warns that it may impose sanctions on those who block humanitarian access in
#Ethiopia
.
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The handover between
#Zambia
President
@EdgarCLungu
and President-elect
@HHichilema
marks the 17th opposition win in sub-Saharan Africa since 2015
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Big news! I have enrolled at the University of
#Suya
Meat in Adamawa,
#Nigeria
. cc:
@bj_pittman
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With the results tricking in from a deeply flawed and illegitimate election in
#Uganda
, I'm reading this excellent piece from
@michael_mutyaba
@africaarguments
. The United States and other donors must change their relationship with Uganda.
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It is not just rebuffing AU mediators, Ethiopia has asked the AU and UN to remove Tigrayans. An UNMISS spokesman said "if personnel are discriminated against because of their ethnicity or any other reason, this could involve a human rights violation.”
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Kenyan Google searches regarding Coronavirus are off the charts - more than 400,000 searches today. In comparison, Nigerian Google searches about the pandemic have been around 8,000.
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Why aren’t we paying more attention to Africa’s most important election? My latest on
#Nigeria
and lagging international engagement.
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#Tanzania
authorities arrest opposition leader
@zittokabwe
and colleagues. How can free, fair, and credible elections be conduct in this repressive climate?
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This is a disturbing report about atrocities in
#Ethiopia
. The international community has to do more than just issue statements of concern to stop the ongoing destruction and deaths.
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Despite Abiy claims that he responded to a surprise attack, analysts told
@declanwalsh
@MarksSimon
that there had been earlier signs of an operation against Tigray, including troop movements and disputes over budget transfers and military appointments.
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This is an important statement from
@SecBlinken
on
#Ethiopia
, acknowledging ongoing atrocities, calling for Eritrea and Amhara militias’ withdrawal, and unfettered humanitarian access.
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The Biden Administration is doing what is necessary and urgent. The conflict in Tigray has become a dangerous and destabilizing regional crisis. Thanks
@statedeptspox
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“The United States doesn’t want to limit your partnerships with other countries,”
@SecBlinken
said. “We don’t want to make you choose. We want to give you choices.”
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This decision underscores how much resolving the crisis in
#Ethiopia
is a U.S. priority.
@ChrisCoons
is very close to President Biden and one of the most prominent voices on sub-Saharan African issues in the U.S. Senate.
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This is a brilliant take:
@DavidHundeyin
uses Babangida's disastrous ban on barley for the local
#Nigeria
beer market to explain why Buhari's rice ban is also certain to fail.
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Congratulations to Dana Banks, President Biden's new Senior Director for Africa. We are all rooting for your success!
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With Vice-President Biden’s election win, there is a real opportunity to re-imagine U.S. policy toward Africa. We've written about how the landscape has changed and how to promote shared political, economic, and security goals. A greatest hits thread 👇
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Kagame on China: "if I keep borrowing from you, and you keep giving, you know why you’re giving me the money. So how do I blame you? Is it really a Chinese problem, or my problem that I keep taking money from the Chinese and in the end drown in the debt?"
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The United States needs to massively shift its policy and investment toward Africa’s cities.
@toddjmoss
and I explain why in our latest op-ed.
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I am delighted that
@billboard
is writing about
@burnaboy
to raise his profile with U.S. audiences. But why is he suddenly "Nigeria's surprise success story"? He has been churning out hits since his first mixtapes in 2011.
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Following
@ChrisCoons
visit to
#Ethiopia
, the EU is sending Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto back to Addis Ababa. These one-on-one engagements can be useful, but a united front of U.S., European, Gulf, and African leaders is more effective.
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BREAKING. The opposition wins the presidency in
#Seychelles
. This marks the 18th incumbent or incumbent party defeat in sub-Saharan Africa since 2015.
The Seychelles elected an opposition candidate as president for the first time since 1977, authorities announced on Sunday, and winner Wavel Ramkalawan reaffirmed a pledge to hike the minimum wage after COVID-19 stifled the tourism-dependent economy.
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Who is giving medical aid to whom? It is not just China and the United States involved in mask diplomacy in sub-Saharan Africa. We highlight where--but not what--external partners are sending their
#COVID19
assistance. Read full report:
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“The United States is supporting the development of the Lobito Corridor with an initial investment in a rail expansion…connecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia with global markets through Angola.”
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Some personal news. My
@ElliottSchoolGW
co-lecturer Michael Noll and I are writing a
@CambridgeUP
book on the history of U.S. analysis on sub-Saharan Africa during the Cold War.
I will post one "on this day" declassified assessment until we finish our project. Enjoy!
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Thanks to
@qzafrica
for including my congressional testimony in its article on the release of
@YeleSowore
in
#Nigeria
. A free and independent media is worth fighting for.
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This is very troubling. Ugandan authorities seem to be targeting
@HEBobiwine
.
So police has raided city hotel where we were resting ahead of the show tonight, arrested many of our team members. As we speak, the police is surrounding the entire neighborhood looking for me! We shall overcome!
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I am thrilled that
@MvembaDizolele
has been named as the next
@CSISAfrica
director. He is a brilliant scholar, persuasive thought leader, and fantastic human. He is going to do great things!
📢Please join us in welcoming the CSIS Africa Program's new director, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele (
@MvembaDizolele
)! We are thrilled to have him aboard and honored to benefit from his deep experience and expertise.
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On this day in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson hosted Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie at the White House.
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An urgent warning: “To stave off the risk of mass starvation it is critical that ploughing and planting take place as Tigray’s rainy season arrives in the next few months.”
@CrisisGroup
@wdavison10
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Just in time for the upcoming UNSC meeting on
#Ethiopia
. Beijing agrees that foreign countries shouldn't interfere in Ethiopia's internal affairs and Addis Ababa subscribes to Chinese position on the origins of the pandemic.
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.
@RepGregoryMeeks
said the US “is rapidly approaching an inflection point at which we need to think critically about how we can support the will of the Ugandan citizens for an inclusive democracy and partner on good governance.”
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We are thrilled to announce the inaugural members of the President's Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement. The African Diaspora in the United States is foundational to our 21st century partnership with Africa.
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There needs to be dialogue with the regional administrations, political parties, and disparate ethnic communities to recommit to an inclusive and tolerant
#Ethiopia
.
@_Will_Brown
and I write in
@ForeignPolicy
on the crisis and the way forward.
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We need to elevate African success stories. Thanks to
@dshesgreen
@USATODAY
for talking with me about why
#Senegal
warrants inclusion in the pantheon of countries that have responded well to
#COVID19
.
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The 46
#African
ports identified in our report align with Chinese military, commercial, and political objectives. One challenge is decoupling these objectives, distinguishing which ports have security dimensions from those that offer commercial gains.
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Wow. In 1961, JFK invited Nigerian leader Balewa to the White House to "build up Nigeria's confidence in the United States leadership of the Free World." That's pretty hard to fathom today in the wake of travel bans and potential troop withdrawals.
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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy, Eritrean President Isaias, and TPLF leader Debretsion are playing a dangerous game, and the risk of miscalculation and greater regional instability are high. My thoughts on the implications of the conflict in Tigray.
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The EU cancels its election observation mission to
#Ethiopia
over disagreements about its independence. Your move
@StateDept
@USEmbassyAddis
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Pleased to welcome
@HassanSMohamud
to Washington for the
#USAfricaLeadersSummit22
H.E. President
@HassanSMohamud
has arrived in
#Washington
, DC., to join other African Heads of States and governments at the US-Africa Leaders Summit taking place between December 13–15.
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Africa matters to U.S. cities. While we should refine a national security argument about Africa’s importance, we also should spend equal time sharpening a hometown pitch. A more constructive U.S. policy toward Africa depends on it.
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On this day in 1983, President Reagan hosted Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda at the White House. The two leaders discussed the status of Namibia, calling for implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 435 and a "free and independent Namibia."
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Shocking.
@HilaryMatfess
says "roughly one in five instances of sexual violence in which details of the location were available took place in a military camp," possibly indicating sexual violence was either tolerated or endorsed by commanders.
#Tigray
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Such a great Daily Show segment with
@RealBlackCoffee
. I had to immediately re-listen to his "Pieces of Me" album -- one of my favorites from the past five years.
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Today, I will testify on the Chinese engagement in Africa. It is essential to draw a finer distinction between which Chinese activities threaten US interests and which Chinese engagements are neutral or even complimentary.
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Is this really a sound investment when the
#Ethiopia
government routinely turns off cellular and internet access to fight the war in Tigray?
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We are honored to host this very special
@CSIS
event.
@RepGregoryMeeks
will share his vision for U.S. policy toward Africa and engage with
@TsedaleLemma
and
@RosebellK
on the crises in
#Ethiopia
and
#Uganda
.
You don't want to miss this conversation!
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My thoughts on the
#Mali
coup, its implications, and the way forward for a democratic and peaceful Mali. Bottom line: the focus should be on getting it right, not rushing prematurely to elections again.
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Is the U.S.-China trade war hurting Africa? The short answer is yes.
Our new report is out.
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Our new podcast launches on Thursday, July 15.
@nicolewilett
and I talk to the region’s top journalists, activists, and academics, as well as former U.S. diplomats, about U.S. policy toward sub-Saharan Africa. One country at a time — in 15 minutes or less.
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Alex De Waal notes that under UNSC resolution 2417 of May 2018 says the UN is required to report when armed conflict threatens widespread food insecurity. He adds the conflict in Tigray is "precisely such a scenario" for enacting this provision.
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This point is worth repeating and repeating and repeating: some 80% of African migrants never leave the continent.
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DP World's new port in Berbera, Somaliland opens in January. How will it change trading dynamics in the horn of Africa?
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We asked the region’s top journalists and thought leaders to analyze the
#IACaucus
as part of our new “Africa Reacts” series. Thanks
@fatenaggad
@simonallison
@RonnieKulabako
@mcbrams
@AlvinNtibinyane
@DickensOlewe
@naijavote
@RodneySieh
@AlemayehuFentaw
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We are publishing daily graphics on the COVID-19 outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa. Follow
@CSISAfrica
for updates and links.
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President Biden, as a candidate, pledged to launch an urbanization initiative for sub-Saharan Africa.
@gyude_moore
@toddjmoss
and I propose a multi-agency initiative to unlock the potential for thriving, green, and resilient African cities.
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In 2009, history had been removed from
#Nigeria
school curriculum. It is finally back this academic year.
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Today, I met with
#Guinea
President Conde. I appreciated the opportunity to exchange views, as well as express my concern about a third term bid. I noted
@afrobarometer
polling indicates that 82 percent of Guineans oppose term extensions.
6
29
97
A great explainer from
@TheYomiKazeem
on the digital dimension to
#EndSarsNow
. There has been a "seamless transition between online and offline campaigns. Mainly using Twitter and WhatsApp, young people have rallied and mobilized waves of protests."
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Chinese entities are funding, constructing, and/or operating 46 sub-Saharan
#African
ports. How do we separate strategic investments from purely commercial plays? Our new paper (and interactive) starts the conversation.
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There is mounting pressure to appoint a U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa. Colin Thomas-Jensen and I share some best practices to get it right and address the urgent challenges in region.
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As the U.S. election inches closer to a final result, we asked
@fatma_karume
@Ibnyei
@Smbuguah
@Usmaan_Aali
@aanuadeoye
@MSalimu
@DrMehari
@folanski
@AlemayehuFentaw
@DavidHundeyin
to share their analysis in our 7th edition of Africa Reacts.
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This is absolutely the right (and only) approach.
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"
#Ethiopia
is emerging as a major test of the Biden administration’s commitment to a foreign policy grounded in human rights," says
@washingtonpost
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This cannot stand. We need strong regional and international condemnation, including consequences for the Museveni regime.
We are under siege. The military has jumped over the fence and has now taken control of our home
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“A movement cannot spread so organically and widely across
#Nigeria
if it does not legitimately reflect the grievances of ordinary people. A democratically elected government that is unable or unwilling to fully address those grievances has failed.”
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My friend and
@CSISAfrica
Director
@MvembaDizolele
has rebooted the Into Africa podcast. It is a great listen, and the show is off to a fantastic start. I learned so much from his conversation with
@hofrench
. Check it out!
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On this day in 2003, Secretary Powell traveled to Kenya and met with the two sides in the Sudan peace talks to try to give a boost to their efforts to complete a peace agreement ending Africa's longest running civil conflict.
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#Tanzania
continues to bend the law to crack down on dissent and free speech.
@DickensOlewe
says it is using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, which Twitter and other US-based companies have to comply with, to silence government opponents.
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Thank you Ambassador for leading this urgent discussion.
#Ethiopia
.
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Congratulations to
@burnaboy
. The album hit number one in 31 countries, including Nigeria, UK, South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, Gambia, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Oman.
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