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Adjunct Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies
Contact Info:
Phone: +1-202-509-8456
E-mail: krobinette@cfr.org
Location:
Washington
Media downloads:
One-page bio (PDF, 54K)
Former U.S. ambassador to South Africa and Nigeria and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. Directed the Council–sponsored Independent Task Force that produced the report More Than Humanitarianism: A Strategic U.S. Approach Toward Africa.
Expertise:Sub-Saharan Africa; economic development; democratization and elections; civil reconstruction; conflict prevention; global governance; United Nations; HIV/AIDS.
Experience:Executive Director of the Global Interdependence Initiative, Aspen Institute (1999-2003); Senior Fellow, United States Institute of Peace (1999-2000); Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State (1996-98); Ambassador to South Africa, U.S. Department of State (1992-95); Director of Refugee Programs, U.S. Department of State (1989-92); Ambassador to Nigeria, U.S. Department of State (1986-89); Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa (1981-86); Director of the U.S. Aid Mission, U.S. Agency for International Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (1976-78).
Languages:French (familiar).
Honors:Department of State Distinguished Honor Award (1998); President’s Distinguished Service Award (1986).
Selected Publications:"Obama and Africa: Matching Expectations with Reality," Journal of International Affairs, Spring/Summer 2009 (with Kathryn A. Robinette); "U.S. Foreign Assistance and Trade Policies in Africa" (chapter in Africa Policy in the George W. Bush Years: Recommendations for the Obama Administration, Center for Strategic and International Studies; January 2009); "South Africa: Beacon of Hope to Rogue Democracy?" (working paper, The Stanley Foundation; December 2008); "The War on Terrorism in Africa" (chapter in Africa in World Politics; reprinted with permission); Africa-China-U.S. Trilateral Dialogue (The Brenthurst Foundation, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation; December 2007); Partner to History: The U.S. Role in South Africa’s Transition to Democracy (U.S. Institute of Peace Press, 2002).
Related Links:
Princeton Lyman discusses the future economic climate in Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia (The Africa Group; May 9, 2009)
Princeton Lyman discusses Zimbabwe and South Africa politics on Voice of America (VOA News; October 26, 2008)
Darryl G. Behrman Lecture with Jacob Zuma (video on CSPAN.org; October 21, 2008)
Current Research Projects
Past Research Projects
April 22, 2009
Interview
CFR's Princeton Lyman says deep economic challenges confront South Africa's presumed next president, Jacob Zuma, but there are also opportunities for improved U.S. ties.
See more in South Africa, Elections
April 21, 2009
Testimony
See more in Africa, Conflict Assessment, U.S. Strategy and Politics
January 22, 2009
Transcript
A panel discussion on how American foreign aid will be affected by the global economic crisis.
See more in Foreign Aid
December 9, 2008
Transcript
A conversation with Ojo Maduekwe, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs
See more in Nigeria, Democracy and Human Rights, Rule of Law
December 9, 2008
Audio
A conversation with Ojo Maduekwe, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs
See more in Nigeria, Democracy and Human Rights, Rule of Law
October 21, 2008
Audio
Listen to Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC), reflect on the recent changes in the ANC and the challenges that face South Africa.
See more in South Africa
October 21, 2008
Transcript
Jacob Zuma, leader of the African National Congress and former deputy president of South Africa discusses South Africa's role in addressing regional challenges and his thoughts about the country's future. After the forced resignation of South African President Thabo Mbeki in September, and the subsequent departure of several cabinet members, it is widely expected that Jacob Zuma will fill South Africa's presidential seat in upcoming elections.
See more in South Africa, Democracy and Human Rights, Elections
October 7, 2008
Podcast
Africa expert Princeton Lyman discusses current political upheaval in South Africa and the outlook for the country's economy.
See more in South Africa, Elections
June 10, 2008
Video
Watch Gareth Penny, managing director of De Beers, discuss economic development in Africa and how the private sector can faciliate sustained growth.
See more in Africa, Business & Foreign Policy, Economic Development
June 10, 2008
Audio
Listen to Gareth Penny, managing director of De Beers, discuss economic development in Africa and how the private sector can faciliate sustained growth.
See more in Africa, Business & Foreign Policy, Economic Development
November 19, 2007
Transcript
John Campbell and the Sultan of Sokoto discuss religion and politics in Nigeria.
See more in Pakistan
October 11, 2007
Audio
Listen to CFR fellows Michelle D. Gavin and Princeton N. Lyman discuss U.S. policy toward Africa with students as part of the CFR Academic Conference Call Series.
See more in Africa, U.S. Strategy and Politics
August 9, 2007
Op-Ed
The Washington Post
See more in Africa, Energy, Global Health, International Peace and Security, Terrorism
July 17, 2007
Testimony
See more in Africa, Democracy Promotion, Poverty, Foreign Aid
July 2007
Audio
Listen to Princeton N. Lyman, the Council's adjunct senior fellow for Africa policy studies, read from the newest CFR book, Beyond Humanitarianism, a compilation of Council work on Africa.
See more in Africa, Humanitarian Intervention
September 2007
Book
From Mugabe’s Zimbabwe to conflict in the Horn, Africa has moved off the back burner of U.S. foreign policy. To address the growing importance of this region, the Council on Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs, the Council’s flagship magazine, present Beyond Humanitarianism, a citizen’s guide to deconstructing the complex issues and conflicts on the African continent and clarifying what’s at stake for the United States in Africa’s future.
See more in Africa, U.S. Strategy and Politics
May 17, 2007
Must Read
A group of Africa experts, including CFR's Princeton Lyman, released a joint statement on the Nigerian elections, which they call a "terrible setback for democracy."
See more in Nigeria, Elections
December 15, 2006
Transcript
Terrence Lyons, author of a new Council Special Report on conflict in the Horn of Africa, discusses the festering Somali and Ethiopian-Eritrean conflicts as they pertain to the security of the region.
See more in Horn of Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia
October 26, 2006
Interview
Princeton N. Lyman says that despite calls for military intervention in Darfur, he does not believe that such an approach would be practical. He hopes the U.S. special envoy to Darfur will be able to get the parties back to the negotiating table.
See more in Sudan, Wars and Warfare, Peacekeeping, U.S. Strategy and Politics
September 14, 2006
Transcript
Note: Remarks as prepared for delivery
Paper for presentation to the Conference “Africa and Prospects for Hope,” University of Oklahoma, International Programs Center.
Explore international efforts to curb nuclear proliferation with a new interactive from CFR's program on International Institutions and Global Governance.
The Canadian oil sands present an important challenge to policymakers: they promise energy security benefits but present climate change problems. Michael A. Levi assesses the energy security and climate change effects of the oil sands and makes recommendations for U.S. policymakers within the context of broader bilateral relations with Canada.
This report explores an important element of the maritime policy regime: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Author Scott G. Borgerson examines the international negotiations that led to the convention, the history of debates in the United States over whether to join it, and the strategic importance of the oceans for U.S. foreign policy today.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
In War of Necessity, War of Choice, Richard N. Haass contrasts the decisions that shaped the conduct of two wars between the United States and Iraq involving the two presidents Bush and Saddam Hussein, and writes an authoritative, personal account of how U.S. foreign policy is made, what it should seek, and how it should be pursued.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba’s unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
As Ray Takeyh shows in Guardians of the Revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans of Iran is a nation that is far more pragmatic—and complex—than many in the West have been led to believe.
Complete list of CFR Books
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Geoeconomic Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, and Paul A. Volcker Senior
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