Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently completed his first trip to Africa in his current role in the Trump administration. Over three days, he visited Dakar in Senegal, Luanda in Angola, and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, where he also visited the head of the African Union. During the trip, Secretary Pompeo advocated for a stronger U.S.-Africa relationship amidst China’s growing role on the continent. 

Last week, good news emerged from Ethiopia. The federal government announced a truce in its sixteen-month conflict with Tigrayan forces, expressing hope that its action would improve the humanitarian situation in the region and pave the way for lasting peace. Tigrayan forces responded in kind, pledging to make the truce a success.

Western democracies have often referenced the idea of an open and free internet while advocating policies which undermine that goal. The West needs to recalibrate their messaging to account for these…

In Africa, observers are acutely aware of how ill-prepared most countries are for responding to a major pandemic. With more than a billion people undergoing rapid urbanization, weak healthcare systems, and growing economic ties with China, Africa would appear to be highly vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus.

Over the past week, as many have been distracted by the U.S. elections, an extraordinarily dangerous unraveling has picked up speed in Ethiopia.  Months of simmering tensions between the leadership o…