Ep. 17 | High Stakes in Africa

Ambassador J. Peter Pham, distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, served as the U.S.'s first-ever U.S. Special Envoy for the Sahel Region during the Trump administration, and a member of the Vandenberg Coalition advisory board, joins Flash Focus to discuss the recent coups across the Sahel regions, where in countries Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have seen their elected governments fall and replaced by military juntas, while expelling U.S. military forces. We will also discuss Kenyan President William Ruto's recent state visit to the United States, the first visit of an African leader since 2008, a meeting which led to Biden declaring Kenya a major non-NATO ally, a designation shared by countries like Israel and Qatar.

Jump to:

00:01:59 Recent coups in the Sahel region of Africa

00:05:39 Why Africa is the epicenter of global terrorism

00:08:05 Broader U.S. objectives in Africa 

00:12:46 Significance of Kenya's designation as major non-NATO ally

00:15:55 Areas for U.S. strategic improvement in Africa 

00:17:51 Potential for U.S.-Africa partnership under a Trump Administration