The state of Africa’s Great Lakes region

The Great Lakes region of Africa—encompassing Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) among other states—is crucial to Africa’s general stability, yet it remains plagued by a number of ongoing security and development challenges. A broad question, among others, is how or if the United States should try to promote democracy and security in these key countries at this crucial juncture? Other concerns include how to ensure stability and continue to protect human rights.

On November 6, the Africa Security Initiative, part of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at Brookings, hosted an event focused on the DRC and the broader region. Thomas Perriello, President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the Africa Great Lakes region, shared his thoughts and detail his experiences there. Special Envoy Perriello was joined by Kristin McKie, a professor of African Studies at St. Lawrence University, and Anthony Gambino, former USAID mission director for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Michael O’Hanlon, Brookings senior fellow and author of “The Future of Land Warfare” (Brookings Institution Press, 2015) moderated the discussion.