On November 23, 2020 the BCFR hosted Judd Devermont to discuss three upcoming elections in Africa. We looked at one model democracy—Ghana, one failed state attempting a democratic election—Somalia, and Burkina Faso, a country holding elections for the first time since independence amid increasing insecurity.
Judd answered audience questions, including questions related to U.S.-Africa policy expectations under a Biden administration.
Read Judd's recent piece on Birmingham's ties to Africa, “Why Africa Matters to Birmingham.”
Immediately following his conversation with the BCFR, Judd and his team at CSIS published the report “Why Africa Matters to U.S. Cities” which features Birmingham and an interview with Hilda Lockhart from the Alabama Department of Commerce.
Further reading:
Burkina Faso: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/6/amid-insecurity-voters-cannot-register-for-burkina-faso-polls
Ghana: https://www.ndi.org/publications/ghana-election-watch-december-2020-general-elections
Somalia: https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/somalia/political-turmoil-ahead-somalias-elections