CAS Participation in Diplomacy Lab

On 4 March 2024, CAS submitted a proposal to conduct research and provide a policy paper for the US Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab project # 2420801:  The Resurgence of Military Coups in Africa and the Impact of Colonial Legacies.  CAS’s objective is to produce a document grounded in the military and socio-political history of the region from which to construct political solutions to the instability occurring in Francophone in West Africa.  CAS was notified by the US Department of State on March 25 that its proposal was successful and had been awarded the project.

As stated on the DoS Diplomacy Lab webpage, “Diplomacy Lab engages the American public in the work of the State Department to address complex global challenges by broadening the State Department’s research base.  Diplomacy Lab harnesses the expertise and fresh perspectives of students and faculty members across the nation to conduct research on key foreign policy topics.  By guiding student teams through real-world challenges identified by the State Department, the initiative provides policymakers with diverse perspectives and practical research solution to inform their decision-making processes.”

This CAS Diplomacy Lab team will be led by Dr. Ousman Kobo, the director of the Center for African Studies (CAS), and Dr. Jacien Carr, the assistant director of CAS.  The first stage of the project will research soldiering and society in Africa before colonization, focusing on Francophone West Africa.  Next, team will examine how soldering changed during and after colonization.  With the military history firmly established, the project will incorporate the socio-political realities present since independence, specifically, France’s post-colonial relationship with Francophone Africa.  The last phase will examine how insurgencies, foreign military interventions, and domestic political issues exacerbated tensions leading to the numerous coup d’etat we have witnessed in Francophone West Africa.  The final report, grounded in history, will propose political solutions.

https://www.state.gov/diplomacy-lab