Bronwyn Bruton
Snapshot
As Kenyans go to the polls, the race for the presidency between Ralia Odinga, the current prime minister, and Uhuru Kenyatta, the current deputy prime minister who was indicted by the ICC for war crimes, is too close to call. The contest will likely be drawn out and could be violent. Here's how the United States should respond to each possible outcome.
Snapshot
By some measures, the ad-hoc alliance among Ethiopia, Kenya, and the African Union has come close to defeating the terrorist group al Shabaab. But a military victory could scatter the group's most radical leaders across the Horn of Africa.
Snapshot
As the radical group al Shabaab has fled Mogadishu, an array of actors -- governmental entities, regional authorities, clans, and civil society organizations -- can help.
News & Events
A discussion on the the theory and practice of state building. Can and should the United States commit to building up institutions in weak states?
Video
Every U.S. entry into a sovereign nation, whether an invasion, occupation, full military conflict, or humanitarian intervention, has unpredictable outcomes that require contingency planning.
Essay
Nov/Dec
2009
Washington's repeated attempts to bring peace to Somalia with state-building initiatives have failed, even backfired. It should renounce political intervention and encourage local development without trying to improve governance.
