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Africafé: What do U.S. Midterm Elections Mean for Africa?

November 12, 2026
Related topics: 
Geopolitics
International Relations
Diplomacy
Trade
Security & Defense
Africa
North America

The U.S. midterm elections raise questions about the future direction of American foreign policy and its implications for Africa. This discussion examines how shifting political dynamics in Washington could shape the Trump administration’s foreign policy priorities and engagement with the continent. It also explores the potential risks and opportunities for African countries, particularly across trade, security, and diplomacy.

Speakers
Ian O. Lesser
Senior Fellow
Ian Lesser is Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS). Based in Brussels, he also serves as Distinguished Fellow and Advisor to the President at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), where he has held several senior leadership roles, including Vice President and Acting President. Dr. Lesser has built a distinguished career at the intersection of transatlantic relations, strategy, and international security. He holds the Chair in Transatlantic Affairs at the College of Europe in Bruges. Before joining GMF, he was a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Vice President and Director of Studies at the Pacific Council on International Policy, and spent over a decade at the RAND Corporation focusing on s ...
Driss Alaoui Belghiti
Senior International Relations Specialist
Driss Alaoui Belghiti is a Senior International Relations Specialist at the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS).At the PCNS, Driss Alaoui Belghiti focuses on governance issues in Southern Africa and the United States’ engagement on the African continent.He has notably contributed to the coordination of PCNS events and publications on African geopolitics, including the African Peace and Security Annual Conference (Apsaco).Before joining the PCNS in 2023, Driss Alaoui Belghiti worked in national public institutions and at the Pan-African Parliament.He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations from the School of Governance and Economics in Rabat, Morocco, and a master’s degree in the Governance of International Development Organizations from th ...
Fatim Zohra Azouzou
Junior Analyst - International Relations - Policy Center for the New South
...

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