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John Campbell reflects on Nelson Mandela, the man behind the myth -- and the future of South Africa.
See more in South Africa; Presidents and Chiefs of State; Apartheid
Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies
Nigeria, South Africa, U.S. policy toward Africa, HIV/AIDS in Africa.
John Campbell is the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York. Rowman & Littlefield published his book, Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink. The second edition was published in June 2013. He writes the blog "Africa in Transition" and edits the Nigeria Security Tracker.
From 1975 to 2007, Ambassador Campbell served as a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service officer. He served twice in Nigeria, as political counselor from 1988 to 1990, and as ambassador from 2004 to 2007. Ambassador Campbell's additional overseas postings include Lyon, Paris, Geneva, and Pretoria. He also served as deputy assistant secretary for human resources, dean of the Foreign Service Institute's School of Language Studies, and director of the Office of UN Political Affairs.
From 2007 to 2008, he was a visiting professor of international relations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was also a Department of State mid-career fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. Prior to his career in the Foreign Service, he taught British and French history at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.
Ambassador Campbell received a BA and MA from the University of Virginia and a PhD in seventeenth century English history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Nigeria is the "Giant of Africa," with the largest population and highest gross domestic product on the continent. There has long been a partnership between Nigeria and the United States on strategic issues of mutual concern. Nigeria is sharply divided by religion and ethnicity. The government became nominally democratic in 1999. Subsequently, until 2011, the presidency alternated on an eight-year cycle between the predominately Muslim north and the Christian south. The election of President Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner, out of cycle in 2011 ended this arrangement. The 2011 election divided the country with the predominately Muslim north questioning the credibility of Jonathan's election. The resulting political instability is part of the context for a radical Islamist insurrection, called Boko Haram (loosely, 'Western education is forbidden'). There is the threat of the resumption of a separate insurrection in Nigeria's southern oil patch. With these security challenges overstretching Nigeria's resources, thepartnership with the United States is largely moribund. Will the Nigerian government be able to successfully address its security and development challenges, and resume its strategic partnership with the United States? I address this question in my book, Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink, now in its second edition, the Nigeria Security Tracker, speeches, interviews, regular blog posts, and in other publications.
With the end of apartheid in 1994 the people of South Africa anticipated profound social and economic change. Yet twenty-one years later, much of the population lacks access to proper medical care and education. Despite improved access to clean water, housing, and roads many South Africans feel that too little has changed since the apartheid era. The "rainbow nation" is still racially divided in its electoral behavior, and the income gap between blacks and whites is greater than it was in 1994. Leading political figures in the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), are often accused of corruption. New political groups are calling for the nationalization and expropriation of land and resources from the white minority. Nevertheless, the constitution enshrines the rule of law, and has popular support across all racial divides. Are the laws and institutions in place since 1994 strong enough to preserve democracy and the rule of law when the pace of social and economic change remains slow? I seek to answer this question in my upcoming book, Morning in South Africa, in blog posts, and in other publications.
Seven of the UN's seventeen peacekeeping operations are currently located in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2013, the gross domestic income (GDI) of Sub-Saharan Africa was $1,615 (compared to the U.S. at $53,670). Governance is often remote from the people. Yet, Africa is changing. Since 2004 the gross domestic income (GDI) has increased by 250 percent and economic growth in 2014 is forecasted by the World Bank at 5.2 percent. The population of Africa is also expected to grow rapidly. One United Nations agency predicts that by 2050, Africans will account for 25 percent of the world's population, at nearly 2.4 billion. However, population growth and rapid urbanization are mixed blessings; both are related to the emergence of diseases such as HIV/AIDs and Ebola. There are governance and security issues challenging American interests. Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb in Mali, and Boko Haram in Nigeria are harshly anti-American, and even if they lack the capacity to strike the homeland they still threaten American interests in the region and those of our partners. Through my blog, Africa in Transition, and my roundtable series, U.S.-Africa Strategic Partnerships, I track African developments that may influence the United States and explore how Washington and African capitals can work together to their mutual benefit.
John Campbell reflects on Nelson Mandela, the man behind the myth -- and the future of South Africa.
See more in South Africa; Presidents and Chiefs of State; Apartheid
The country Nelson Mandela leaves behind remains racially divided with deep economic problems. But South Africa has also emerged as a robust democracy, writes CFR's John Campbell.
See more in South Africa; Peace, Conflict, and Human Rights
John Campbell examines escalating violence in Nigeria.
See more in Nigeria; Elections; Conflict Assessment
Poor governance and extreme poverty has contributed to the rise of Boko Haram, a radical Islamist movement, in the northeast of Nigeria. John Campbell argues that to defeat Boko Haram governments must focus on humanitarian assistance and work to improve the lives of northern Nigerians.
See more in Nigeria; Radicalization and Extremism; Humanitarian Intervention
A greater international response is required to help West African governments overcome major logistical challenges in responding to Ebola, says CFR Senior Fellow John Campbell.
See more in Africa (sub-Saharan); Diseases, Infectious; Public Health Threats and Pandemics
The crisis in the Central African Republic has reignited, threatening regional long-term peace and stability unless a neutral transitional administration is formed, says CFR's John Campbell.
See more in Central African Republic; Peace, Conflict, and Human Rights
U.S. strategic interests in Africa's Sahel have been marginal for decades, but there is a strong case for expanding ties with regional allies to quell a spreading security threat, write J. Peter Pham and CFR's John Campbell.
See more in Africa (sub-Saharan); Politics and Strategy
John Campbell discusses the effects of Nelson Mandela's death with respect to South Africa's upcoming national elections in 2014.
See more in South Africa; Elections
John Campbell reflects on Nelson Mandela, the man behind the myth -- and the future of South Africa.
See more in South Africa; Presidents and Chiefs of State; Apartheid
The country Nelson Mandela leaves behind remains racially divided with deep economic problems. But South Africa has also emerged as a robust democracy, writes CFR's John Campbell.
See more in South Africa; Peace, Conflict, and Human Rights
The response to Boko Haram and other "jihadist" insurgencies is shaping U.S. foreign policy toward Nigeria and the Sahel. But despite rhetoric to the contrary, the region remains a marginal U.S. priority.
John Campbell explains Boko Haram's presence in Nigeria and potential implications for U.S. foreign policy.
See more in Nigeria; United States; Terrorist Organizations and Networks
President Obama's weeklong visit to three African countries should reinforce trade and political ties and address some sentiments that the continent has been overlooked by the White House, writes CFR's John Campbell.
See more in Africa (sub-Saharan); United States; Trade; Politics and Strategy
With concise historical analysis and forward-looking prescriptions, Pathways to Freedom offers an authoritative and accessible look at what countries must do to build durable and prosperous democracies—and what the United States and others can do to help.
See more in Global; Economic Development; Democratization
In this chapter preview from Pathways to Freedom: Political and Economic Lessons From Democratic Transitions, John Campbell explores Nigeria's transition, which, though successful in moving from military to civilian governance, has perpetuated a political system marked by corruption and patronage and an economy dominated by oil.
See more in Nigeria; Democratization
In this chapter preview from Pathways to Freedom: Political and Economic Lessons From Democratic Transitions, John Campbell explores South Africa's remarkable transition to nonracial democracy alongside its failure to extend economic opportunity to most blacks.
See more in South Africa; Democratization
John Campbell examines escalating violence in Nigeria.
See more in Nigeria; Elections; Conflict Assessment
In this book, CFR Senior Fellow John Campbell examines Nigeria's postcolonial past and offers policy options for the United States to help promote political, social, and economic development. Teaching notes by the author.
See more in Nigeria; Terrorism; Economic Development
Robert Mugabe, age eighty-nine and in failing health, has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980. Zimbabwe faces numerous potential scenarios once he dies or, highly unlikely, if he is defeated in the upcoming summer elections.
Former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell explores Nigeria's postcolonial history and examines the events and conditions that have carried this troubled giant to the edge.
See more in Diplomacy and Statecraft; Nigeria
John Campbell examines Nigeria's ongoing problems: an Islamic insurgency, a security crackdown, and sectarian clashes.
See more in Nigeria; Terrorist Organizations and Networks
A state of emergency in Nigeria's northeast signals that Islamist violence and the government's brutal response have rendered the region ungovernable, says CFR's John Campbell.
"Ansaru's new salience represents another, serious challenge to Nigeria's stability," writes John Campbell.
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This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks to John Campbell, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and a senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Affairs, about the current situation of the missing Chibok school girls.
Ambassador Campbell discusses the origins of Boko Haram and the Nigerian governments response.
West African governments and aid agencies face a number of challenges in attempting to contain the Ebola epidemic, which health officials say threatens to infect more than one million people by early next year. Containing the outbreak will require a massive international response similar to that coordinated after the 2004 South Asia tsunami. CFR's John Campbell offers three things to know about Ebola and West Africa.
Investigating the atrocities in Nigeria related to the hunt for Boko Haram. Ambassador Campbell discusses the actions of Nigeria's security forces in northeastern Nigeria.
The fallout of the Chibok kidnappings has changed the shape of Nigeria's war with Boko Haram. The group is expanding the scope of its operations, while a potential food emergency and impending elections create a precarious situation writes John Campbell.
Boko Haram continues to dominate the headlines on Nigeria, but no extremist group exists in a vacuum. John Campbell explains the religious context of the country.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell talks about the reasons Boko Haram, who recently kidnapped a group of Nigerian schoolgirls, was not designated as a terrorist organization by the State Department under former Sec. Hillary Clinton.
Nigeria is divided, and religion is one aspect of that, but in a culture saturated by religiosity grievances are often understood through a religious and moral lens, writes John Campbell of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Where multiple faiths share a political space, deeply held beliefs can divide societies. The answer is to keep faith out of the public square, writes John Campbell of the Council on Foreign Relations.
The violence in the Central African Republic has neighboring countries concerned as fierce fighting and a weak government threaten to propel the humanitarian crisis beyond the country's borders. John Campbell, CFR's Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, highlights three things to know about the crisis and what is needed for peace.
Carol Castiel hosts Chief of VOA's Hausa Service, Leo Keyen and Ambassador John Campbell, former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, currently Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, about the root causes and implications of the conflicts in South Sudan and the Central African Republic as well as the ongoing insurgencies in Mali and Northern Nigeria.
John Campbell spoke at the Brookings Institute about many of the problems in Nigeria, including Boko Haram's continued attacks and other armed groups in Northern Nigeria.
Thousands have been killed since Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram launched its uprising in 2009. Nigeria is resource rich and Africa's most populous country. In the last three years, Boko Haram has killed 358 people according to the government, but others estimate the true figure to be more than 1,500. Based largely in Nigeria's northeast, the militant group and its off-shoot Ansaru, has been fighting for more than four years to try to carve an Islamic state in this multi-religious and multi-ethnic country.
Joining John Rees in the studio to discuss this is Dr Olawale Ismail, Head of Research International Alert, and joining us on the phone from Washington is Ambassador John Campbell, former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, expert on US policy toward Africa and author of a new book should United States fear Boko Haram? On the phone from Nigeria we have Mausi Segun, Nigeria Researcher for Human Rights Watch and to complete our panel we have Dr David Lowe, lecturer in law, security and terrorism, at Liverpool John Moores University.
Former US Ambassador John Campbell speaks on the threat posed by the al-Shabab terrorist group.
Although the recently signed Arms Trade Treaty has raised hopes that arms trafficking will wane in West Africa, the CFR's John Campbell is more cautious. He thinks everything rests upon how the treaty is implemented in a region still characterized by weak administrative and institutional capacities. An interview with John Campbell.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been officially named the winner of elections held Wednesday. GPS Intern Inesha Premaratne speaks with John Campbell, senior fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former ambassador to Nigeria, for his take on the results and what they mean for Zimbabwe.
Renee Montagne talks with former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell about recent school attacks in Nigeria. The group believed to be behind them is called Boko Haram. Campbell is Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
John Campbell, Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses President Obama's trip to Africa and how U.S. policy toward the continent has changed since the Bush Administration--and the kinds of investments the President is advocating for there.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell discusses President Barack Obama's first trip to South Africa as U.S. president and why the U.S. is lagging behind other countries in pushing investment on the African continent. He speaks with Mark Crumpton on Bloomberg Television's "Bottom Line." (Source: Bloomberg)
John Campbell argues that alienation of the North of Nigeria is a huge challenge for the presidential elections in 2015, money influence will be tested again at polls, and he claims that the region is being engaged, Ambassador Adefuye affirms this.
Land reform in Africa is not just about righting a historical wrong. Today, it is also about food security, about political and economic corruption, and in many cases about fundamental human rights. This week's episode of "On the Line" tackles some of these complicated issues. GUESTS Ambassador John Campbell: Former US Ambassador to Nigeria; Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, Council on Foreign Relations. Obang Metho: Executive Director, Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia. George Ayittey: Economist; President, Free Africa Foundation.
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CFR Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies and author of Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink.
+1.212.434.9675
| Allen Grane |
Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks to John Campbell, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and a senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Affairs, about the current situation of the missing Chibok school girls.
West African governments and aid agencies face a number of challenges in attempting to contain the Ebola epidemic, which health officials say threatens to infect more than one million people by early next year. Containing the outbreak will require a massive international response similar to that coordinated after the 2004 South Asia tsunami. CFR's John Campbell offers three things to know about Ebola and West Africa.
Investigating the atrocities in Nigeria related to the hunt for Boko Haram. Ambassador Campbell discusses the actions of Nigeria's security forces in northeastern Nigeria.
John Campbell explores Nigeria's postcolonial history and examines the events and conditions that have carried this troubled giant to the edge. In the second edition he analyzes the breakdown of the political system and the emergence of Boko Haram.
The interactive Nigeria Security Tracker documents and maps violence motivated by political, economic, or social grievances.
