The Africa Regional Office works at the pan-African level to build a free and democratic Africa, where leaders respect human rights, work to improve citizens’ lives, and are held to account for their actions.
The African Regional Office works closely with our regional foundations in West, Eastern, and Southern Africa, and our national foundation in South Africa, as well as our regional office in Tunisia.
- We seek to strengthen the quality of political participation in Africa by investing in the democratic process, improving the electoral support provided by the Open Society’s African foundations, ensuring civilian oversight of African security forces, and defending the right of young people to organize and advocate.
- We advocate before, during, and after crisis situations for the most appropriate responses from all those who can play a role, with a particular focus on the African Union.
- We challenge current thinking around economic development and seek to improve access to livelihoods that allow everyone to have a decent standard of living.
- We support changes in African migration policies to advance African citizenship and free movement on the continent.
- We demand accountability for international crimes, with a focus on support for the African human rights system and local justice solutions.
Our team members are based in Dakar, Johannesburg, and Nairobi, as well as London and New York, with policy advocates in Brussels and Washington, D.C.
Featured Work
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Effectiveness of Anticorruption Agencies in East Africa—Rwanda
This report focuses on the effectiveness of the Office of the Ombudsman as a case study of an institution instrumental in the anticorruption fight in Rwanda.
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Effectiveness of Anticorruption Agencies in East Africa—Tanzania
This policy brief by the Africa Regional Office focuses on the effectiveness of anticorruption agencies in Tanzania.
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The Civil Society Guide to Regional Economic Communities in Africa
This publication presents a guide for civil society actors interested in the work of the East African Community, the Economic Community of West African States, and the Southern African Development Community.