Senior Policy Fellow
Africa geopolitics and international relations, the Sahel, Horn of Africa, humanitarianism, conflict reporting, emerging middle powers, and Russia in Africa.
English, French
Will Brown is a senior policy fellow with the Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His main research interests are African geopolitics, the ongoing conflict in the Sahel region, and international competition in the Horn.
Brown has been a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC since 2020. Previously, he worked for a decade as a multi-award-winning journalist and reported from more than 30 countries, including from the front line in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Chad. He was a senior reporter at the independent investigative outlet Tortoise Media, the Africa Bureau chief for the Telegraph newspaper based in Nairobi, the west Africa correspondent for The Economist based in Dakar, and a freelance journalist in New Delhi.
He holds a BA in history from the University of Manchester and trained in reporting at the Press Association in London.
The end of the Ukraine war would flood the global market with surplus weapons, fighters and drone expertise—much of which may end up making African conflicts deadlier. Governments in Africa and Europe should prepare now
Russia has made significant inroads in Africa—particularly in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Mali—deploying military operations that, while limited in scope, are often devastating for local civilian populations. At the same time, Moscow has developed a powerful propaganda machine that taps into existing antipathy towards Europe, particularly France, to push African governments…
Europe’s defensive measures to shield its democracies from hybrid attacks are no longer enough. If Europeans want to protect their peace and prosperity, the time has come for them to fight back
Mark Leonard welcomes Will Brown and Beverly Ochieng to discuss what Russia’s growing influence in the Sahel means for Europe
El-Fasher in North Darfur is now the epicentre of the world’s greatest humanitarian catastrophe. Europe’s options are limited, but there are still ways to hold the responsible accountable
Russia has many quiet enemies in Africa. Working together, like-minded Africans and Europeans can roll back its troublesome influence
The catastrophe in Sudan is now accelerating into dizzying levels of complexity and violence. Millions could die of famine this year, but there seems to be no end in sight. Peace initiatives have floundered, and the new US administration will likely be even less willing to expend political capital on the conflict than the last. The discussion explored realistic, tangible policy…
Congo stands on the brink of being at the centre of a devastating new regional war. Europe should act in its own self-interest to avert further humanitarian catastrophe
Chad and Senegal recently announced the end of their historic defence agreements with France. Now France should hand over its remaining military bases in Africa and work towards a more forward-thinking cooperation model
During his first presidency, Donald Trump’s Africa policy was defined by a series of gaffs and confused foreign policy decisions. His re-election is a wake-up call to European governments that building a strong relationship with the world’s fastest-growing continent is more vital than ever
Europe’s defensive measures to shield its democracies from hybrid attacks are no longer enough. If Europeans want to protect their peace and prosperity, the time has come for them to fight back
Russia has many quiet enemies in Africa. Working together, like-minded Africans and Europeans can roll back its troublesome influence
Rather than disengaging from the coup belt, European governments should stay present and work to curb the worst of the chaos engulfing the region — and prevent rival powers from gaining the upper hand
The end of the Ukraine war would flood the global market with surplus weapons, fighters and drone expertise—much of which may end up making African conflicts deadlier. Governments in Africa and Europe should prepare now
El-Fasher in North Darfur is now the epicentre of the world’s greatest humanitarian catastrophe. Europe’s options are limited, but there are still ways to hold the responsible accountable
Congo stands on the brink of being at the centre of a devastating new regional war. Europe should act in its own self-interest to avert further humanitarian catastrophe
Chad and Senegal recently announced the end of their historic defence agreements with France. Now France should hand over its remaining military bases in Africa and work towards a more forward-thinking cooperation model
During his first presidency, Donald Trump’s Africa policy was defined by a series of gaffs and confused foreign policy decisions. His re-election is a wake-up call to European governments that building a strong relationship with the world’s fastest-growing continent is more vital than ever
While Russia remains a potent player in parts of Africa, recent events in the Sahelian states have shown that Russian forces are deeply overstretched and losing credibility. It is obvious to all involved that Moscow has no solutions – which leaves a diplomatic opening for the West
On Saturday, Germany became the latest European country to withdraw military forces from the Sahel. Other states may go further, closing embassies. But walking away, wagging a patronising white finger at states facing existential threats will do nothing to stabilise the region
Europe’s old Sahel strategy is dead – and Russia is circling over its carcass
Mark Leonard welcomes Will Brown and Beverly Ochieng to discuss what Russia’s growing influence in the Sahel means for Europe
Mark Leonard welcomes Will Brown, Jonas Horner, and Raga Makawi to discuss the EU’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan
Russia has made significant inroads in Africa—particularly in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Mali—deploying military operations that, while limited in scope, are often devastating for local civilian populations. At the same time, Moscow has developed a powerful propaganda machine that taps into existing antipathy towards Europe, particularly France, to push African governments…
The catastrophe in Sudan is now accelerating into dizzying levels of complexity and violence. Millions could die of famine this year, but there seems to be no end in sight. Peace initiatives have floundered, and the new US administration will likely be even less willing to expend political capital on the conflict than the last. The discussion explored realistic, tangible policy…
A decade of military, humanitarian, and developmental European interventions in the Sahelian states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have failed comprehensively. Yet, European governments must accept that engagement, however ugly, is their only hope of advancing their strategic priority of a stable Sahel region. In this event, ECFR Africa reflects on recent developments…
Sudan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Ethnic killing plagues Darfur once again, millions have been displaced, and now a famine is looming. The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces shows no sign of abating and with all eyes fixed on Gaza and Ukraine, the humanitarian response is falling…
On 28 February, Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo was killed in a shootout with security forces. He had been accused of leading an attack against the National State Security Agency (ANSE), an allegation he denied. Dillo, leader of the Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF), was a strong contender for the presidential elections scheduled for 6 May 2024. Tensions have been…
Will Brown on the growing internationalisation of Sahel conflicts
Will Brown, Jana Kobzova, Nicu Popescu and José Ignacio Torreblanca on responding to Russian sabotage and subversion
Will Brown warns about the security risks Africa could face after the war in Ukraine
Formiche magazine features the commentary “After Ukraine: The peace dividend Africa does not want”
Will Brown on the Trans-Saharan pipeline
