Africa Center for Strategic Studies

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) is self-described as "a U.S. Department of Defense institution established and funded by Congress for the study of security issues relating to Africa and serving as a forum for bilateral and multilateral research, communication, and exchange of ideas involving military and civilian participants."

It is a Regional Center of the National Defense University, which describes it as "[supporting] United States foreign and security policies by strengthening the strategic capacity of African states to identify and resolve security challenges in ways that promote civil-military cooperation, respect for democratic values, and safeguard human rights."

In 1994 the United States European Command petitioned the Chairman of the US House International Relations Committee to create a Center on African Affairs that emulated the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies was formally established in March 1999. In 2004, the Center relocated to the campus of the Department of Defense’s National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., where it is one of five regional centers. In 2007, ACSS began a working partnership with the recently established U.S. Africa Command.

ACSS's region of engagement includes all African countries. However, engagement with Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia is shared with the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Since ACSS is based in Washington, D.C., the Center also engages local Africa specialists.

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