
Judd Devermont
Former senior U.S. Africa policy official who served as the top Africa strategist in the White House and is now an operating partner at Kupanda Capital and senior advisor at CSIS, offering expertise on U.S.-Africa relations and China’s role on the continent.
Top 5 podcasts with Judd Devermont
Ranked by the Snipd community

27 snips
Nov 12, 2025 • 1h 36min
How Diplomacy Works in Africa
Judd Devermont, a seasoned Africa policy expert and former Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, dives deep into U.S. diplomacy in Africa. He discusses the importance of 'care and feeding' in building relationships and critiques the diminishing focus on Africa in presidential agendas. Judd analyzes the challenges in dealing with coup leaders, the limitations of envoy roles, and the need for more flexible diplomatic tools. He also emphasizes the significance of balancing values and geostrategic interests in America's approach to African nations.

5 snips
Aug 20, 2022 • 38min
Lawfare Archive: African Elections and U.S. Interests
From March 19, 2019: Demographic, technological, and geostrategic developments are disrupting the electoral landscape in sub-Saharan Africa. How do these shifts affect the political climate for democracy and participation across Africa? What have recent elections in Nigeria illustrated about these? And what about the clash between China and the United States in Africa?To explore these questions, David Priess spoke with Judd Devermont, director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, host of the Into Africa podcast, and former national intelligence officer for Africa from 2015 to 2018.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 11, 2024 • 1h
Judd Devermont on the State of U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa
Judd Devermont, former senior director of African Affairs at the National Security Council and operating partner at Kupanda Capital, discusses the implications of President Biden's postponed trip to Angola. He highlights how this reflects on U.S.-Africa relations and contrasts U.S. approaches to infrastructure with China's Belt and Road Initiative. The conversation also delves into the need for local partnerships in projects like the Lobito Corridor and the importance of African nations in global governance amidst geopolitical tensions.

Jan 27, 2026 • 50min
Africa and the New World Order: U.S. Pulls Back and China Moves Forward
Judd Devermont, former White House Africa strategist turned Kupanda Capital partner and CSIS advisor. He discusses U.S. retrenchment in Africa, China’s shrinking but shifting finance, the diplomatic damage from recent U.S. policy moves, and why African leaders view China as opportunity. Short-term aid cuts vs long-term partnership and new U.S. strategies are also debated.

Jun 9, 2024 • 44min
Lawfare Archive: A Trip Around Africa with Judd Devermont and Emilia Columbo
Explore African politics with experts Judd Devermont and Emilia Columbo discussing challenges & opportunities. Topics include US-Africa relations, elections, security issues, President Macron's response, data privacy, democracy in Nigeria, and South Korea's role in Sub-Saharan Africa.


