Last but certainly not least, I thank my inestimable network of friends and family. For their love, support, and encouragement, I am grateful to my parents, Albert and Kathryn Schmidt; to my son Jann Grovogui; and to countless friends and colleagues—all of whom provided joy and perspective and tolerated the mood swings that book writing always entails.
Abbreviations
| ACOTA | Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program (United States) |
| ACRI | African Crisis Response Initiative (United States) |
| AFDL | Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo) |
| AFISMA | African-led International Support Mission in Mali |
| AFRICOM | United States Africa Command |
| AGOA | African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2000 (United States) |
| AMIS | African Union Mission in Sudan |
| AMISOM | African Union Mission in Somalia |
| AQAP | al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia and Yemen) |
| AQI | al-Qaeda in Iraq |
| AQIM | al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb |
| ARPCT | Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (Somalia) |
| ARS | Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia |
| AU | African Union |
| BRICS | Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa |
| CDR | Coalition for the Defense of the Republic (Coalition pour la Défense de la République) (Rwanda) |
| CENTCOM | United States Central Command |
| CFA | African Financial Community (Communauté Financière en Afrique) |
| CIA | Central Intelligence Agency |
| CJTF-HOA | Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa |
| CMA | Coordination of the Movements of Azawad (Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad) (Mali) |
| CNDP | National Congress for the Defense of the People (Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple) (Democratic Republic of Congo) |
| CPA | Comprehensive Peace Agreement (Sudan) |
| DDPD | Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (Sudan) |
| DPA | Darfur Peace Agreement (Sudan) |
| DPKO | United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations |
| DRC | Democratic Republic of Congo (République Démocratique du Congo) |
| EACTI | East Africa Counterterrorism Initiative |
| EARSI | East Africa Regional Strategic Initiative |
| ECCAS | Economic Community of Central African States |
| ECOMICI | Economic Community of West African States Mission in Côte d’Ivoire |
| ECOMOG | Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (Liberia and Sierra Leone) |
| ECOWAS | Economic Community of West African States |
| EEC | European Economic Community |
| EO | Executive Outcomes |
| EU | European Union |
| EUCOM | United States European Command |
| FBI | Federal Bureau of Investigation (United States) |
| FDLR | Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda) |
| FESCI | Student Federation of Côte d’Ivoire (Fédération Estudiantine et Scolaire de Côte d’Ivoire) |
| FIS | Islamic Salvation Front (Front Islamique du Salut) (Algeria) |
| FLC | Front for the Liberation of Congo (Front de Libération du Congo) (Democratic Republic of Congo) |
| FLN | National Liberation Front (Front de Libération Nationale) (Algeria) |
| FPI | Ivoirian Popular Front (Front Populaire Ivoirien) |
| FRCI | Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire) |
| G7 | Group of Seven |
| G8 | Group of Eight |
| G20 | Group of Twenty |
| GHI | Global Health Initiative (United States) |
| GIA | Armed Islamic Group (Groupe Islamique Armé) (Algeria) |
| GPOI | Global Peace Operations Initiative (United States) |
| GSPC | Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat) (Algeria) |
| ICC | International Criminal Court |
| ICGLR | International Conference on the Great Lakes Region |
| ICJ | International Commission of Jurists |
| ICU | Islamic Courts Union (Somalia) |
| IGAD |
|