Today I had the opportunity to take part in a panel on Africa’s role in world security at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference. Security is a required precursor to development. You cannot attain economic growth, better health and education, and good governance without it. But while the number of armed conflicts in Africa have decreased since the 1990s, violence and political instability remain a reality of every day life for many Africans. In conflict-affected areas—such as Somalia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Mali and Niger, the Niger Delta of Nigeria, Darfur and the Three Areas in Sudan, and the Casamance region of Senegal—the capacity of governments and people to engage in sustainable development has plummeted.