Kamissa Camara | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Kamissa Camara Headshot
Download Image
Core faculty

Kamissa Camara

Professor of practice
[email protected]

Dr Kamissa Camara is a Professor of Practice in International Diplomacy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy's Weiser Diplomacy Center. A scholar-practitioner of African politics and international affairs, she brings extensive experience in diplomacy, government, democratic governance, and crisis politics to the classroom and public debate.

Camara served as Mali's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation between 2018 and 2019. She also served as Minister of Digital Economy and Planning, Secretary-General of the Presidency, Diplomatic Adviser to the President, and Chief of Staff to the President of Mali. Prior to her government service, she worked on democracy, elections, and governance issues in Washington, D.C., including at the National Endowment for Democracy and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

Her research focuses on militarism, coup politics, civil-military relations, political legitimacy, democratic erosion, and state authority in the Sahel and West Africa. She completed her DPhil in Politics at the University of Oxford, and her dissertation examines the ideological, institutional, and factional dynamics that shaped the coups in Mali and Burkina Faso between 2020 and 2022, with particular attention to how military actors interpret political crisis, justify intervention, and mobilize support within and beyond the armed forces.

At the Ford School, Camara teaches courses on international public policy, diplomacy, great power rivalry, propaganda and misinformation, and the politics of public policy. Her teaching draws on comparative politics, international relations, policy practice, and her experience in high-level public office.

Camara is frequently invited to comment on African politics, the Sahel, democracy, security, and international affairs. She has appeared on CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, France 24, Voice of America, and TV5. She also serves on several advisory boards and policy initiatives focused on democracy, peace, governance, and African affairs.

Educational background

  • DPhil (PhD) in Politics, University of Oxford
  • M.A. in International Development, Université Grenoble-Alpes

Current research

  • African politics
  • Civil-military relations
  • Coup politics
  • Militarism and political violence