About AFSS
The African Security Space (AFSS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing international security cooperation and professional development across the African continent and among its global partners. Founded to address the distinctive security challenges facing African states and institutions, AFSS works to build the capacity of security professionals, analysts, and practitioners through specialized training, scholarship, and collaborative engagement. Its programs span the breadth of contemporary security practice—from intelligence studies, open-source analysis, and counterterrorism to peacekeeping, cybersecurity, diplomacy, and security leadership—grounded in the conviction that effective security work demands not only technical proficiency but also critical, context-aware judgment attuned to African realities. Central to the organization's philosophy is a commitment to African-centered approaches that interrogate inherited frameworks, recover and elevate local knowledge and perspectives, and adapt established doctrine to the specific needs of the communities and institutions it serves. By cultivating a cadre of reflective, capable, and ethically grounded professionals, and by fostering cooperation across borders and institutions, AFSS aims to strengthen the people and organizations responsible for security, stability, and human protection throughout Africa and in partnership with the wider world.
Our History & Mandate
The African Security Space (AFSS) was established with a clear, uncompromising mandate: to cultivate expertise and foster unified collaboration in addressing the complex, evolving security challenges facing the African continent.
Headquartered in Lomé, Togo, AFSS serves as an elite institution for security professionals, military officers, and policymakers. We offer rigorous training programs, insightful geopolitical research, and a secure platform for strategic dialogue among allied nations.
Our Mission
To continually strengthen international security cooperation through world-class professional training and strategic, actionable partnerships.
Our Vision
To be universally recognized as the leading center of excellence for security cooperation, operational training, and sustainable development in Africa.
Our Team
Dr. David L. Dambre
Managing Director / Founder
Dr. David L. Dambre is an accomplished national security professional with a professional doctorate in Strategic Intelligence from the American Military University. Dr. Dambre obtained his BA in Political Science from the University of Texas at Dallas and his MA in International Relations and Conflict Resolution from the American Military University. His research interests are deeply rooted in Constructivism and focus on analyzing the evolution of regional international societies, International Relations, intelligence sharing, and cooperation practices within military alliances and military-civilian partnerships, particularly in the context of the West African region. Additionally, he has a keen interest in African politics, the African Union, and US foreign policy.
Mr. Welton O'Neal III
Director of Policy
Welton O’Neal hails from Northeast Philadelphia. His journey has taken him from his hometown to the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., where he currently resides.
He is employed at the Department of Defense as a contractor for the Air Force.
Prior to this role, he served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the Department of State
working in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. His international experience includes a consultancy position with the United Nations Population Fund in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Additionally, he is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. From 2016 to 2019, he
served in Malawi as a global health volunteer, working as a Project Coordinator for the PEPFAR project, DREAMS.
AFSS Core Values
Excellence
Maintaining the highest standards in security training and strategic research.
Collaboration
Fostering pan-African and international partnerships for collective action.
Regional Vision
Strengthening stability and security across the entire African continent.
Integrity
Upholding strict ethical standards, transparency, and accountability.