Foreign Policy Advisor
United States Africa Command

Dr. Raymond L. Brown is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service (2005) and is the foreign policy advisor to Commander, U.S. Africa Command (August 2009). He arrived from the U.S. Embassy of Pretoria, where he served as the Counselor of Embassy for Political Affairs (August 2006). From July 7, 2003 to July 2006, he served as Director of the Orientation Training Division at the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. Department of State where he was responsible for overseeing implementation of seven orientation programs for all categories of new Department of State employees.

Dr. Brown returned to the U.S. in June 2002, after serving two years in The Sudan as the Chargé d’ Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum where he was instrumental in pursuing the successful Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of the Sudan and the southern Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army. During the academic year 2002-2003, he attended the National War College at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. from which he received a Masters’ Degree in Strategic and Security Studies (June 2003).

Dr. Brown began his Foreign Service career in 1985 after an academic and professional consulting career emphasizing international relations, conflict resolution and economic development issues. He grew up in Los Angeles, California, and later attended Vassar College (B.A., 1976), the American University in Cairo (Junior Year Exchange Student, 1974), the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies (Arabic Language, 1976), and the Claremont Graduate School of International Relations (Ph.D., 1982).

Dr. Brown’s Foreign Service career has included overseas assignments at American Embassies in the Caribbean, South America and Africa regions – e.g., Consular/Political Officer in Kingston, Jamaica (1985-1987); Economic Officer in Caracas, Venezuela (1987-1989); Office of Oceans Law and Policy in the Department of State (1989-1990); Economic Officer in Bridgetown, Barbados (1990-1993); Regional Labor Attache’ for the Eastern and Southern Caribbean (1993-1994); Chief of Political and Economic Affairs in Georgetown, Guyana (1995-1997); Deputy Chief of Mission in Maseru, Lesotho (1997-2000); and Chargé d’Affaires in Khartoum, the Sudan (2000-2002).