Into Africa
132 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 134 ratingsFearless music activists. Savvy tech entrepreneurs. Social disrupters. Into Africa shatters the narratives that dominate U.S. perceptions of Africa. Host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Africa program director and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C., sits down with policymakers, journalists, academics and other trailblazers in African affairs to shine a spotlight on the faces spearheading cultural, political, and economic change on the continent.
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Episodes
From a Jail Cell to the Presidential Palace
April 18, 2024 13:16 - 35 minutesPresident Bassirou Diomaye Faye is not only Senegal’s youngest elected president but also the youngest democratically elected president in Africa. At 44- years old there is a lot of expectation resting on Faye and his mentor Ousmane Sonko as they take the reins after an election run-up that was nothing short of dramatic. Since 2021, protests against former president Macky Sall have left more than 60 people dead and hundreds of political activists jailed. Faye is expected to strengthen the ero...
The State of Eight: Challenges Facing the East Africa Community
April 04, 2024 14:50 - 40 minutesSince 2022, the East Africa Community (EAC) has expanded to include two new partner states, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Somalia, bringing its membership up to eight partner states. Each nation admitted to the bloc brings its own set of challenges but also expands the opportunities and avenues for cooperation in the region. The EAC has been strong in providing economic opportunities to its partner states and the inclusion of DRC and Somalia prospects to acquire greater markets f...
Project Hope: Improving Maternal Health in Sierra Leone
March 21, 2024 13:25 - 30 minutes“Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.” Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian aid non-governmental organization founded by Dr. William B. Walsh in 1958. Their first operations in Africa began in the mid-1960s in Guinea; and since then, they have reached 13 countries in Africa. Project Hope began its work in Sierra Leone during the 2014 Ebola Epidemic to help combat the outbreak. During this period, the organization recognized the need to increase capacity to ...
AFCON and the Power of Unity
March 07, 2024 13:51 - 39 minutesFor a brief moment, it appeared as though all attention had shifted to the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), as the tournament gained global attention. The game saw the participation of 24 out of 54 countries in the tournament, hosted by the reigning champions, Côte d’Ivoire, from January to early February 2024. The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been hosted in various African nations for over 60 years, with each game surpassing the former. However, AFCON 2023 set a new viewership re...
Mali: Between the Lines
February 22, 2024 15:04 - 31 minutesAmidst political, economic, and security issues Malians continue to seek justice and reconciliation to restore peace in their country. Since 2012, the Malian government has been engaged in a war against the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MLNA) who intend to secede the Northern region of Mali. Additionally, Mali has experienced 8 attempted coups with 5 of them being successful since its independence in 1960. The turmoil experienced raises questions on how to attain national co...
Breaking Up with ECOWAS
February 08, 2024 13:51 - 35 minutesMore than 80% of African countries have experienced coups since the 1950s. The occurrence of coups can be seen as a reaction to poor governance that is unresponsive to the needs of the people. Regional and international responses to this “unconstitutional” seizure of power belittles and condescends coup leaders hence ostracizing and condemning already fragile nations without addressing the drivers of coups. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s recent coups culminated with harsh sanctions from the ...
How to Speak about Africa
January 26, 2024 13:53 - 36 minutesYouth, technology, and creativity are nurtured and bloom in Africa. These experiences are often diminished in Western media, skewing the understanding of the pace and dynamism of the continent. The youth leverage technology for entrepreneurship, cultural mobilization, political activism, and as a means to share their passions through art. The Roger Muntu Show bridges the gap between Western perspectives and the lived realities of Africans. With an enthusiasm for presenting authentic African s...
The Promises of COP 28
January 11, 2024 05:00 - 28 minutesOn the heels of the Africa Climate Summit, the United Nations hosted COP28 in Dubai where world governments discussed how to prepare for and address climate change. The two-week conference culminated with both optimism and pessimism from the participants. Optimism rose from agreements like the Loss and Damage Fund and innovative food systems that tackle food insecurity on the continent. Previous pledges from developed nations in COP15 have not been fulfilled hence the pessimism and skepticism...
Peaceful Transitions, Close Elections, and Voting Trends in Liberia
December 14, 2023 05:00 - 29 minutesOn November 17th, 2023, President George Weah gracefully conceded to President-elect Joseph Boakai, who secured victory with a narrow margin of just 1.28% in votes. The electoral process was not only marked by a closely contested run-off but also had a first run of twenty candidates. This concession underscores Liberia's positive democratic trajectory and political stability. Furthermore, President Weah upheld the peaceful transition precedent set by his predecessor, President Ellen Johnson S...
Angola’s Paradox of Abundance
November 30, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutesOil and diamonds typically hint towards a strong and robust economy. However, there is a noticeable disconnect between the mineral richness of Angola and the lack of Foreign Direct Investment. This incongruity lingers, although the nation’s civil war ended in 2002, because the reconciliation process has not addressed the core issues that caused the war. Foreign investor and local stakeholder engagement in post-conflict Angola remains timid. This leaves civil society and economic agents unsati...
Taking Africa's Pulse with Afrobarometer
November 16, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutesAlthough data is a powerful tool in decision-making, data collection and production in Africa have proven to miss the mark in pattern prediction. Afrobarometer is a Pan- African, non-partisan, non-profit research network with headquarters in Ghana that conducts public attitude surveys on democracy, governance, the economy, and society in Africa. Dr. Joseph Asunka, the CEO of Afrobarometer, speaks with Mvemba about the challenges in data collection in Africa as well as the ways Afrobarometer i...
Cooking Up a Storm from Dakar to Brooklyn
November 02, 2023 04:00 - 38 minutesYes, Chef! Mvemba is joined by Pierre Thiam, a renowned chef, author, and social activist. Hailing from Senegal, Chef Thiam is best known for bringing West African cuisine to the global fine-dining world. Chef Thiam and Mvemba discuss making it in the fine dining world in New York City, the stunning diversity of food from the continent, finding inspiration in tradition, the miracle grain "fonio" and bringing Senegalese food to American supermarkets.
CorpsAfrica: Peace Corps by and for Africans
October 19, 2023 18:42 - 33 minutesModeled after the Peace Corps, CorpsAfrica empowers African youth to work with local communities, emphasizing local ownership, collaboration, and participatory development. CorpsAfrica founder comments, “We’re creating a second Peace Corps, by and for Africans”. The organization aims to create a lasting impact by addressing community needs through a transformative and scalable model. Volunteers work for one year in high-poverty villages to direct scarce NGO resources to communities that need ...
A Look Inside the First Africa Climate Summit
October 05, 2023 04:00 - 37 minutesFor too long Africa’s role in the fight against climate change has been overlooked and underestimated. While world leaders and non-governmental organizations have tried to address the challenge, both sustainable solutions and actions have not been seen on the continent. The inaugural Africa Climate Summit brought together indigenous activists, African youth, and civil society organizations to discuss solutions to challenges felt by the most vulnerable and affected populations in this crisis. ...
Nine Coups in Three Years
September 21, 2023 09:00 - 37 minutesBurkina Faso (twice). Chad. Gabon. Guinea. Mali (twice). Niger. Sudan. The recent spate in coups has forced many to pause and ask difficult questions. Has democracy failed? Why do a minority of citizens support or tolerate military rule, and what does this backing say about the ineffectiveness of their previous governments? Kamissa Camara, Senior Advisor for Africa at the U.S. Institute of Peace and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali, and Ken Opalo, Associate Professor in the School o...
Assessing Tinubu’s First 150 Days in Office
September 07, 2023 04:00 - 24 minutesMvemba is joined by Fyneface Dumnamene, the Executive Director of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Center based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. They assess President Bola Tinubu's 150 days in office, the economic challenges faced by the Tinubu administration, and Nigeria’s oil economy. They also discuss Nigeria's leadership in ECOWAS and how it has impacted the regional bloc's response to the Niger coup.
Bobi Wine on Youth Movements and Liberation
August 24, 2023 14:55 - 35 minutesMvemba is joined by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine, to discuss youth movements' challenges in Africa, reflecting on his journey as a presidential candidate in the 2021 Uganda general elections. They highlight the challenges African youth movements face in pursuing democratic change. Mvemba and Bobi Wine dive into why democracy is crumbling in some African countries. Bobi Wine argues that African youth should participate in active politics to effect democratic change i...
The Restitution of African Art
August 10, 2023 04:00 - 27 minutesMvemba is joined by Eric Kuikende-Banshona, a Provenance Researcher at the National Museum of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They highlight the importance of restituting African artifacts to move past European colonial history in Africa. They also urge African political leaders to focus on Africa’s cultural richness and collaborate with Western leaders to restore the history and cultures of the African people. They highlight the obligation of Western museums and private art collectors not ...
The Wagner Group: The Kremlin’s Indispensable Hand in Africa
July 27, 2023 15:01 - 39 minutesMvemba is joined by CSIS’s Catrina Doxsee, Associate Director and Associate Fellow with the Transnational Threats Project, and ICG’s Delaney Simon, Senior Analyst with the U.S. Program to discuss the Wagner Group’s African operations. They highlight the quasi-independent Russian paramilitary group’s atrocious activities and how they have caused social, humanitarian, and economic harm in Africa. Contrary to the widely held belief that the group is all over Africa, the discussants indicate it i...
The State of Africa’s Indebtedness
July 13, 2023 13:01 - 37 minutesMvemba is joined by David McNair, Executive Director for Global Policy at The ONE Campaign, W. Gyude Moore, Senior Policy Fellow at the Center for Global Development, and Savior Mwambwa, Senior Advisor at Open Society Foundations to discuss the state of indebtedness in Africa. They review the reasons why some African countries are defaulting on debt repayment and why others have chosen to prioritize debt servicing over the provision of public goods. The discussion highlights the systemic inju...
Utah National Guard’s 20-year Partnership with Moroccan Royal Armed Forces
June 29, 2023 13:40 - 29 minutesMvemba is joined by Major General Michael J. Turley, the Adjutant General of the Utah National Guard. Turley discusses the contribution of the Utah National Guard to the execution of United States foreign security assistance at a much-reduced cost and reduced time expenditure, and the participation of the Guard in African Lion, the largest US military exercise in Africa. He further describes the importance of the Utah National Guard’s 20-year partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco, and how n...
Health Workers Need Mental Health Care Too
June 15, 2023 13:00 - 30 minutesMvemba is joined by Rawan Hamadeh, Program Officer for Mental Health Programs at Project HOPE. Rawan highlights Project HOPE’s mental health and resilience initiatives and how the organization has been able to train over 100,000 health workers across the globe, of which 25,000 are from Africa. They discuss the limited mental health resources available to health workers around the world, and how COVID-19 exacerbated these challenges. They dive deeper into the stigma surrounding mental health a...
A Trying Chapter for Africa’s Black Star
June 01, 2023 06:00 - 41 minutesGhana, Africa’s shining black star, is grappling with a spectrum of challenges, from a faltering cedi to public discontent and security threats (both internally and across their borders). Mvemba is joined by Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar (Executive Director of West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism) for a diagnosis of Ghana’s politics, socioeconomic, and security landscape.
A Peek Into the African Land Forces Summit
May 18, 2023 04:00 - 32 minutesMvemba is joined by Major General Todd Wasmund, Commanding General of the Southern Europe Taskforce Africa. They discuss the goals and objectives of the 11th ALFS, Africa's security landscape, and the evolving partnerships between the United States military and African armies.
VP Harris Takes U.S. Promises One Step Further
May 04, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutesMvemba is joined by Maria Burnett (Senior Associate, CSIS Africa Program) and Gyude Moore (Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development). They discuss the slate of high-level U.S. government visits to Africa, culminating with Vice President Kamala Harris, and the impact of these visits on U.S.-Africa relations.
Sudan Conflict: How Did We Get Here?
April 20, 2023 18:02 - 27 minutesMvemba is joined by Cameron Hudson, Senior Associate with the CSIS Africa Program. They unpack the long-term drivers of tensions between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the factors that have triggered the current deadly unrest, and its devastating impact on civilians. They also discuss concerns about the conflict spreading across the region and the fate of Sudan's beleaguered democratic transition and security sector reforms.
The Clerics Forging Peace in the Sahel
April 06, 2023 13:04 - 45 minutesCatherine Nzuki, Associate Fellow with the CSIS Africa Program, steps in for Mvemba this week. Catherine is joined by two Ghanaian clerics: Bishop Alfred Agyenta and Sheikh Dr. Hazic Hussein Zakaria. They discuss insecurity and peacebuilding in the Sahel, the drivers of conflict in Ghana, the power of religious peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue, and the long-term solutions to the crisis in the Sahel. Find out more about the Sahel Peace Initiative: https://www.crs.org/media-center/curren...
Diving Deeper: U.S.-Africa Engagement on Maritime Security
March 22, 2023 19:13 - 33 minutesAfrica’s coastline is over 18,900 miles (30,500 km). With 2023 marking the 10-year anniversary of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct and the first ever African Maritime Forces Summit in Cabo Verde, the time to discuss key threats, threat management frameworks, and strategic partnerships to the African maritime space is critical. This week on Into Africa, Mvemba is joined by Rear Admiral Chase Patrick, Director of the U.S. Naval Forces Maritime Headquarters to Europe-Africa and the U.S. Sixth Fleet ...
Takeaways From Nigeria’s Elections
March 10, 2023 14:36 - 34 minutesMvemba is joined by Amaka Anku, Practice Head for Africa at the Eurasia Group. They offer their initial reactions to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory, discuss the allegations of voter irregularities, and reflect on one of Nigeria's most competitive and consequential elections since the end of military rule in 1999. This episode was recorded on March 02, 2023.
The Summit for Democracy’s World Tour
February 23, 2023 14:41 - 34 minutesWhat’s better than coordinating a two-day virtual conference on pressing challenges to global democracy? Try adding several different time zones! Mvemba is joined by Marti Flacks (Director of the Human Rights Initiative at CSIS), Tiseke Kasambala (Director of Africa Programs at Freedom House) and Kate Hixon (Africa Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA). They discuss the March 2023 Summit for Democracy (which will be co-hosted by the U.S. and Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Republic o...
The Trailblazing Founder of TRACE
February 09, 2023 14:39 - 29 minutesMvemba is joined by Claude Grunitzky, founder of TRACE and TRUE Africa. Mvemba and Claude discuss ways African investors can support Africa's creative future, and the importance of the next generation of young media creators, entrepreneurs, and investors on the continent owning their intellectual property and cultural contributions.
Maintaining Momentum After the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
January 26, 2023 09:27 - 34 minutesWhat happened during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December '22? Mvemba is joined by Aloysius Uche Ordu (Senior Fellow and Director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings) and Kehinde Togun (Managing Director for Public Engagement at Humanity United) for a post-mortem of the summit. They identify areas of success and improvement, the commitments made, and how Washington can maintain momentum in repairing its ties with African states.
Chad At A Crossroads
January 12, 2023 14:05 - 47 minutesMvemba is joined by Succès Masra, a leading Chadian opposition figure and the president of Les Transformateurs, the major opposition party in Chad. They discuss the deadly crackdown on protestors in October 2022, the state of the transition talks, the power of social media for organizing political movements, and Chad’s uncertain future.
What to Watch For In The Upcoming U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit
December 08, 2022 05:00 - 33 minutesMvemba is joined by Dana Banks, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States and Special Advisor for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. With the Summit officially kicking off on December 13, they discuss the challenges and opportunities for strengthening ties between the U.S. and African countries and how to maintain momentum beyond the Summit.
Life in Mali Today: Unpacking Internal and External Actors
November 24, 2022 05:00 - 29 minutesMvemba is joined by Doussouba Konaté, Country Director and Global Program Manager for Accountability Lab Mali, an organization dedicated to shifting societal norms by working with young people to foster new ideas centered around government accountability, transparency, and openness. They discuss the landscape of life in Mali today, touching on several key people, political and policy factors for consideration.
AFRICOM and the Triple Nexus
November 11, 2022 14:45 - 38 minutesMvemba is joined by Ambassador Andrew Young, Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement of U.S. Africa Command. They discuss the three dimensions of the department’s engagement in the region (defense, diplomacy, and development) over the past 14 years and unpack future goals of the strategic operation partnership.
A Conversation with DR Congo’s Minister of Finance
October 27, 2022 14:38 - 34 minutesMvemba is joined by Mr. Nicolas Kazadi, Minister of Finance of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They discuss the Millennium Challenge Corporation, tackling corruption in the mining industry and the public sector, conflict in eastern DRC, and the auction of oil blocks and climate pledges.
Forecasting African Futures
October 13, 2022 13:58 - 32 minutesMvemba is joined by Jakkie Cilliers, Head of African Futures & Innovation at the Institute for Security Studies, a South African think-tank. Jakkie and Mvemba discuss Africa’s potential growth in different global scenarios, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and challenges to intra-continental trade.
H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia
September 29, 2022 04:00 - 51 minutesMvemba is joined by His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The newly elected President came into office for the second time in May 2022 promising a more inclusive government and greater stability. They discuss the challenges his government faces, including countering Al-Shabaab, food scarcity during one of the worst droughts in decades, and a rising cost of living. This episode is a recording from a live event with President Mohamud, held at CSIS...
Survey: Why Turkey Is So Popular in the DRC, And More
September 15, 2022 13:14 - 45 minutesMvemba is joined by Joshua Walker, Director of Programs at the Congo Research Group and Francesca Bomboko, Co-Founder and Director of BERCI, a public opinion research firm based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They unpack the results of CIC and BERCI's new national survey in the DRC. They analyze voter trends, the factors impacting President's Felix Tshisekedi's approval ratings, addressing the gap between civilians and their elected officials, the growth of Turkey as a key and popular p...
Building A Political Career in Kenya
September 01, 2022 04:00 - 31 minutesMvemba is joined by Josphat Kamanya, a Kenyan politician and entrepreneur. Josphat reflects on his run for local government, shares insights into the experiences of young and aspiring politicians, and explores the nature of politics in Kenya.
Addressing Forced Migration in the Horn
August 18, 2022 15:04 - 33 minutesThis week, Mvemba is joined by Mohammed Abdiker, Regional Director for East Africa and the Horn of Africa at the International Organization for Migration. The two delve into migration trends in countries across the Horn, and the economic, political, and environmental factors that continue to exacerbate forced displacement in the region. They unpack various initiatives and conferences aimed at addressing migration trends, both regional and international, and highlight their pitfalls and opport...
Using Digital Tools To Increase Food Resiliency in East Africa
August 04, 2022 14:15 - 34 minutesIn this episode, Mvemba is joined by Caitlin Welsh, the Director of the Global Food Security Program at CSIS, and Melodine Jeptoo, Researcher and Coordinator at PlantVillage. PlantVillage non-profit research unit that uses AI technology, satellite systems, and field work to increase the yield and profits for millions of farmers in East Africa. They discuss the drivers of food insecurity in the region and explore how technology can be leveraged to build resilient food systems in East Africa.
Gold, Gas, and Good Governance
July 21, 2022 13:03 - 31 minutesThis week’s episode, Dr. Zainab Usman joins Mvemba to discuss her new book, "Economic Diversification in Nigeria: The Politics of Building a Post-oil Economy." They re-examine the concept of the resource curse and explore the role of good governance and institutions in wielding natural resources for sustainable and equitable growth.
Sahel Pressure on Littoral States
July 07, 2022 12:46 - 29 minutesIn this edition of Into Africa, Mvemba is joined by Karana Olivier, Côte d'Ivoire Chief of Party for Equal Access International, to discuss the spillover of violent extremism from the Sahel into the littoral states of West Africa— Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The two explore government and armed groups’ shared responsibility for unrest, as well as the effects of porous borders in the region, state fragility, and illicit transnational trade.
Africa Outlook: What To Watch in the Second Half of 2022
June 23, 2022 13:09 - 39 minutesIn this episode, Mvemba is joined by W. Gyude Moore (Center for Global Development) to explore challenges and opportunities for African countries in the latter half of 2022. They have a wide-ranging conversation covering instability in the Sahel, the strength of regional economic communities, bolstering food security on the continent, Russian influence, and more.
Evan Mawarire on #ThisFlag and the Fight for Democracy in Zimbabwe
June 09, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutesIn this edition of Into Africa, Mvemba is joined by Evan Mawarire, a Zimbabwean pastor, activist, and the founder of the #ThisFlag protest movement. They explore the popularity of #ThisFlag in Zimbabwe and youth movements in Africa. Plus, they discuss corruption, poor governance, and the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe. This episode is dedicated to the memory of the late Alex Tawanda Magaisa.
The Digital Future of African Development
May 26, 2022 11:00 - 41 minutesWhat role does Africa's private sector play in the continent's inclusive growth? Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation in Togo, and Lucy Nshuti Mbabazi, Head of Africa Advocacy and Partnerships at The Better Than Cash Alliance, join Mvemba to discuss the rise of digital payments in Africa's spurred by COVID-19 restrictions. This episode explores the opportunities presented by the pandemic, the role of individual financial services, and how to drive the narrative away fro...
Tony Elumelu and Why “Africapitalism” Works
May 12, 2022 13:02 - 29 minutesMvemba is joined by African investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu to discuss the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s work in empowering youth entrepreneurs across the continent. They talk about the philosophy of Africapitalism, how African governments can build robust enabling environments, and the importance of eradicating dependency syndrome.
Shea Butter, Women’s Empowerment, and Fair Trade
April 28, 2022 13:11 - 37 minutesRahama Wright, founder of social enterprise Shea Yeleen, speaks with Mvemba about all things entrepreneurship. They discuss Rahama’s journey from Peace Corps volunteer in Mali to the founder of a growing beauty company that sources key ingredients from the African continent. Rahama describes her philosophy around empowering both shea-producing African women and U.S.-based workers, and sheds light on her identity as a member of the African diaspora.