Martin Plaut on ending conflict in Africa

In this episode of the Solutions With David Ansara podcast, I speak with broadcaster, journalist and researcher, Martin Plaut, about ending conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Martin is a well-known commentator on African affairs, having served as an Africa correspondent for the BBC for many years. A large chunk of my adolescence and young adulthood was spent watching Martin's dispatches from the frontlines of wars or political upheavals in various far-flung parts of the continent, so I have long admired his journalism. 

Martin and I start the conversation by examining the recent spate of coups d'état (or attempted coups) in Africa, including Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea-Bissau. Could citizens of these countries be losing faith in democracy or civilian government, I ask?

Martin also has a deep knowledge of the Horn of Africa, and we spend some time examining the unfolding civil war in Ethiopia. We also interrogate why the system of ethnic federalism that was in place since the 1990s failed to resolve the country's many ethnic tensions. 

Throughout the discussion, Martin and I speak about the impact of colonialism on Africa, but he also stresses that any understanding of Africa's contemporary problems also requires coming to terms with the continent's pre-colonial period. 

Martin says that he is never happier than when he has "the dust of Africa between his toes and in his hair." His passion for Africa is unmistakable, and our conversation is as rich and diverse as the continent itself.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:04) Martin Plaut on recent coups d'état in Africa

(06:20) Martin Plaut on instability in West Africa

(08:42) Martin Plaut on France as a regional power

(12:31) Martin Plaut on the civil war in Ethiopia

(17:23) Martin Plaut on ethnicity and kinship

(20:56) Martin Plaut on pre-colonial Africa

(27:22) Martin Plaut on the origins of conflict in Africa

(31:28) Martin Plaut on democracy in South Africa

(35:48) Martin Plaut on why he loves Africa

(38:37) Martin Plaut on the politics of Kenya

(41:37) Martin Plaut on overcoming Africa's problems

(47:39) Conclusion

RESOURCES

Visit Martin Plaut's website: https://martinplaut.com/

Follow Martin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinplaut