Africa Aware

On this special episode of Africa Aware, Yusuf speaks to H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS)

His Excellency explores the future of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), outlines the potential long-term impacts of climate change on peace and security, and discusses the role of the African Union in facilitating greater security, integration and cooperation among its member states.

The flow of migrants, from East and West Africa to Libya is on a scale much smaller than before, but is increasingly linked to violence along the conflict supply chain of human smuggling and trafficking. While the conditions for migrants in Libya is better documented, migration flows also play a key role in transit hubs like Agadez, Niger.

In this episode of Africa Aware, Peter Tinti outlines the state of human smuggling and trafficking in Niger, international responses to these practices and the violence and harms caused by these now-illicit practices.

This podcast was produced with support from the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) project, funded by UK Aid from the UK government.

The war in northern Ethiopia since November 2020 and subsequent conquest of disputed farmlands in Al-Fashaga by the Sudanese army on the Ethiopia-Sudan border, has brought into focus the importance of agricultural commodities such as sesame as a potential driver of land contestation and conflict. In this episode of Africa Aware, Ahmed Soliman and Abel Abate Demissie discuss the interrelation of commodity and conflict supply chains, land contestation, and boundary disputes in the Horn of Africa, with particular focus on the regions of Wolkait/Western Tigray in northwest Ethiopia and Al Fashaga in eastern Sudan. This podcast was produced with support from the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) project, funded by UK Aid from the UK government

African countries face collective climate and job creation-related challenges. Yet policymaking often remains regionally siloed according to differing political, energy sector and ecological realities. This podcast reflects on the key policy messages from the Africa Programme's series on Towards just transition: Connecting green financing and sustainable job creation in Africa.

This output is part of a stream of work supported by the Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Listen to the second episode of #NigeriaDecides, a special mini-series focused on upcoming elections in Nigeria.

Nigeria's Electoral Act, enacted in February 2022, has contributed to improved hope around the election process: reflected in the addition of 12.29 million new voters in Nigeria's voter registration exercise – 9.51 million of which were then validated, bringing the total number of registered voters to more than 93 million.

We are joined on the episode by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who discussed INEC's preparation ahead of the election, the implementation of technology and how electoral security – both physical and cyber – has been prioritized amidst a challenging period for the country.

Listen to the first episode of #NigeriaDecides, a special mini-series focused on upcoming elections in Nigeria.

Nigeria stands at a critical juncture, having suffered from two recessions in the past six years, unprecedented levels of physical and food insecurity, persistent fuel scarcity and high levels of crude oil theft. Civic fatigue also remains a critical challenge.

We are joined on the episode by Dr Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo and Dr Leena Koni Hoffmann, who shared key insights on these elections, including the prospects for inclusivity and on how the implementation of technology has changed the electoral process.

This episode of Africa Aware discusses the current state of the Commonwealth and the relevance of language-based intergovernmental organizations to African states as they seek to diversify their international relations.

We are joined on the episode by HE Professor Robert Dussey, Foreign Minister of the Togolese Republic, and HE Michael Moussa-Adamo, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Gabon, who outline the reasons why both their countries with colonial ties to France joined the Commonwealth in October 2022, and how they seek to contribute to the development of the organisation.

On this special episode of Africa Aware, Yusuf speaks to H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda, the former President of the Republic of Malawi [2012 – 2014].

Her Excellency explores the current state of democracy in Africa, outlines what must be done to support the development of female leadership on the continent, and the important role African leaders must play on a global level.

This episode of Africa Aware discusses the current drought in the Horn of Africa, where the worst drought in 40 years is affecting more than 20 million people across several countries.

Abdirahman Abdishakur, Special Presidential Envoy for Drought Response for the Federal Republic of Somalia, outlined the Somali government's planning to prevent famine. Parvin Ngala, Regional Director at Oxfam International, highlighted international efforts to respond to the drought, the importance of empowering civil society in these circumstances, and what long term mitigation measures are necessary to avoid a return to this situation.

On this special episode of Africa Aware, Yusuf speaks to H.E. Joaquim Chissano, the former President of the Republic of Mozambique and the 2006 winner of the Chatham House Prize.

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Rome General Peace Accords, signed on 4 October 1992, which brought the Mozambican civil war, President Chissano discussed the lessons from that peace process and the 2019 Maputo Accords that brought an end to intermittent targeted armed violence that resumed in 2013. Based on these experiences, and his time as a special envoy on behalf of the United Nations and African Union, President Chissano offered his insights on Mozambique's global role as the country prepares to sit on the UN Security Council in 2023.