For this Talking Africa programme Desmond Davies speak to Ms Comfort Lamptey, the Regional Adviser on Governance, Peace and Security in the Regional Office for West and Central Africa, UN Women. The interview discusses the status of women peace and security in West Africa region. In particular, the discussion focuses on various challenges and opportunities on women participation in political and socio-economic processes in the region.

In August 2017 Kenya heads to the polls to elect the president, legislators and county representatives. Polls in Kenya have had history of violence with the worst being in 2007 where over one thousand people were killed and over three hundred thousand people were internally displaced in the country. In the August polls, President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to seek re-election against an opposition coalition led by various leaders including Raila Odinga. For this Talking Africa programme Desmond Davies speak to Ms. Gladwell Otieno, the Executive Director of Africa Centre for Open Governance (AFRICOG) to discuss the prospects of peace and the role of the civil society.

In this Discussion Programme Alfred Muteru talks Youth Leaders from various states in Africa where they share their perspectives on transitional justice in Africa as well as their perspectives on the recent move by African States to withdrawal from the ICC. In the programme also, Alfred also engages the youth on their role in Social movements in Africa.

Desmond Davis discuses on various issues related to reporting on conflict and violence in East Africa with Tracy Ahumuza an editor with the New Vision newspaper in Uganda, Anne Kiruku a reporter with East African News Agency and Dr. Pinki Megwe the Executive Director of Internationalisation at University of Johannesburg.

Desmond Davies talks to Retired Major General Idris 26th Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy on the relevance of Professional Military Education in Nigeria. Image: Flickr/Joanna Desmond

This is panel discussion chaired by: Professor Maria Schoeman: Professor and Head of Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria. The discussants were

Comfort Ero, Africa Programme Director, International Crisis Group

Professor Cheryl Hendricks, Head of department of Politics and International Relations, University of Johannesburg

Funmi Olonisakin, Founding Director, African Leadership Centre; Director, Security Leadership and Society Programme, King’s College, London; Member, UN Advisory Group of Experts on the Review of UN Peacebuilding Architecture