In this edition of Straight Talk Africa, 2024 has been labeled as a “super election year,” 64 countries worldwide are holding local or presidential elections, including 16 countries in Africa and the United States. Host Haydé Adams is joined by VOA’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman, VOA Nairobi bureau chief and regional correspondent Mariama Diallo and the director for South and East Africa for the Accountability Lab McDonald Lewanika.

This episode of Straight Talk Africa discusses the cost-of-living crisis that Nigerians are facing. Host Haydé Adams is joined by the chief of VOA Hausa Service Aliyu Mustapha, the editor of The Africa Center Temi Ibirogba and the practice head for Africa at the Eurasia Group Amaka Anku.

This episode of Straight Talk Africa investigates the escalating violence in Haiti where gangs have taken control of the country displacing thousands. The international community is trying to find ways to de-escalate the crisis and provide humanitarian assistance. Host Haydé Adams

Is joined by U.S. State Department bureau chief Nike Ching, former U.S. special envoy for Haiti Ambassador Daniel Foote, and lawyer and partner at the Adomi Advisory Group Johanna Leblanc.

In this edition of Straight Talk Africa we celebrate International Women’s Day with an exclusive interview with the executive director for Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, Winnie Byanyima. Also, VOA Africa reporter Anastasie Tudieshe takes us to the International Women of Courage Awards here in Washington, where the U.S. State Department recognized more than 190 women from 90 countries, and we get to meet a few of the African women recognized for their contributions.

This edition Straight Talk Africa looks into the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion in the Ukraine. It examines Moscow’s disinformation campaigns and sources of funding in African gold mines. Host Haydé Adams is joined by correspondent of the VOA Russia Service Danila Galperovich, analyst and co-author of the Blood Gold Report Jessica Berlin and African governance analyst Steven Nabieu Rogers.

This edition of Straight Talk Africa looks at the 37th Summit of the African Union that gathered regional and world leaders in Ethiopia at a time where West Africa has experienced multiple coups and growing instability. Host Haydé Adams is joined by VOA Africa reporter Ignatius Annor, professor of political science at City University of New York David Monda and senior fellow at the Center for Policy Research of the United Nation University Chido Mutangadura.

In this edition of Straight Talk Africa, host Haydé Adams discusses the recent clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between the Congolese army and M23 rebels that has propelled thousands of people to flee their towns and villages near Goma. She is joined by VOA Africa reporter Anasthasie Tudieshe, the executive director of CongoToday, Jean Paul Ruhosa and independent analyst Patrick B. Sabineza.

This edition of Straight Talk Africa is focusing on two major developments in West and Southern Africa. In Senegal President Macky Sall announced the indefinite postponement of the presidential elections. And in Namibia, Nangolo Mbumba, who took over as president after Hage Geingob’s sudden death, says he is not going to run in this year's elections. To discuss the changing dynamics in those countries host Haydé Adams is joined by political analyst Rene Lake and senior party member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) of Namibia Ben Mulongeni.

On this edition of Straight Talk Africa, host Haydé Adams and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, discuss the foreign policy of the United States toward Africa, the interim ruling of the International Court of Justice genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel, the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and more. Also, Rama Yade, senior director for Africa at the Atlantic Council, talks about U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s most recent trip to the continent. Blinken says that the United States is committed to growing its partnerships across Africa and sees African countries “leading on issues of global consequence.”

Landlocked Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, an internationally unrecognized region in the Horn of Africa that is only recognized as part of Somalia. Many fear that Ethiopia's deal with Somaliland might destabilize the Horn of Africa. To discuss this issue host Haydé Adams is joined by senior editor of VOA Somali Harun Maruf, PHD fellow at the Center for Constitutional Democracy at Indiana University Alemayehu Fentaw Weldemariam and legal expert Guleid Ahmed Jama, who is joining from Hargeisa in Somaliland.