Sierra Leone is often remembered for its brutal civil war and the Ebola crisis. But beneath those defining chapters lies a deeper story, one about youth, power, and the long struggle for dignity.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with award-winning author Marc Sommers about his book We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone. Their conversation explores the historical roots of youth marginalization in Sierra Leone, from the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade to the authority of paramount chiefs and the political economy of exclusion that shaped the pre-war and post-war state.

With nearly two-thirds of Sierra Leone’s population under 25, the country is profoundly young. Yet generations of youth have been expected to wait their turn, often denied economic opportunity, social recognition, and political voice. Sommers explains how young Sierra Leoneans turned to global pop culture, including Bob Marley’s liberation message, Rambo’s defiance of unjust authority, and Tupac Shakur’s reclamation of “thug life,” to assert identity, dignity, and resistance in the face of exclusion.

The discussion also examines post-war democracy, radical inclusive education reforms, unemployment, gangs, and the ongoing question of whether governance can keep pace with a youth-majority nation. It is a timely conversation about power, belonging, and why Sierra Leone’s future depends on whether its youth are truly heard.

Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is often defined by conflict, instability, and one of the world’s longest running wars. But beyond those headlines lies a different story, one about resilience, local innovation, and communities working to build their own future.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Ben Affleck, co-founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, about more than a decade of engagement in the region and what it reveals about development, philanthropy, and advocacy.

Their conversation traces Affleck’s early efforts to understand eastern Congo through direct engagement with communities, civil society, political leaders, and international institutions. What emerged was a central insight. The most effective solutions were not imported from outside, but driven by local organizations that understood the realities on the ground and were already doing impactful work.

The discussion explores the limits of traditional aid models, where funding often remains tied to donor systems, and contrasts them with approaches that invest directly in community based organizations. From health care and clean water to coffee and cocoa cooperatives, Affleck highlights how small, targeted investments can create sustainable economic opportunities when local actors are empowered.

The episode also examines the role of advocacy in shaping U.S. policy, the challenge of building political attention around long running conflicts, and the consequences of declining development assistance. At its core, it is a conversation about agency, humility, and what it takes to translate awareness into meaningful, lasting impact.

Africa is often framed through the lens of aid, but in an era of global competition over critical minerals, infrastructure, and markets, the debate over “trade not aid” misses a larger point.

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Daniele Nyirandutiye, partner at Desmos Capital Partners and former USAID mission director in Uganda, about how development assistance has helped build the regulatory systems, capital markets, and business environments that make trade possible. She argues that commercial diplomacy alone cannot succeed without the technical foundation that development provides.

The conversation explores U.S. competitiveness, small and medium enterprises, fintech innovation, and why investors should look beyond headline sectors to find opportunity across Africa.

A timely discussion on trade, development, and the long-term strategy needed to unlock Africa’s economic potential.

Sanctions have become a default instrument of foreign policy. From Sudan and Zimbabwe to Russia, Cuba, and Iran, they are often the first response to crisis. But do sanctions actually change behavior, or do they simply signal that something has been done?

In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Brad Brooks-Rubin, partner at Arc Torus and former senior advisor in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Sanctions Coordination, to unpack how modern sanctions regimes work and why they so often fall short of their stated goals.

Brooks-Rubin traces the evolution of sanctions from broad countrywide embargoes to targeted measures aimed at individuals, companies, and financial networks. He argues that sanctions are not behavior-change tools but behavior-disruption tools, designed to create leverage for diplomacy. Without a clear policy objective and the political will to target enablers, sanctions risk becoming a substitute for strategy.

The conversation explores case studies from Zimbabwe, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Iran, and Cuba, examining the role of financial systems, conflict minerals, outside enablers, and global power politics. It also addresses a persistent question: when sanctions are lifted, why do economies often fail to rebound?

A candid and wide-ranging discussion on leverage, diplomacy, political will, and the limits of economic pressure in Africa and beyond.

Africa is at the center of global competition, but also at a pivotal moment in its own transformation. In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by Fonteh Akum, Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies, to examine the major trends shaping Africa’s future as the world enters a new year.

Drawing on a continent-wide perspective, Akum outlines what is “blinking on the dashboard”: Africa’s youthful demographics, rapid technological adoption, growing private sector ambition, and intensifying global interest in the continent’s resources, markets, and votes at the United Nations. He explains why opportunity and risk are deeply intertwined, and why conflict, climate change, displacement, and development can no longer be treated as separate challenges.

The conversation explores the gap between youthful aspirations and economic realities, the structural barriers facing small and medium enterprises, the political economy of infrastructure and energy, and the urgent need for accountable governance. Akum also reflects on African agency in resolving conflicts, negotiating global partnerships, and leveraging critical minerals for industrialization rather than extraction.

A wide-ranging and timely discussion on where Africa stands today—and what it will take to turn long-standing potential into durable progress.

Covering Africa is never just about reporting events—it is about history, context, power, and perspective. In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with award-winning journalist and author Michela Wrong, whose reporting and books have shaped global understanding of Africa for more than three decades.

Wrong reflects on her path into Africa reporting, from Reuters postings in West and Central Africa to witnessing the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and documenting the legacies of leaders like Mobutu Sese Seko. She discusses the responsibilities and risks of writing about authoritarian regimes, corruption, and political violence, including the backlash she has faced following her reporting on Rwanda.

The conversation explores who gets to tell Africa’s stories, the dangers of parachute journalism, the evolution of African and Western media coverage, and why rigor, curiosity, and accountability matter more than the identity of the storyteller. A candid discussion on journalism, power, and the enduring struggle over Africa’s narrative.

Coups have shaped African politics since independence, and they are once again at the center of the continent’s political debate. In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by Judd Devermont, former senior director for African affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, to examine why coups continue to resonate with African publics and why they so often fail to deliver lasting change.

Drawing on decades of history, from Mobutu and Rawlings to today’s juntas in the Sahel, Devermont explains why many coups are initially popular, how military rulers frame themselves as corrective forces, and why most end up reproducing the very governance failures they claim to overthrow. The conversation explores the role of conflict, populism, generational divides within the military, and the evolving response of the United States and the international community.

A sobering and timely discussion on democracy, security, and whether Africa can finally escape the long shadow of coup politics.

Across West Africa, millions of people live without stable electricity—especially in regions facing conflict, drought, and state neglect. In this episode, Karana Olivier, founder of KOC Bridges, joins Mvemba Phezo Dizolele to explain how simple, locally built wind turbines are helping communities generate not just energy, but also cooperation, agency, and resilience.

Karana describes his unique approach: enter villages with no predetermined solution, listen to every member of the community, and help them articulate their own vision for the future. Through this process, groups that rarely speak to one another: farmers, pastoralists, youth, women – end up working side by side to build wind turbines using recycled materials sourced from local markets.

These turbines provide power for charging batteries, lighting classrooms, and supporting economic activity. But just as importantly, they create spaces for dialogue, reduce opportunities for extremist recruitment, and help communities take ownership of their development. From Darfur to Côte d'Ivoire to northern Ghana, Karana’s work shows how energy access can become a catalyst for peace.

Africa’s rapid entry into the digital age brings unprecedented opportunity—and unprecedented risk. Digital futurist and AI thought leader Nicky Verd joins Mvemba Phezo Dizolele to discuss the continent’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities, the rise of AI-driven scams, and why digital ignorance may be one of Africa’s most dangerous threats.

Verd explains how cybercriminals exploit gaps in awareness, how AI is making deception easier than ever, and why Africa must prioritize cybersecurity and AI literacy—from classrooms to boardrooms. She also examines the uneven pace of national AI strategies across African countries, the need for continental cooperation, and why Africa’s youthful population and abundance of natural resources position it to compete globally—if governments can adopt flexible, forward-looking policies.

A clear-eyed look at the digital challenges shaping Africa’s present—and the AI-powered future it must prepare for.

For more than 50 years, Melvin Foote has been one of the most influential advocates shaping U.S.–Africa policy. From his early Peace Corps service in Ethiopia and Eritrea to founding the Constituency for Africa, Foote helped mobilize support for AGOA, advance anti-apartheid activism, and build crucial bridges between African Americans, African immigrants, and U.S. policymakers.

In this conversation with Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Foote reflects on the evolution of Africa advocacy: its early champions, major milestones, and the decline of the Black-led organizations that once drove the agenda. He explains how funding dried up, why political influence shifted, and what the next generation will need to rebuild a credible, coordinated pro-Africa movement.

A candid look at the past, present, and future of Africa advocacy in Washington.