The Inside Story Podcast

The European Union has unveiled a global infrastructure plan called the Global Gateway strategy. It's seen as an attempt to rival China's Belt and Road Initiative with the goal of investing in developing countries and boosting trade links worldwide. But can the bloc compete with Beijing?

Join host Halla Mohieddeen.

With guests:

Zainab Usman - Director, Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Luisa Santos - Deputy Director General at BusinessEurope.

Victor Gao - Vice-President of the Center for China and Globalization.

Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are joining forces to fight one of the most lethal armed groups in eastern Congo – The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). But will a military solution resolve the conflict? And can the ADF be defeated? 

Join host Halla Mohieddeen. 

With guests:

Godber Tumushabe - Associate Director, Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies.

Nelleke van de Walle - Project Director for the Great Lakes Region, International Crisis Group.

David Otto - Counter-terrorism expert.

At the annual Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to continue funding development across Africa despite criticism that Beijing is saddling the continent with unsustainable debt. So, what is China's role in Africa's development? 

Join host Sohail Rahman.

With guests:

Hassan Khannenje – Director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Antony Goldman – Head of Promedia Consulting.

Andy Mok – Senior Research Fellow, Center for China and Globalization.

Countries are closing their borders and imposing travel restrictions in a race to contain the new Omicron Covid-19 variant. While little is known about it, there are fears it may be highly infectious and more resistant to vaccines. So, are governments prepared to deal with an ever-changing virus?

Join host Dareen Abughaida.

With guests:

Dr. Deepti Gurdasani - Senior Lecturer, Queen Mary University of London. 

Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma - Deputy Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Michael Jacobs - Professor of Political Economy, University of Sheffield.

Britain and France are blaming each other for the deaths of at least 27 people who drowned in the English Channel. It's the worst disaster in the waters since the UN began collecting data in 2014. So, what will it take to stop such a tragedy happening again?

Joint host Hashem Ahelbarra. 

With guests:

Jacques Reland - Senior research fellow at the World Policy Institute.

Maya Konforti - Secretary General of the Calais charity L'Auberge Des Migrants.

Sarah Overton - Researcher at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank.

Hundreds of volunteers are being enlisted to help Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ethiopia's conflict as he vows to lead his troops to the battlefront. International and regional leaders are calling for a ceasefire to allow for a political solution, but is it possible? 

Join host Hashem Ahelbarra.

With guests:

Zadig Abraha - Ethiopia's Minister for Democratization.

Martin Plaut - Fellow at University of London's Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

Gebrekirstos Gebreselassie - Researcher.

US President Joe Biden has ordered 50 million barrels of oil to be released from the country's strategic reserve in order to ease energy costs. His critics say it's a temporary fix. So, will it make it a difference?

Join host Rob Matheson.

With guests:

Abhi Rajendran - Research Director of Energy Intelligence.

Cornelia Meyer - Energy Analyst and CEO of Meyer Resource.

Henning Gloystein - Director of Energy, Climate and Resources at Eurasia Group.

Days of protests on the French island of Guadeloupe over COVID-19 restrictions have turned violent – a situation described as "explosive" by President Emmanuel Macron. So, what are the rules and why are so many people resisting? 

Join host Rob Matheson.

With guests:

Clemence Apetogbor - Journalist.

Jean-Yves Bonnaire - President of Contact Enterprises.

Stephanie Melyon-Reinette - Sociologist.

Under a new signed deal, Sudan's military has reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was ousted following last month's coup. But the agreement has been rejected by angry protesters. So, what's the deal and will it hold?

Join host Rob Matheson.

With guests:

Kholood Khair - Managing Partner at Insight Strategy Partners.

Ahmed El-Gaili - Sudanese Lawyer and Legal Commentator.

Waleed Madibo - Founder & President of Sudan Policy Forum.

In Abuja on Friday, Antony Blinken gave a major policy speech on his country's approach towards Africa. In it, the U.S. Secretary of State made no mention of China - the continent's largest trading partner. Attempting to signal a shift from the Trump era, he promised "different and better engagement". So what exactly is the Biden administration's policy towards Africa?

Join host Hashem Ahelbarra.

With guests:

Macharia Munene - Research Associate Fellow at the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies.

William Lawrence - Professor at the School of International Service at the American University.

Ali Muhammad Ali - Editor-In-Chief of Nigeria's Peoples Daily newspaper.