Full Episode link: https://youtu.be/BlxR5dqm3O4

In this episode, host Anirudh Suri and guest Helen discuss the evolving geopolitical dynamics in Africa, focusing on the continent's rich resources and the new scramble for them by global powers like China, Europe, and America. They explore whether African nations can leverage their resources to move up the value chain and transform their economies, rather than just being a source of raw materials. The conversation also touches on recent political shifts, such as the coup in Niger and France's subsequent search for uranium alternatives, highlighting the growing resource nationalism and its implications.

**Helen Thompson** is an English academic who teaches politics at Cambridge University, where she is a professor of political economy and a fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, where she is also Director of Studies.

She has been working in Cambridge since 1994 and is currently a member of the Department of Politics and International Studies. One of her recent research interests is the aftermath of the 2008 Financial crisis.

00:00 Introduction: The New Scramble for Africa's Resources

00:30 Africa's Historical Context and Missed Opportunities

00:57 Potential for Change: Leveraging Strengths in a Fractured World

01:25 Geopolitical Awareness and Resistance

02:09 Significance of Recent Coups in West Africa

02:46 France's Response and Uranium Deals

03:07 Beyond Resource Nationalism: Creative Economic Strategies

03:36 Economic Transformation Possibilities

Book Links:

#AnirudhSuri:

**The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri:** [amzn.eu/d/1Su38My](http://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My)

#HelenThompson

**Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century**: https://amzn.eu/d/72bIz8J

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