Into Africa

How can podcasts about Africa help counter outdated perceptions of the continent? Podcast hosts Judd Devermont (CSIS, Into Africa), Kim Yi Dionne (University of California, Riverside; Uhafamu Africa), Rachel Beatty Reidl (Northwestern University, Uhafamu Africa), Andile Masuku (African Tech Round-Up), and Travis Adkins (On Africa) join forces for this must-listen crossover episode. They talk the art of podcasting, Malawi's upcoming elections, and Jumia's IPO.

Africa’s future is urban. The continent will become 50 percent urban by 2030 and its urban population will double by 2050, yet policymakers have not revised their programmatic approach. In this recording from their 2019 Global Development Forum session, Judd Devermont (CSIS), Jefferson T. Koijee (Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia), Emilio Ciarlo (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation), Dana Omran (100 Resilient Cities), and Somik Lall (World Bank) share how the continent can configure its urban areas to unlock their potential.

How do we build roads to the future? Former Liberian Minister of Public Works Gyude Moore (Center for Global Development) explains how cutting-edge technology can revolutionize Africa’s basic infrastructure challenges. Judd Devermont (CSIS), Diane McMahon (Bechtel Corporation), and Joel Wiegert (Nexant) weigh in on Moore’s vision, Uganda-Rwanda tensions, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

A trade war has escalated between the U.S. and China, and African economies are caught in the crossfire. On this episode, Bill Reinsch (CSIS), Catherine Chiang (CSIS), and Julius Agbor (Vanguard University of Southern California) join Judd Devermont (CSIS) to unpack how tariff tensions are impacting African economic growth and what it means for U.S.-Africa relations. The experts also assess the international response to Cameroon’s protracted conflict and the China-Kenya tiff over tilapia.

U.S. intelligence analysts, as well as academics and political risk consultants, struggle to anticipate and assess leadership transitions in sub-Saharan Africa. Judd Devermont (CSIS), Jeffrey Herbst (American Jewish University), Mike Noll (The George Washington University), and Amaka Anku (Eurasia Group) discuss why leadership analysis is so vexing, identify common pitfalls, and recommend critical thinking tools and techniques to sharpen analytic judgments. Examinations of South Africa’s recent corruption scandals and Côte d'Ivoire’s new political dynamic open the episode.

Gulf states are making moves on the continent, adding another layer to Africa's increasingly crowded and complex political landscape. Zach Vertin (Brookings Doha Center), Raechel Haecker (former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Africa), and Godfrey Musila (expert on international law and security) join Judd Devermont (CSIS) to unpack emerging Gulf-Africa dynamics. The podcast kicks off with close-ups on South Sudan's peace prospects and Gabon's ailing president.

Human rights violations persist across Africa. How can the global community engage national governments to reverse this trend? Judd Devermont (CSIS) puts the question to experts Carine Kaneza Nantulya (Human Rights Watch), Amy Lehr (CSIS), and Chidi Odinkalu (The Open Society Justice Initiative). Protests in Zimbabwe and Senegalese elections also feature on this episode.

A new generation of African protesters are using technology and innovation to call out injustices. Judd Devermont (CSIS), Mvemba Phezo Dizolele (Johns Hopkins University), Zachariah Mampilly (Vassar College), and former Ambassador Bisa Williams (independent observer via The Carter Center) weigh in on the resiliency of today's anti-regime movements. Analyses of the DRC elections and unrest in Sudan cue up this discussion.

Big data is unlocking Africa’s complex problems. Olúseun Onígbińdé (BudgIT), Ariel Ben Yishay (AidData), and Hilary Matfess (Yale) share how data helps hold leaders to account, track foreign spending, and assess security threats. With Judd Devermont (CSIS) moderating, the panel also checks in on Nigeria ahead of its presidential election and on the rising insurgent threat in Mozambique.

Journalism remains a vital but dangerous profession in sub-Saharan Africa. Rodney Sieh (FrontPage Africa), Jon Temin (Freedom House) and Siobhan O’Grady (Washington Post) join Judd Devermont (CSIS) to discuss Rodney's recent book, Journalist on Trial, and unpack challenges facing the continent’s media. But first, checkups for South African foreign policy and Gambian democracy.