Into Africa

What’s better than coordinating a two-day virtual conference on pressing challenges to global democracy? Try adding several different time zones! Mvemba is joined by Marti Flacks (Director of the Human Rights Initiative at CSIS), Tiseke Kasambala (Director of Africa Programs at Freedom House) and Kate Hixon (Africa Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA). They discuss the March 2023 Summit for Democracy (which will be co-hosted by the U.S. and Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, and Republic of Zambia), the state of democracy and human rights in African countries, disconnects between civil society and governments ahead of key elections taking place in Africa in 2023, and the lingering impacts of the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit.

Mvemba is joined by Claude Grunitzky, founder of TRACE and TRUE Africa. Mvemba and Claude discuss ways African investors can support Africa's creative future, and the importance of the next generation of young media creators, entrepreneurs, and investors on the continent owning their intellectual property and cultural contributions.

What happened during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December '22? Mvemba is joined by Aloysius Uche Ordu (Senior Fellow and Director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings) and Kehinde Togun (Managing Director for Public Engagement at Humanity United) for a post-mortem of the summit. They identify areas of success and improvement, the commitments made, and how Washington can maintain momentum in repairing its ties with African states.

Mvemba is joined by Succès Masra, a leading Chadian opposition figure and the president of Les Transformateurs, the major opposition party in Chad. They discuss the deadly crackdown on protestors in October 2022, the state of the transition talks, the power of social media for organizing political movements, and Chad’s uncertain future.

Mvemba is joined by Dana Banks, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States and Special Advisor for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. With the Summit officially kicking off on December 13, they discuss the challenges and opportunities for strengthening ties between the U.S. and African countries and how to maintain momentum beyond the Summit.

Mvemba is joined by Doussouba Konaté, Country Director and Global Program Manager for Accountability Lab Mali, an organization dedicated to shifting societal norms by working with young people to foster new ideas centered around government accountability, transparency, and openness. They discuss the landscape of life in Mali today, touching on several key people, political and policy factors for consideration.

Mvemba is joined by Ambassador Andrew Young, Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement of U.S. Africa Command. They discuss the three dimensions of the department’s engagement in the region (defense, diplomacy, and development) over the past 14 years and unpack future goals of the strategic operation partnership.

Mvemba is joined by Mr. Nicolas Kazadi, Minister of Finance of the Democratic Republic of Congo.They discuss the Millennium Challenge Corporation, tackling corruption in the mining industry and the public sector, conflict in eastern DRC, and the auction of oil blocks and climate pledges.

Mvemba is joined by Jakkie Cilliers, Head of African Futures & Innovation at the Institute for Security Studies, a South African think-tank. Jakkie and Mvemba discuss Africa’s potential growth in different global scenarios, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and challenges to intra-continental trade.

Mvemba is joined by His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The newly elected President came into office for the second time in May 2022 promising a more inclusive government and greater stability. They discuss the challenges his government faces, including countering Al-Shabaab, food scarcity during one of the worst droughts in decades, and a rising cost of living. This episode is a recording from a live event with President Mohamud, held at CSIS on September 16, 2022.