Africa Aware Chatham House

As the devastating war in Sudan nears the one-year mark, it remains fuelled by transnational military business networks, and one such sector funding the military activities in Sudan’s gold sector.
In this episode, Ahmed Soliman discusses his upcoming research on the Sudan conflict and its link to the gold sector – from how gold has evolved as a ‘conflict good,’ its connection to the current war and transnational dynamics. Dr Suliman Baldo (Executive Director, Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker) gives an overview of key political shifts in Sudan’s history that have facilitated links with the country’s gold sector. Denise Sprimont-Vasquez joins the podcast to discuss the economic activities and the illicit networks of conflict actors that are fuelling the ongoing war in Sudan.
This episode was produced with support from the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy, and Trends (XCEPT) research programme, funded by UK International Development.
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Tim Eaton and Leah de Haan (Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme) discuss their research on the transnational links between the movement of people and armed conflict – from Edo State in Nigeria, through Niger, to Libya.
This episode was produced with support from the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy, and Trends (XCEPT) research programme, funded by UK International Development.
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Read our research:
Stability at what cost? Smuggling-driven development in the Libyan city of Kufra
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Partial reforms in Tanzania’s political and socio-economic environment have been widely lauded since President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s sudden rise to office in March 2021, but progress towards the reconciliation and repair of Tanzania’s democratic system remains incomplete. Criticisms over the limits of the current reform process are increasingly coalescing around demands for a new Tanzanian constitution, with the current framework – and the ruling CCM party – in place since independence despite the shift to multipartyism in 1992.
On this episode of Africa Aware, the Rt Hon Freeman Mbowe, leader of Tanzania’s largest opposition party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), reflects on his country’s political outlook. Mbowe shares his insights on CHADEMA’s push for a new constitution, the party’s balance of ideology with electability and Tanzania’s position within broader regional blocs in Eastern and Southern Africa.

As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prepares for its upcoming elections, the nation stands at a critical juncture in its democratic trajectory. Against a backdrop of historical challenges and persistent political complexities, the forthcoming elections are of paramount importance to the future of the country and its democratic aspirations.
On this episode of Africa Aware, Martin Fayulu, opposition leader and former DRC presidential candidate, outlines the current obstacles to free and fair elections in the country, the impact of the security crisis facing eastern parts of the nation, and his vision for the role the DRC can play continentally.  

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has historically had a strong record of regional norm-setting on governance and democracy. Yet ECOWAS now faces significant challenges in how to reorient its role and credibility amid a rise in military and 'constitutional' coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and most recently in Niger.
On this episode of Africa Aware, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, discusses the regional bloc’s immediate response to the coup in Niger, and outlines the organization's strategic vision for tackling the complex peace and security challenges in the Sahel and West Africa.

Countries in the Horn of Africa face several interlinked challenges to their stability, including conflict, resource contestation and cross-border divisions. These complex issues are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and the competing interests of external actors.
On this episode of Africa Aware, the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), H.E. Dr Workneh Gebeyehu highlights efforts by the regional body to improve stability and further integration. Dr Workneh provides his insights into reforms within IGAD, following the adoption of a new treaty by the regional bloc, and IGAD-African Union efforts to bring an end to the war in Sudan.