Into Africa - CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

Latest Episodes:

Exploring the Digital Currency Frontier Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital currency and mobile money platforms in Africa. How can innovations in FinTech lower the barriers to vital remittance flows? Judd Devermont is joined by Yomi Kazeem (Quartz Africa), Alexis Akwagyiram (Reuters), and Deepali Fernandes (IOM) to discuss the tug-of-war between innovation and regulation, high-tech solutions to expanding internet access across the continent, and the Trump Administration's opposition to the first African and first female Director-General of the WTO.

Background Readings:

The Trump White House is the last obstacle to a first African leader of the WTO – Yomi Kazeem
The WTO DG Race: What Happens Now? – William Alan Reinsch
Google is working on delivering super-fast internet in Africa with experimental light beams – Yomi Kazeem
The Train is Leaving the Station: The Future of Digital Currency in Sub-Saharan Africa – Judd Devermont & Topaz Mukulu
Regulators in Africa's big economies are scrambling to get on top of a spike in cryptocurrency trade – Yomi Kazeem
How Bitcoin met the real world in Africa – Alexis Akwagyiram

Africa Reacts to the U.S. Elections Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

The long-awaited results of the United States presidential election will shape the future of American democracy and U.S.-Africa policy for years to come. Are there lessons from sub-Saharan Africa that the U.S. should consider as it reflects on its electoral process? Udo Jude Ilo (Open Society Initiative for West Africa), Maria Sarungi Tsehai (#ChangeTanzania), and Jason Stearns (Congo Research Group) join Judd Devermont to discuss the elections, the future of Nigeria's #EndSARS movement, DRC's tumultuous leadership struggle, and the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Background Materials:

Race and Diplomacy: How does BLM resonate in Africa? – CSIS

Africa Reacts to the U.S. Presidential Election – CSIS

Nigeria: Learning from #EndSARS - A New U.S. Policy Toward Nigeria – Judd Devermont and Matthew T. Page

A New Direction for U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa – Jason Stearns and Zachariah Mampilly

A New U.S. Policy Framework for the African Century – Judd Devermont

If You Build It, They Will Come Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

The elderly and those living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are two populations growing faster in sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere in the world. What challenges do these vulnerable groups face in the wake of Covid-19 and what opportunities exist for increased private sector engagement? Judd Devermont sits down with Rumbi Chakamba (Journalist), Nik Pereira (Africa Healthcare Network), and Nina Prieur (Prosper Africa) to explore U.S. investment in specialized care, Senegal's exemplary pandemic response, and a massive oil spill in Mauritius.

Background Reading:

How Senegal has set the standard on COVID-19 – Rumbi Chakamba
Senegal's quiet COVID success – Deidre Shesgreen
The Covid-19 Global Response Index – Foreign Policy
The Strategic Significance of Africa’s Smallest Democracies – Judd Devermont
A Wake-up Call: What Covid-19 Reveals about Elderly and NCD Care in Sub-Saharan Africa – Judd Devermont and Marielle Harris
Sisters care for home-based patients and the terminally ill in Botswana – Rumbi Chakamba

Virtues of Virtual Election Monitoring Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

When it comes to election observation, there’s often one rule for the West and another for everybody else. But with a wave of democratic backsliding occurring around the world, now may be the time to disrupt the status quo and reimagine election observation missions. In our eighth episode with African Arguments, Ansbert Ngurumo (Journalist), Nic Cheeseman (University of Birmingham), and Jessica Moody (King’s College London) join Judd Devermont to discuss shifting electoral processes, election safety, and democracy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Guests also unpack the mounting suppression facing opposition parties and assess how this will affect upcoming presidential elections in Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire.

Background Readings:

Magafuli: An Epitome of Cowardice – Ansbert Ngurumo
How to Rig an Election – Nic Cheeseman and Brian Klaas
Ouattara's out, but whoever wins in Cote d'Ivoire, many won't be happy – Jessica Moody (African Arguments)
How to hold elections safely and uphold democracy during Covid-19 – Nic Cheeseman (The Conversation)
Africa Reacts to the First Presidential Debate and Trump’s Case of Covid-19 – CSIS

A Zombie-Free Recovery of Africa's Energy Sector Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Energy development is at the heart of an inclusive African recovery from Covid-19, but how can we supercharge the region's power sector? Todd Moss (Energy for Growth Hub), Rose Mutiso (Energy for Growth Hub; Mawazo Institute), and Kate Steel (Nithio) join host Judd Devermont to discuss the future of Africa's energy sector, South Africa's struggling diplomacy in Zimbabwe, and key challenges facing African think tanks.

Background Readings:

A post Covid agenda for a 'zombie-free' recovery of Africa's power markets - Rose Mutiso and Todd Moss
Pilot Database: Understanding the RACE metric - Jacob Kincer and Todd Moss
Ted Talk: How to bring affordable, sustainable electricity to Africa - Rose Mutiso
The crisis of African think tanks: Challenges and solutions - Brookings Institution
About the Mazawo Institute - Mawazo.org

Upcoming:

Rose Mutiso's Ted Talk on climate justice and energy (Live on 10/10/2020)

How the Gulf, India, and Japan Think about Africa Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Diplomatic engagement is at an all-time high across Africa. How can multilateral cooperation effectively address challenges such as Covid-19 and regional security? Judd Devermont is joined by Payton Knopf (USIP), Nilanthi Samaranayake (CNA), and Housam Darwisheh (Institute of Developing Economies) to discuss India, Japan, and the Gulf's approach to the continent, the current state of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the dispute over the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.

Background Readings:

A Strategic Framework to Improve Coronavirus Response in Africa - Judd Devermont and Nilanthi Samaranayake
How a Tiny Indian Ocean Island Could Force a US-UK Rift - Nilanthi Samaranayake
What’s Ahead for the Horn of Africa in 2020 - Payton Knopf

How Beijing Courts African Partners Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

China's footprint in Africa extends beyond infrastructure projects and financing. How significant are the relationships spun between Chinese elites and their African counterparts? In our eighth episode with African Arguments, Shinovene Immanuel (The Namibian), Lina Benabdallah (CSIS), and John Culver (Former National Intelligence Officer) join host Judd Devermont for a conversation on Chinese engagement with Africans. Guests also discuss Namibia's fishrot corruption scandal and politics in Algeria.

Background Readings:

Why Mali Needs a New Peace Deal - Judd Devermont and Marielle Harris
Under the Radar: Summer Edition - Judd Devermont and Ryan Cummings
The Spoils of the Fishrot (Part 1) - Shinovene Immanuel and Tutaleni Pinehas
Swapo's 'golden children' - Shinovene Immanuel
Shaping the Future of Power - Lina Benabdallah
China loans Africa much less than you think - Lina Benabdallah (African Arguments)

Confronting the History of U.S.-Africa Policy Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

The last 70 years of U.S.-Africa policy is underscored by a bipartisan legacy of continuity. How can it evolve to meet new challenges and realities? Ambassador Hank Cohen (Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs), Dr. Elizabeth Schmidt (Loyola University Maryland), and Dr. Adebayo Oyebade (Tennessee State University) join Judd Devermont for a lively discussion on the past, present, and future of U.S. policy toward Africa. Guests also discuss the implications of President Ouattara's candidacy for a third term in Côte d'Ivoire and Nashville's historic African diaspora.

Background Reading:

Under the Radar: Summer Edition - Judd Devermont and Ryan Cummings
Foreign Intervention in Africa: From the Cold War to the War on Terror - Elizabeth Schmidt
Foreign Intervention in Africa after the Cold War: Sovereignty, Responsibility, and the War on Terror - Elizabeth Schmidt
US Foreign Policy in Africa and the 21st Century - Adebayo Oyebade
US Policy Toward Africa: 8 Decades of Realpolitik - Hank Cohen
A New U.S. Policy Framework for the African Century - Judd Devermont

La Françafrique n'est pas morte Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

France has complicated and often contentious relations with Francophone Africa. What is Françafrique and how has it evolved in recent years? Judd Devermont is joined by Rahmane Idrissa (African Studies Center in Leiden), Ambassador Jeff Hawkins (Former U.S. Ambassador to CAR), and Marielle Harris (CSIS) to discuss Françafrique's prominence in the region, Mali's worsening political crisis, and the Central African Republic’s upcoming presidential elections.

Background Reading:

Why Mali Needs a New Peace Deal - Judd Devermont and Marielle Harris

Great Power Debate Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

Since the start of the Trump Administration, the United States has identified strategic competition with China and Russia as a core objective in sub-Saharan Africa. Is great power competition the most constructive framework for formulating and implementing U.S. policies in sub-Saharan Africa? In this virtual CSIS debate event, Judd Devermont is joined by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili (Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative), Ken Ofori-Atta (Minister for Finance, Ghana), Gayle Smith (ONE Campaign), and Juan Zarate (Financial Integrity Network) to debate the opportunities and risks embedded in the great power competition concept and to explore how it evolves during a global pandemic.