What can Lagos teach us about Africa’s emerging megacities?
Africa Aware
By 2050, many of the world’s fastest-growing cities will be in Africa, and the choices made today will define how hundreds of millions of people will live then. A city like Lagos whose scale, economic dynamism and growth capture the opportunities and complexities of this transformation stands out as one of the world’s leading megacities. In this episode, the governor of Lagos State, HE Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu joins Africa Programme Director and this week's host, Tighisti Amare, to discuss how Lagos is developing solutions to manage rapid population growth and deliver...
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DRC’s Ebola outbreak: Local systems, international responses and lessons for Africa
Africa Aware
During the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), clinical breakthroughs with the potential to significantly reduce both the death toll and the duration of the outbreak were made. However, as our guests argued in conducted for the Congo Research Group in 2020, the international response was organised through parallel health structures rather than the existing Congolese health system. This approach contributed to undermined trust, outbreaks of violence and ultimately prolonged the outbreak. Now, in 2026, similar questions are emerging about the measures being...
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Navigating Somalia’s political stalemate
Africa Aware
As 15 May 2026 drew closer, there was growing uncertainty surrounding Somalia’s next political transition. This date marked the official end of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term; yet no election date was set. Instead, the President officially signed a final set of constitutional amendments passed by majority vote in the Federal Parliament into law – he contends that this grants an extra year to his term which now expires on 15 May 2027. Opposition to the implementation of the constitutional amendments persists and Somalia now faces a political impasse that threatens to deepen...
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Emergency Response Rooms: Sudan’s humanitarian lifeline
Africa Aware
Since the war in Sudan began in 2023, grassroots, volunteer-led mutual aid groups – the Emergency Rooms (ERRs) – have delivered vital humanitarian assistance and played a key role in safeguarding civilian life across the country in the face of the devastating conflict. The work of the ERRs is grounded in the Sudanese tradition of ‘nafeer’, an Arabic word meaning collective action. Less documented is the critical role Sudanese women play in responding to humanitarian needs arising from the conflict. They are at the forefront of providing medical assistance and psychosocial...
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Can minerals buy peace in the DRC?
Africa Aware
As a key mediator in the ongoing conflict in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States has brokered peace agreements backed by security guarantees and by the investment potential of the country’s vast mineral wealth. However, critics warn this “minerals for peace” approach risks overlooking unresolved issues – from the protection of minority rights to the limited role of the African Union, and fragile state-society relations in the DRC. In this episode, Christian-Géraud Neema and Joshua Walker join the Africa Programme’s Romane...
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Rebuilding regional order and security in West Africa
Africa Aware
The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS early last year – and the subsequent formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – has posed a critical challenge for regional cooperation, particularly on security. According to the Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel is the “epicentre of terrorism” and rising insecurity is compounded by stalled progress on core issues including the right of hot pursuit, joint military operations, intelligence sharing and tackling illicit finance. Following a panel event on West African security with Ghana and Nigeria’s foreign...
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Africa’s digital future
Africa Aware
Africa's digital landscape is one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving in the world. African states are not merely adopters of digital norms; they are shaping regulatory approaches in data protection and cybersecurity in addition to innovating mobile money ecosystems and digital health solutions among others. While innovation hubs are dotted across the continent, growth amongst African states and local communities remain uneven due to infrastructure gaps, broadband affordability, energy reliability and regulatory fragmentation. In this episode, Ambassador Philip Thigo and Hon....
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Can the African Union withstand fractures to multilateralism?
Africa Aware
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi assumed the leadership of the African Union (AU) at last year’s 38th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly – ushering what many saw a moment of renewed hope and leadership reset. The AU, however, enters 2026 on uncertain ground. Conflicts are intensifying across several regions; while showing signs of resilience economic prospects remain fragile; and political settlements in a number of countries are under strain. All this is unfolding against the backdrop of shifting global priorities and waning international attention on...
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Financing Africa's development
Africa Aware
The IMF’s economic outlook for Africa in 2026 points to an average GDP growth rate of 4.3% – making it the fastest-growing region globally. In practice, however, per capita growth is far lower and various factors like persistent debt issues and a decline in official development assistance jeopardise this positive outlook. In this episode, guests Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi (African Center for Economic Transformation) and Admassu Tadesse (Trade and Development Bank) explore strategies to ensure sustained economic growth matching the promising outlook for the continent. They discuss untapped...
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Strengthening African-led peace and security initiatives
Africa Aware
Reflecting on research conducted as part of a joint Chatham House and UNDP research project on 'African Peace Processes: Lessons Learned', this episode examines what makes peace processes ‘stick’. Lisa Musumba is joined by project researchers Dr Abel Abate Demissie and Leonard Onyonyi to discuss the lessons learned from the Pretoria process linked to Ethiopia’s Tigray war and Burundi’s Arusha Accords. The episode closes with reflections from AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, from our conference in Addis Ababa on , exploring how African-led...
info_outlineAs 15 May 2026 drew closer, there was growing uncertainty surrounding Somalia’s next political transition. This date marked the official end of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term; yet no election date was set.
Instead, the President officially signed a final set of constitutional amendments passed by majority vote in the Federal Parliament into law – he contends that this grants an extra year to his term which now expires on 15 May 2027. Opposition to the implementation of the constitutional amendments persists and Somalia now faces a political impasse that threatens to deepen political fragmentation.
In this episode, Professor Afyare Abdi Elmi and Aweis Ahmed discuss scenarios to navigate Somalia’s current political stalemate and pathways for a peaceful political transition.