Alc Pan-african Radio

UN peacekeeping has been beset with conflicting expectations and outcomes. Youssef Mahmoud, who headed two peacekeeping operations in Africa, gives an insight to the lessons he learnt during his stints at the helm of bringing peace and stability to intra-state conflicts.

Why is there no comprehensive sexual harassment policy in the AU? Varaidzo Mupunga a fellow from the African Leadership Centre discusses the #METOO! Movement in the African Union and unpacks findings of the High Level Committee set up to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and assault in the AU.

The flare up in Tigray on November 4, 2020 took many by surprise. But Dr Hibist Kassa, Senior Researcher at the Institute of African Alternatives in Cape Town, says the telltale signs have been there since the overthrow of the Derg regime in 1991.

In this Magazine Programme, our Editor and Presenter, Mounira Chaieb speaks to Larbi Touaf Professor of English and Comparative Literature at ‬Mohammed Premier University, Oujda, Morocco and Dr. Marwa Maziad an international relations and Middle East media and politics expert. In this edition we look at why certain North African Countries have been showing a keen Economic interest in Countries South of Sahara in recent years.

For this Talking Africa programme Professor Toyin Falola of the University of Texas at Austin discusses the US election and governance in Africa. Image:https://bit.ly/33lOois

October marks black history month in UK, which was first celebrated in 1987. The events undertaken throughout the month are intended to highlight the contribution and achievements of people of African descent. It’s also an opportunity to raise awareness about issues people of African descent go through such as racism, discrimination and how to challenge those issues. Over the years, the Africa Leadership Center at King’s College London has been marking Black History Month through holding events to showcase the work of various departments, units and academics that engage in research, education and outreach activities relating to Africa; and to facilitate interaction between academics across King’s faculties working on Africa and African policy practitioners as well as experts from partner institutions. This year, the ALC held what it called ‘Africa Week” and in this edition of the Magazine programme, we highlight some of the issues discussed recently. Professor Fumni Olonisakin, Co-Founder of the African Leade

For the second part of the Discussion Programme our Editor Desmond Davies engages with our Women and Early-Career Fellows, Chimwemwe Fabiano (MALAWI) Tabitha Mwangi (KNYA). Ikran Abdullahi (KENYA) and Margaret LoWilla Nyoka (SOUTH SUDANESE)on their Fellowship journey and how Covid-19 has affected their Studies.

For this Talking Africa programme Desmond Davies speaks to Professor Cheryl Hendricks, Executive Director of the Africa Institute of South Africa, Human Sciences Research Council. The interview discusses South Africa's relations with the Continent.

In this Discussion Programme our Editor Desmond Davies engages with our MSc Security, Leadership and Development Fellows, Ivy NYAWIRA (Kenya),Essa NJIE (The Gambia) and Ibrahim MACHINA (Nigeria) on their Fellowship journey and how Covid-19 has affected their Studies.

For this Talking Africa programme Desmond Davies speaks to Mr. Kojo Yankah, the Former Government Minister in Ghana and Founder of Pan African World Heritage Museum which was Launched virtually in September 21 and will be based in Ghana. The interview discusses Black culture and the need for Africans to tell their own story.

Dr. Peter Kofi Da Costa who passed away on 18 August 2019 was Vice-Chair of ALC’s Board of Trustees as well as mentor at the Centre. Dr. Da Costa was instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of ALC’s knowledge transfer agenda and projection of ALC voice to a broader constituency of actors. He steered the Centre’s effort to improve data and research communication so as to upscale the impact and reach of the ALC. In this Lecture titled “Peter Kofi Da Costa and leadership of Africa's knowledge revolution from the sidelines” delivered by ALC’s Founding Director, Prof. Funmi Olonisakin who is currently Vice President & Vice-Principal International King’s College London, Dr. Da Costa would be remember by he led a knowledge revolution framed by a particular worldview and position in relation to the politics of knowledge. The Lecture served as the Launch of what will become a part of several legacy projects to be dedicated to his Legacy by the Centre.

In this Magazine Programme, our Editor and Presenter, Mounira Chaieb interviewed four African artists: Boitumelo;Tumy Motsoatsoe - Head of Programs, Business and Arts, BASA South Africa, Makhtar Fall AKA Xumman - Musician, Broadcaster, Valerie Asiimwe Amani - Artist and Ahmed  El Attar -Theatre Director, Playwright and cultural manager who are using different forms of Arts from Music, Fashion Activism to Technology, on challenges and problems faced by activists, different ways artist are using to expressing themselves, to platforms they are using to express themselves and the misconceptions that surrounds the industry and how they have managed to go about that.

Diana Russell in her book the ‘politics of woman killing’ defines femicide as the killing of women by men because they are women. Russell argues that while men are murdered more frequently than women, they are rarely murdered simply because they are men. South Africa has experienced the worst of Gender Based Violence in what has been termed by the nation a Femicide crisis with more cases being reported than any other country in Africa. A South African police service report stated that femicide increased by eleven percent between 2016 and 2018. Despite these numbers, limited action has been taken by the government.

For many, it is easier to perceive women in their non-threatening domestic roles. Nonetheless, they often defy expectations to fight in the front lines for the rights and freedoms of their people. In the recent Sudanese uprising in 2019, women took to the streets to protest against the President Omar al-Bashir government. A government that for many decades was oppressive. However, the recent uprising was not the first of its kind. Sudan has twice previously removed the authoritarian regimes of Ibrahim Abboud and Jafa’ar Nimeiri; where similarly women were intricately involved. Unfortunately, their contributions were minimized and not reflected in subsequent governance structures. African women have made and continue to make significant contributions to Peace and Security since the colonial period. Colonial disruptions deepened assigned gender roles within African society, which was accompanied by gender discrimination. Therefore, in addition to economic oppression, the colonial administration instituted opp

In May 1991 Somaliland a country that is located in the North eastern part of Somalia seceded as a self-declared state from Somalia. However, it is yet to gain international recognition from the United Nations. Somaliland faced civil war under the Somali president Siad Barre whose aim was to unite the greater Somalia. During the war, 95 % of the infrastructure and institutions were destroyed. Many people who had previously worked as doctors were killed while the few remaining ones either emigrated to western countries or were displaced. Edna Adan Ismail, former first lady and a former senior diplomat who had worked for the World Health Organisation for 32 years and studied in London South Bank University, embarked on a journey in 1993 to construct the first maternity hospital in the capital city Hargeisa, Somaliland. Maternal and infant deaths had been a major health concern to the government of Somaliland but there was no single maternity center. According to UNICEF, at the time, close to 60 percent of wo

On the day of the attack, Abdul Haji, a Nairobi based businessman received a distress message from his brother saying that he was at Westgate Mall where what he described as a terror attack was underway. Abdul drove to Westgate mall intending to try save his brother. At the mall, Abdul found a group of licensed civilian gun holders and police officers involved in rescue efforts. Armed with just a single handgun and a clip full of ammunition, he provided cover to the Kenya Red Cross personnel rescuing the wounded as he looked for his brother. Effective government response during the crisis was affected by poor communication and coordination by government agencies, inadequate special forces personnel and equipment, round the clock media coverage where unverified information was shared and al Shabaab’s use of social media to sneer Kenyans and threaten more violence. As such, people who put their lives on the line to rescue victims were regarded as heroes. Leadership is the process through which individuals or

Since 2009, violent attacks by the militant group Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (commonly known as Boko Haram) has not only disrupted socio-economic and political activities in North East Nigeria but has led to forced displacement, the death and abduction of thousands of people and destruction of livelihoods. This caused a large scale humanitarian crisis in the North East region of Nigeria. Out of the 13 million people living in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, 7 million are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Among them, close to 2 million are internally displaced while close to 1 million are living in areas that are hard to reach by the humanitarian agencies because of insecurity. What the communities in North East Nigeria are demanding is eradication of Boko Haram and an effective response to the humanitarian crisis. After President Muhammadu Buhari assumed power in May 2015, the Nigerian military response recorded some success against the insurgents. For example, most of the territ

Academic freedom protects the right to ask sensitive and even dangerous questions that matter to society. Academic freedom is not just for scholars and students to ask questions but the freedom for everyone to think and ask questions that really matter to them and society today. Questions about the environment, questions about security, questions about poverty and development, questions about justice, questions about truth. In 2011 academic freedom in Malawi came under threat when Dr Blessings Chinsinga, a lecturer at the University of Malawi was summoned by the Inspector General of the Police. Dr Chinsinga was questioned, because, during a lecture he had drawn parallels between the foreign currency and fuel shortage in Malawi at the time, and the causes of the 2011 Arab Spring that was underway in Egypt and Tunisia. But the summon and questioning was contrary to the constitution of Malawi. The constitution of Malawi spells out that academic freedom cannot be constrained even in an officially declared stat

Who says women cannot put an end to a war? Who says women are not good at putting to pressure on their governments to deliver? Liberian women have proven to be leaders worthy to talk about in the discourse of leadership and security in Africa. Liberia this uncolonized West-African Country had to through two Civil wars before Peace could Finally Arrive. Post-independence Africa witnessed numerous conflicts, especially in West Africa; in the Casamance region of Senegal, in Sierra Leone and of course Liberia. Today, Liberia continues to experience governance challenges under President George Weah. Such challenges were partly responsible for the outbreak of the second civil war in 1999. But women are in fact in the lead in ensuring government accountability to avoid a slip back to the 1999 ugly scenario. We may not be pessimistic but should be cautious. Liberia’s second civil war ended in 2003. Who was behind the end of this war? In this programme, I shall take you through the role of the Liberian women peace mov

In this Discussion Programme our Editor and Presenter, Mounira Chaieb engages Nancy Adimora Founding Editor,AFREADA and Yovanka Paquete Bissau-Guinean Writer, Editor and Translator on African Literature, their experience and expectations.