“It is not cast in stone that a military junta is always bad. What if it’s the only thing that we have?”
On the 26th of July 2023, a group of soldiers in Niger ousted president Mohamed Bazoum from power.
His presidential guard commander general Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta.
Niger joined Sahel nations like ... Show More
Jun 10
Focus on Africa: Russia's Wagner Group leaves Mali
Russia says the paramilitary group Wagner has accomplished its mission and has left Mali, although a Russian presence remains in the West African country, through the Africa Corps. So what did the Wagner Group achieve?Why has a separatist movement on the tiny, remote island of An ... Show More
33m 18s
Jul 2023
Leaders of the Niger Coup Face a Deadline to Avoid Military Intervention
Two years ago, Mohamed Bazoum was elected as president in Niger's first peaceful democratic transfer of power. He enjoyed the backing of Western governments, including the United States. Then, last week, members of his own presidential guard detained him and seized power. The cou ... Show More
10m 21s
Feb 2018
Episode 181: Djibouti Democracy Activist Daher Ahmed Farah
Djibouti is the only country in the world that hosts military bases for both the United States and China. The US base, Camp Lemmonier, hosts US special forces and its only a few kilometers from China's only military base outside of Asia. France, the former colonial ruler, also ha ... Show More
42m 33s
Aug 2023
Niger, and an era of mutiny in Africa’s Sahel region
Last month, the African nation of Niger became the seventh government in Western and Central Africa to suffer a military takeover in the last three years. And as of today, virtually every country in Africa’s Sahel region is governed by a current or former military officer. The Sa ... Show More
30m 59s
Jul 2023
Niger coup: West African leaders threaten military action
The leaders of the block of West African nations, ECOWAS, threatens to take military action if Niger’s military junta does not end their coup in seven days’ time. In the meantime, economic sanctions have been immediately put in place. Also on the programme: Kenya’s Minister of Fo ... Show More
49m 8s
Apr 2023
Tunisia’s democracy on the brink
Tunisia in North Africa was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, a wave of popular uprisings that shook or toppled authoritarian regimes in the region. But, after a decade of fragile democracy, in 2019 a new strongman, President Kais Saied, swept to power. He directed his campaign ... Show More
49m 5s
Jun 2021
How will Mustafa Al Kadhimi rein in Iraq's militias?
Over 13 years, the US spent at least $21.7 billion training and equipping the Iraqi army, police and counter-terror forces. Then, in the space of a few days in the summer of 2014. it all collapsed. As thousands of ISIS fighters poured over the border from Syria, as many as 90,000 ... Show More
25m 37s