Shows
The Africa ProgramWhy Military Coups Still Resonate Across Africa with Judd DevermontCoups have shaped African politics since independence, and they are once again at the center of the continent’s political debate. In this episode of The Africa Program Podcast, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by Judd Devermont, former senior director for African affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, to examine why coups continue to resonate with African publics and why they so often fail to deliver lasting change.Drawing on decades of history, from Mobutu and Rawlings to today’s juntas in the Sahel, Devermont explains why many coups are initially popular, how...
2026-02-1045 minThe Africa ProgramWind Turbines for Peace with Karana OlivierAcross West Africa, millions of people live without stable electricity—especially in regions facing conflict, drought, and state neglect. In this episode, Karana Olivier, founder of KOC Bridges, joins Mvemba Phezo Dizolele to explain how simple, locally built wind turbines are helping communities generate not just energy, but also cooperation, agency, and resilience.Karana describes his unique approach: enter villages with no predetermined solution, listen to every member of the community, and help them articulate their own vision for the future. Through this process, groups that rarely speak to one another: farmers, pastoralists, youth, wo...
2026-01-2847 minThe Africa ProgramThe Rise of Cybercrime and the Need for Digital Literacy in AfricaAfrica’s rapid entry into the digital age brings unprecedented opportunity—and unprecedented risk. Digital futurist and AI thought leader Nicky Verd joins Mvemba Phezo Dizolele to discuss the continent’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities, the rise of AI-driven scams, and why digital ignorance may be one of Africa’s most dangerous threats.Verd explains how cybercriminals exploit gaps in awareness, how AI is making deception easier than ever, and why Africa must prioritize cybersecurity and AI literacy—from classrooms to boardrooms. She also examines the uneven pace of national AI strategies across African countries, the need for continental cooperatio...
2026-01-1453 minThe Africa ProgramBuilding and Losing Africa’s Voice in WashingtonFor more than 50 years, Melvin Foote has been one of the most influential advocates shaping U.S.–Africa policy. From his early Peace Corps service in Ethiopia and Eritrea to founding the Constituency for Africa, Foote helped mobilize support for AGOA, advance anti-apartheid activism, and build crucial bridges between African Americans, African immigrants, and U.S. policymakers.In this conversation with Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Foote reflects on the evolution of Africa advocacy: its early champions, major milestones, and the decline of the Black-led organizations that once drove the agenda. He explains how funding dried up, why political in...
2025-12-3153 minThe Africa ProgramDigital Governance in Rwanda: A Conversation with Irembo CEO Israel BimpeIn this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Israel Bimpe, Chief Executive Officer of Irembo, about Rwanda’s innovative approach to digitizing public services and the broader implications for governance and service delivery across Africa. Drawing on Irembo’s decade-long evolution, Bimpe explains how the platform has transformed citizen interactions with government—from passports and driver’s licenses to birth records, business registrations, and more—while reducing inefficiencies, eliminating opportunities for corruption, and improving access for citizens at every level.The conversation explores Rwanda’s “Zero Trip, Zero Paper” philosophy, the importance o...
2025-12-1741 minThe Africa ProgramInside “The Second Emancipation” with Howard FrenchIn this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with author and journalist Howard French about his new book The Second Emancipation: Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism, and Global Blackness at High Tide. Drawing on Nkrumah’s journey from colonial Ghana to the Black intellectual circles of 1930s America and postwar London, French traces how these experiences shaped Nkrumah’s vision of African liberation and global Black solidarity.The conversation explores why Nkrumah saw decolonization as a “second emancipation” linked to the earlier struggle against enslavement, and how his ideas ignited independence movements across the cont...
2025-12-0353 minThe Africa ProgramYoung, Ready, Excluded? The State of Youth and Governance in AfricaIn this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with Cynthia Chigwenya, former African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace, about the realities facing Africa’s young majority and the governance structures that shape their lives. Drawing on her experience in regional institutions and youth movements, Chigwenya explains how unemployment, the digital divide, and inherited colonial-era systems continue to limit meaningful youth participation.The conversation explores why young people increasingly turn to informal activism—from #EndSARS to LUCHA—when formal political channels fail, and how gender, geography, and tradition deepen these divides. Chigwe...
2025-12-0349 minThe Africa ProgramDeath Is Our Business: John Lechner on Mercenaries, Wagner, and Africa’s Security FutureIn this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with journalist and researcher John Lechner—author of Death Is Our Business—about the rise of private military companies in Africa and the evolution of Russia’s Wagner Group. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the Central African Republic, Mali, and across the Sahel, Lechner explains how Wagner blends state interests, private ambition, and entrepreneurial warfare, and how its fighters navigate local politics, conflict dynamics, and community relations on the ground.The conversation explores why African governments turn to Wagner and similar groups...
2025-12-0357 minThe Africa ProgramIntroducing The Africa ProgramUnfiltered. Unapologetic. Insightful.Welcome to The Africa Program, your essential podcast for fearless conversations and sharp analysis on everything Africa. Tune in for thought-provoking dialogue with changemakers, thinkers, writers, and leaders from Africa and beyond. Whether you're seeking context, challenge, or clarity, The Africa Program delivers unfiltered insights and unapologetic truths. Hosted by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — storyteller, analyst, and founder of Dizolele Advisory — this show connects the dots across the continent’s political shifts, artistic movements, economic transformations, and security dynamics. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts — and join the conversation at www.Dizolele.com.
2025-10-3101 min
Pole PodcastEPISODE XI: DES SIGNES DANS LE CIELVoyageons ensemble de 1955 à aujourd'hui et voyons comment Isaac DIZOLELE a commencé sa vie sacerdotale jusqu'à la LIBERATION !!!
2025-10-2657 min
RIDING WITH PodcastSPORTSWASHING: RWANDA HOSTS CYCLING'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AMID ALLEGATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONSWith cycling’s World Championships underway in Kigali, Rwanda, this week, I spoke with my old friend, Mvemba Dizolele, a highly-regarded foreign policy analyst, about the role of sports in diplomacy and politics. (Take the time to read Mvemba’s full bio here.)For background on the issues facing Rwanda, Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch, who is a friend of the RIDING WITH podcast, has a terrific dispatch about Rwanda’s human rights violations and the role it plays in the conflicts in Congo and Sudan. John Prendergast, a leading human rights advocate who has wo...
2025-09-2629 min
Audio BriefsCritical Minerals, Fragile Peace: The DRC-Rwanda Deal and the Cost of Ignoring Root CausesAn audio version of “Critical Minerals, Fragile Peace: The DRC-Rwanda Deal and the Cost of Ignoring Root Causes,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Mvemba Phezo Dizolele. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.
2025-06-2722 minAudio Briefs“Africa’s Complicated Democratic Landscape”: Audio Brief with Cameron HudsonA short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Cameron Hudson on his white paper with Mvemba Phezo Dizolele and Khasai Makhulo, “Africa’s Complicated Democratic Landscape.”
2025-06-1704 minAudio BriefsWhy Citizens Should Shape the Future of the Democratic Republic of CongoAn audio version of “Why Citizens Should Shape the Future of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Albert Zeufack, Ruxandra Burdescu, Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, James Robinson, and Jonathan Weigel. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.
2025-05-2309 min
Let's Talk DemocracyDemocracy in Flux: Challenges of a Changing WorldTina Johnson and Mvemba Dizolele discuss the dynamic state of world politics in the latest 'Let's Talk Democracy' podcast. They analyze how the dissolution of old systems, exemplified by the Berlin Wall's fall, led to increased market capitalism and weakened collective ideologies. Dizolele points out how this shift has resulted in a world where individual gains are prioritized over collective well-being, creating societal and economic imbalances. The podcast also touches on the challenges faced by countries trying to balance old and new ideologies in a rapidly transforming global order.
2025-04-151h 01
Audio BriefsWhat Does the Expulsion of Pretoria’s Ambassador Mean for U.S.–South Africa Relations?An audio version of “What Does the Expulsion of Pretoria’s Ambassador Mean for U.S.–South Africa Relations?,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Cameron Hudson, Khasai Makhulo, and Catherine Nzuki. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.
2025-03-2012 min
The President’s InboxConflict in Eastern Congo, With Mvemba DizoleleMvemba Dizolele, senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the renewed fighting in the Eastern Congo that pits the M23 rebel group backed by Rwanda against the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mentioned on the Episode:
Mvemba Dizolele, Into Africa, Center for Strategic and International Studies
For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/conflict-eastern-congo-mvemba-dizolele
2025-03-1831 minAudio Briefs“Kenya’s Economic Initiatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Analyzing the Rise of a Regional Power Within the East African Community”: Audio Brief with Mvemba Phezo DizoleleA short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Mvemba Phezo Dizolele on his report, Kenya’s Economic Initiatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Analyzing the Rise of a Regional Power Within the East African Community.
2025-02-2703 min
Audio BriefsExperts React: The Challenges and Opportunities for the Trump Administration in AfricaAn audio version of “Experts React: The Challenges and Opportunities for the Trump Administration in Africa,” a new commentary by CSIS experts Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Laird Treiber, Rafiq Raji, Jon Temin, Saleh Bala, Cameron Hudson, Emilia Columbo, Ryan Cummings, and Will Brown, published on January 13, 2025. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.
2025-01-1734 min
Into AfricaTrump has won a second term. What does his victory mean for U.S.-Africa policy?Catherine Nzuki is joined by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele (CSIS Africa Director and Senior Fellow) and Cameron Hudson (Africa Program Senior Fellow) for a discussion on what President-Elect Donald Trump's second term would mean for the U.S. approach to Africa, and how African capitals may be strategizing for his second term.
2024-11-0733 minInto AfricaTrump has won a second term. What does his victory mean for U.S.-Africa policy?Catherine Nzuki is joined by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele (CSIS Africa Director and Senior Fellow) and Cameron Hudson (Africa Program Senior Fellow) for a discussion on what President-Elect Donald Trump's second term would mean for the U.S. approach to Africa, and how African capitals may be strategizing for his second term.
2024-11-0733 min
Lucid Lab PodcastBlood Minerals: The Fight for Congo’s Resources and the Weaponization of Sexual ViolenceIn this episode, we discuss the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation rich in natural resources but plagued by war and exploitation. From diamonds and gold to coltan and cobalt, Congo’s vast wealth has become a curse, fueling battles between armed groups, corrupt officials, and international corporations. But the human cost is staggering, as civilians, particularly women and children, bear the brunt of the violence.
We explore how the pursuit of valuable minerals has led to widespread sexual violence, with rape and assault used as tools of war to displace communities and as...
2024-10-221h 09Blood Minerals: The Fight for Congo’s Resources and the Weaponization of Sexual ViolenceIn this episode, we discuss the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation rich in natural resources but plagued by war and exploitation. From diamonds and gold to coltan and cobalt, Congo’s vast wealth has become a curse, fueling battles between armed groups, corrupt officials, and international corporations. But the human cost is staggering, as civilians, particularly women and children, bear the brunt of the violence.
We explore how the pursuit of valuable minerals has led to widespread sexual violence, with rape and assault used as tools of war to displace communities and as...
2024-10-221h 09Audio BriefsResetting U.S. Engagement in the Democratic Republic of the CongoAn audio version of “Resetting U.S. Engagement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Mvemba Phezo Dizolele. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.
2024-09-2608 minAudio BriefsIn Africa, NATO Is the PastAn audio version of “In Africa, NATO Is the Past,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Mvemba Phezo Dizolele. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.
2024-07-1906 minAudio Briefs“Angola: The Long Road Traveled and the Way Forward”: Audio Brief with Mvemba Phezo DizoleleA short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Mvemba Phezo Dizolele on his report, “Angola: The Long Road Traveled and the Way Forward.”
2024-05-3104 min
Navigating Trump 2.0Episode 49: 2024 Presidential Election 6 Months Out & Kenya State Visit PreviewOn Episode 49 of the D.C. Debrief, host John Stolnis is joined by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Director and Senior Fellow, Africa Program for the Center for Strategic and International Studies to preview the Kenya State Visit to the White House next week.Also, Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections stops by to break down the 2024 presidential election with a little less than 6 months to go before Election Day. Is the NY hush money trial hurting Donald Trump? A breakdown of the latest battleground state polls, reacting to presidential debates, and all other angles of the race for the...
2024-05-1737 min
D.C. DebriefEpisode 49: 2024 Presidential Election 6 Months Out & Kenya State Visit PreviewOn Episode 49 of the D.C. Debrief, host John Stolnis is joined by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Director and Senior Fellow, Africa Program for the Center for Strategic and International Studies to preview the Kenya State Visit to the White House next week. Also, Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections stops by to break down the 2024 presidential election with a little less than 6 months to go before Election Day. Is the NY hush money trial hurting Donald Trump? A breakdown of the latest battleground state polls, reacting to presidential debates, and all other angles of the race for the White House.
2024-05-1737 minAudio BriefsKeeping the Embers Alive: Biden Reignites U.S.-Africa Relations with Kenyan State VisitAn audio version of “Keeping the Embers Alive: Biden Reignites U.S.-Africa Relations with Kenyan State Visit,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Cameron Hudson, Khasai Makhulo, and Catherine Nzuki. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.
2024-05-1012 min
Events at USIPAfrica Futures Summit: The Future of Africa in a Changing Global ContextOn April 16, USIP hosted the Africa Futures Summit to examine approaches to catalyze Africa’s potential to benefit and shape the global system. Discussions drew on the African Futures research, forecasting and policy analysis led by the Institute for Security Studies, along with perspectives from Africa, the African Diaspora and American experts.
Opening Remarks
Dr. Joseph SanyVice President, Africa Center, U.S. Institute of Peace
Dr. Fonteh AkumExecutive Director, Institute for Security Studies
Srik GopalPresident and Managing Partner, Humanity United
H.E. Dr. Monique NsanzabaganwaDeputy Chairperson of the Afr...
2024-04-171h 35
Meet the PressMeet the Press NOW — July 27Donald Trump’s attorneys are told to expect an indictment against the former president in the special counsel’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) returns to the campaign trail after cutting 40% of his staff. CSIS Africa Program Director Mvemba Phezo Dizolele discusses the attempted coup of Niger’s president. Dean Cheng examines China’s diplomatic and economic turmoil following the abrupt removal of its foreign minister. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
2023-07-2751 min
The Truth of the MatterRussia’s Second Africa SummitCSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s second Africa summit and its objectives with the 54 countries on the continent.
2023-07-2610 minThe Truth of the MatterRussia’s Second Africa SummitCSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s second Africa summit and its objectives with the 54 countries on the continent.
2023-07-2610 minThe Truth of the MatterRussia’s Second Africa SummitCSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s second Africa summit and its objectives with the 54 countries on the continent.
2023-07-2610 min
Current Account with Clay LoweryThe Nigerian Presidential ElectionsIn this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Senior Fellow and Director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). They discuss topics relating to the Nigerian Presidential Election that took place on February 25th, including the main candidates and their platforms, possible irregularities within the election process, what an assumed Bola Tinubu regime will look to complete over its four-year term and how the election may affect US-Nigerian relations.
2023-03-1330 min
The Truth of the MatterU.S.-Africa SummitCSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss this week’s summit in which the leaders of African countries joined President Biden in Washington for discussions on the future of U.S.-Africa relations.
2022-12-1519 minThe Truth of the MatterU.S.-Africa SummitCSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss this week’s summit in which the leaders of African countries joined President Biden in Washington for discussions on the future of U.S.-Africa relations.
2022-12-1519 minThe Truth of the MatterU.S.-Africa SummitCSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss this week’s summit in which the leaders of African countries joined President Biden in Washington for discussions on the future of U.S.-Africa relations.
2022-12-1519 min
Government MattersNational parks and climate change, Increasing Arctic presence, New Africa strategy – August 25, 2022Cost of climate change for national parks
Ray Sauvajot, associate director for natural resource stewardship and science at the National Park Service, discusses efforts to understand and respond to the effects of climate change on national parks
Challenges of the Arctic Commitment Act
Ryan Burke, professor of military and strategic studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy, explains how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can help the military establish a stronger presence in the Arctic
New strategy towards sub-Saharan Africa
Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, se...
2022-08-2626 min
Intersections: Where Human Rights and Democracy MeetDemocratic Dividends: Kenya’s Close Presidential ElectionThis week’s episode focuses on human rights and democracy news from across Africa: the results of the presidential election in Kenya, the release of the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, and the recent visit by Secretary Blinken to South Africa, Rwanda, and the DRC. We speak to Mvemba Dizolele, Senior Fellow and Director of the Africa Program at CSIS, who explains the implications of these events and further steps the U.S. can take to support democracy on the continent. The news segment also covers the UN High Commissioner Michele Bachelet’s trip to Bangladesh and the one...
2022-08-2330 min
Reset The TableCo-Release: Using Digital Tools to Increase Food Systems Resilience in East AfricaIn this episode, GFSP director Caitlin Welsh and CSIS Africa Program director Mvemba Phezo Dizolele sit down with Melodine Jeptoo, researcher and coordinator at PlantVillage. PlantVillage is a non-profit research unit that uses AI technology, satellite systems, and field work to increase the yield and profits for millions of farmers in East Africa. They discuss the drivers of food insecurity in the region and explore how technology can be leveraged to build resilient food systems in East Africa. This episode is co-hosted and co-released with the CSIS Africa Program’s podcast, Into Africa.
2022-08-1234 minReset The TableCo-Release: Using Digital Tools to Increase Food Systems Resilience in East AfricaIn this episode, GFSP director Caitlin Welsh and CSIS Africa Program director Mvemba Phezo Dizolele sit down with Melodine Jeptoo, researcher and coordinator at PlantVillage. PlantVillage is a non-profit research unit that uses AI technology, satellite systems, and field work to increase the yield and profits for millions of farmers in East Africa. They discuss the drivers of food insecurity in the region and explore how technology can be leveraged to build resilient food systems in East Africa. This episode is co-hosted and co-released with the CSIS Africa Program’s podcast, Into Africa.
2022-08-1234 min
The Truth of the MatterStolen Grain Food CrisisCSIS’s Caitlin Welsh and Mvemba Dizolele join the podcast to discuss the Ukrainian grain and seed stolen and held up by Russia, and its impact on Africa and the Middle East.
2022-06-0923 minThe Truth of the MatterStolen Grain Food CrisisCSIS’s Caitlin Welsh and Mvemba Dizolele join the podcast to discuss the Ukrainian grain and seed stolen and held up by Russia, and its impact on Africa and the Middle East.
2022-06-0923 minThe Truth of the MatterStolen Grain Food CrisisCSIS’s Caitlin Welsh and Mvemba Dizolele join the podcast to discuss the Ukrainian grain and seed stolen and held up by Russia, and its impact on Africa and the Middle East.
2022-06-0923 min
Building the Future: Freedom, Prosperity, and Foreign Policy with Dan RundeAfrica’s Response to Covid-19: The Acceleration of its Digital RevolutionDan is out this week. But Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Director and Senior Fellow for CSIS Africa, guest hosts to discusses the digital revolution in Africa with Togo’s Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, Cina Lawson, and Better Than Cash Alliance’s Lead of Africa Policy and Partnerships, Nshuti Mbabazi. Cina shares the innovative digital strategies Togo employed to alleviate the poverty exacerbated by Covid-19, including how they used AI and partnered with UC Berkeley and Innovations for Poverty Action. Meanwhile, Nshuti stresses the importance of financial inclusion, public-private partnerships, and the hopeful prospects of Africa’s further digital innova...
2022-05-1142 min
Politics + Media 101Mvemba Phezo Dizolele of CSIS: How Does Africa Fit Into U.S. Strategy?A live audience interviews Mvemba Dizolele, Director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, on how Africa fits into U.S. foreign policy strategy.Find more (including how to join us live) at PM101.live or on Twitter at @PoliticsNMedia.Subscribe, rate, and review if you like what you hear.Join our e-mail list for "best of" delivered directly to your inbox, twice per month, at PM101.live
2022-05-0239 min
Ufahamu AfricaEp. 136: A conversation with fellow Chido Nyaruwata and Elizabeth Gulugulu about young people and climate changeWhere are the young Africans in climate diplomacy and who is keeping them out? In this episode fellow Chido Nyaruwata speaks to Elizabeth Gulugulu about the processes that shape the international climate regime. Drawing on her reflections as programs manager for the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, Zimbabwe and YOUNGO Global South Focal Point, Gulugulu highlights the need for meaningful youth engagement by governments and civil society organizations as young Africans have limited access to finance for their climate action plans and face restrictions to climate diplomacy spaces.Books, Links, & Articles
2022-03-1258 min
Into AfricaUbuntu: I Am Because We AreMvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by author Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr to discuss Ubuntu, the African concept of humanity, meaning “I am because we are.” They discuss Akunyili’s recent book, I Am Because We Are: An African Mother's Fight for the Soul of a Nation, which tells the story of her late mother Dora Akunyili who committed her life to fighting fraudulent drug manufacturing as the Director General of Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. They also discuss corruption in Nigeria, the growing discontent of young people, and friction between male and female political leaders. ...
2022-02-1724 minInto AfricaUbuntu: I Am Because We AreMvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by author Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr to discuss Ubuntu, the African concept of humanity, meaning “I am because we are.” They discuss Akunyili’s recent book, I Am Because We Are: An African Mother's Fight for the Soul of a Nation, which tells the story of her late mother Dora Akunyili who committed her life to fighting fraudulent drug manufacturing as the Director General of Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. They also discuss corruption in Nigeria, the growing discontent of young people, and friction between male and female political leaders. ...
2022-02-1724 min
Into AfricaUnearthing Africa's Role in ModernityThis is the first episode of the Into Africa podcast with new host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, who joined the CSIS Africa Program as director and senior fellow in December 2021. Mvemba speaks with author Howard French about his newest book, Born in Blackness. They discuss French’s research process, the outsized role that São Tomé played in the modernity of the Western world, and how plantations—or, more accurately, prison labor camps—were the most important economic innovation of the modern age prior to the industrial revolution. French also describes the West’s centuries-long attempt to strip Africans of their ident...
2022-02-0323 minInto AfricaUnearthing Africa's Role in ModernityThis is the first episode of the Into Africa podcast with new host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, who joined the CSIS Africa Program as director and senior fellow in December 2021. Mvemba speaks with author Howard French about his newest book, Born in Blackness. They discuss French’s research process, the outsized role that São Tomé played in the modernity of the Western world, and how plantations—or, more accurately, prison labor camps—were the most important economic innovation of the modern age prior to the industrial revolution. French also describes the West’s centuries-long attempt to strip Africans of their ident...
2022-02-0323 min
49Democratic Republic of Congo with Mvemba DizoleleMvemba Dizolele (CSIS) joins Judd and Nicole to discuss U.S. policy toward the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Mvemba explains why the Biden administration should shift its focus from humanitarian crisis to political crisis in the DRC, and recommends that Washington prioritize security sector reform and trade and investment with U.S. companies. Plus, a quick run-down on the Society of Ambience-Makers and Elegant People (Le Sape), a Congolese subculture known for stylish dressers in Congo’s capital Kinshasa and the Republic of Congo’s Brazzaville.
2021-11-3016 min
49Rwanda with Mvemba DizoleleJudd and Nicole are joined by Mvemba Dizolele (CSIS) to discuss U.S.-Rwandan relations, including why the Biden administration should continue constructive engagement with Kigali while balancing smart carrots and sticks. Mvemba recommends that the United States support a reconciliation agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and discusses what the debut of the NBA’s “Basketball Africa League” in Kigali earlier this year tells us about Rwanda’s global ambitions.
2021-11-3015 min
Into AfricaGrave NarrativesHow can international actors achieve the balance between recognizing strides in economic performance and development while holding governments accountable for human rights abuses and regional interference? Judd Devermont is joined by Adotei Akwei (Amnesty International), Ida Sawyer (Human Rights Watch), and Michela Wrong (Author) to discuss how the Biden Administration, with its focus on democracy and human rights, should respond to these challenges. Guests also cover alleged crimes against humanity by Eritrean troops in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region and Paul Rusesabagina’s forced disappearance and arrest. Background Readings
Ethiopia: The Massacre in Axum – Amnesty...
2021-06-1046 minInto AfricaGrave NarrativesHow can international actors achieve the balance between recognizing strides in economic performance and development while holding governments accountable for human rights abuses and regional interference? Judd Devermont is joined by Adotei Akwei (Amnesty International), Ida Sawyer (Human Rights Watch), and Michela Wrong (Author) to discuss how the Biden Administration, with its focus on democracy and human rights, should respond to these challenges. Guests also cover alleged crimes against humanity by Eritrean troops in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region and Paul Rusesabagina’s forced disappearance and arrest. Background Readings
Ethiopia: The Massacre in Axum – Amnesty...
2021-06-1046 min
Ufahamu AfricaEp. 105: Repatriation of Museum Objects, Part 1This week, we are sharing expertise from Souleymane Bachir Diagne who spoke on a panel last October as part of "Repatriation of Museum Objects" for Cornell University's Institute for European Studies. Next week, we will be sharing the expertise of Cécile Fromont, another of the event's panelists, as part 2 of this episode.In the news, Kim and Rachel talk about recent events in Ethiopia and Niger, how food security affects us all, and the recent transfer of power in the United States.Books, Links, & ArticlesFemale Monarchs and Merchant Queens in Africa b...
2021-01-2350 min
Into AfricaIt Takes a Million to Hold Us BackA new generation of African protesters are using technology and innovation to call out injustices. Judd Devermont (CSIS), Mvemba Phezo Dizolele (Johns Hopkins University), Zachariah Mampilly (Vassar College), and former Ambassador Bisa Williams (independent observer via The Carter Center) weigh in on the resiliency of today's anti-regime movements. Analyses of the DRC elections and unrest in Sudan cue up this discussion.
2019-02-0720 minInto AfricaIt Takes a Million to Hold Us BackA new generation of African protesters are using technology and innovation to call out injustices. Judd Devermont (CSIS), Mvemba Phezo Dizolele (Johns Hopkins University), Zachariah Mampilly (Vassar College), and former Ambassador Bisa Williams (independent observer via The Carter Center) weigh in on the resiliency of today's anti-regime movements. Analyses of the DRC elections and unrest in Sudan cue up this discussion.
2019-02-0720 min
The Get InPowered Podcast: Fostering Community through Shared StoriesResponding to "Black Panther" and Mvemba Dizolele, Reframing Africa in our Imagination and MindsWe spend this episode considering and reassessing the contributions that Africa (and the Congo specifically) have made to the global "village" as discussed by Mvemba Dizolele, a writer, foreign policy analyst, and independent journalist who is also the author of the forthcoming biography: Mobutu: the Rise and Fall of the Leopard King (Random House UK). If you haven't heard last week's episode with this brilliant scholar, please do so now! And let us know what YOU think about "Black Panther" Dizolele's work and the African Diaspora's place in the collective Western Imagination.
2018-03-1615 minThe Get InPowered Podcast: Fostering Community through Shared Stories"Black Panther" and the Historical Contributions of Africa with Mvemba DizoleleWe spend this episode considering and reassessing the contributions that Africa (and the Congo specifically) have made to the global "village" with Mvemba Dizolele, a writer, foreign policy analyst, and independent journalist who is also the author of the forthcoming biography: Mobutu: the Rise and Fall of the Leopard King (Random House UK). In the wake of "Black Panther"'s mainstream success globally, many are asking questions like "What would Africa look like without colonization?" "What would the Western world look like without slavery?", but as Mvemba discusses with Judithe, there are members of the African diaspora...
2018-03-0951 min