The Nordic Africa Podcast

Recently, China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang finished his first official visit overseas in Africa. In this episode of the Nordic Africa podcast, we try to map China’s interests in Africa and we turn the perspectives on China’s massive investments upside down; if everything is Belt and Road Initiative doesn’t that really mean that nothing is Belt and Road Inititiative? Tune in and listen to three researchers with an expertise in these questions; Fantu Cheru, Liisa Laakso and John Åberg.

With less than a month left to the presidential election, the Labour Party’s candidate Peter Obi is well ahead of his rivals in the polls. “There is a lot of hunger and anger, but whether that has developed into constructive movement is another thing,” says political science researcher Victor Adetula when asked what a victory for Obi would mean. In this episode, we discuss with professors Adetula and Aning the issues at stake as Africa’s biggest economy goes to the polls.

Over the past couple of years, we have seen what the UN Secretary-General has termed “an epidemic of coups” in West Africa. Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau and Niger have witnessed seven coups and coup attempts since 2020. In this episode we talk about the main causes behind these coups and the development of democracy in the region. With us are three researchers from the Nordic Africa Institute; Papa Sow, Cristiano Lanzano and Jesper Bjarnesen.

In October, three-quarters of UN’s member states voted in favour of a resolution to condemn Russia’s illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions. The result reflects the vote in March demanding Russia to end its offensive. In both votes, Africa stands out from the rest of the world. In March, for example, 48% of Africa’s countries voted against, abstained or were absent. Join us as we discuss African responses to the Ukraine war with professors Henning Melber and Kwesi Aning.