Podcasts by The Horn

Eastern Africa’s Jihadis: The “War on Terror” from 2021-09-08T12:57:03

As the twenty-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, this last instalment of The Horn’s mini-series about jihadism along the Swahili coast explores two decades of the “war on ...

Eastern Africa’s Jihadis: The Big Picture from 2021-09-01T14:53:33

As jihadist ideologies have spread across Eastern Africa, governments are struggling to counter their growth, while the militant movements themselves are divided between the competing franchises...

Eastern Africa’s Jihadis: Mozambique from 2021-08-25T12:56:14

The roots of militancy in northern Mozambique go back years, but the insurgency’s true extent didn’t catch the world’s attention until the Cabo Delgado attacks earlier this year. Meanwhile, a hu...

Eastern Africa's Jihadis: Somalia from 2021-08-18T09:39:44

Somalia’s Al-Shabaab insurgency was born of a strong nationalistic reaction to the Ethiopian invasion in 2006. Over the years since, the group has treaded a thin line between galvanising local s...

Eastern Africa's Jihadis: The Roots from 2021-08-11T11:04:51

In this first episode of The Horn’s special mini-series about jihadism along the Eastern African seaboard, Alan Boswell talks with historian and analyst Ngala Chome about how new ideolo...

S2 Episode 23: Behind the Front Lines in Ethiopia’s Tigray from 2021-07-29T18:37:15

Last month, the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region took a stunning turn as Tigrayan forces retook the regional capital Mekelle. This week, Alan Boswell talks with Declan Walsh, Chief Africa Corresp...

Bonus episode: Ten Years of South Sudanese Statehood (from the Crisis Group podcast Hold Your Fire!) from 2021-07-15T14:04:24

This week marks the tenth anniversary of South Sudan’s independence, much-celebrated at the time but now eclipsed by the brutal civil war that followed. The conflict, which saw the army split al...

S2 Episode 22: Does a Better Decade Lie Ahead for South Sudan? from 2021-07-13T13:01:46

In July 2011, South Sudan gained independence with immense international support. Achieving statehood was seen by many as the end of an unstable coexistence with Sudan, but the bloody decade tha...

S2 Episode 22: Does a Better Decade Lie Ahead for South Sudan? from 2021-07-13T13:01:46

In July 2011, South Sudan gained independence with immense international support. Achieving statehood was seen by many as the end of an unstable coexistence with Sudan, but the bloody decade tha...

Bonus episode: A Dramatic Turn in Ethiopia’s Tigray War (from the Crisis Group podcast Hold Your Fire!) from 2021-07-02T09:34:51

Earlier this week, fighters loyal to the ousted leaders of Ethiopia’s Tigray region recaptured Mekelle, the regional capital, as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed withdrew federal forces and a...

S2 Episode 21: Somaliland’s elections and struggle to break free from 2021-06-30T15:08:27

Somaliland is enjoying a boost following parliamentary elections at the end of May that resulted in a surprise victory for the opposition. Dr. Mohamed Farah Hersi joins Alan Boswell to explain w...

S2 Episode 20: Ethiopia’s Rocky Transitional Election from 2021-06-16T13:48:57

Ethiopia is set to hold delayed elections on 21 June, a milestone that – before the ongoing war in the Tigray region – many observers believed would be a litmus test for the transition under Pri...

Bonus episode: The Insurrection in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado (from the Crisis Group podcast Hold Your Fire!) from 2021-06-08T15:08:59

In this episode of Crisis Group's podcast Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood and guest co-host Comfort Ero, our Interim Vice President and Africa Program Director, talk to Crisis Gr...

S2 Episode 19: The Court Ruling That Just Upended Kenyan Politics from 2021-06-02T12:13:55

In May, the High Court in Kenya overturned President Uhuru Kenyatta’s plan to make significant changes to the 2010 constitution, seen as one of the most progressive in Africa. Willy Mutunga, for...

S2 Episode 18: What's Driving Sudan and Ethiopia Apart? from 2021-05-18T11:29:53

Armed clashes along the al-Fashaga border between Sudan and Ethiopia are the latest twist in the up-and-down relationship between the two neighbouring African juggernauts. The border dispute, ro...

S2 Episode 17: Somalia's Dangerous Impasse from 2021-05-05T11:12:32

Tensions have been rising in Somalia since President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” failed to hold elections in February. After Farmajo moved to extend his term by two years, the ongoing political ...

S2 Episode 16: Inside the Region’s Struggle for Peace in South Sudan from 2021-04-21T12:25:30

In September 2018, South Sudan signed a peace accord to end five years of civil war. However, the agreement remains extremely fragile, and over two years later key parts of the unity government ...

S2 Episode 15: What Eritrea Wants from 2021-04-06T10:39:03

The international community has long viewed Eritrea as a pariah state, yet the country’s influence is rising again in the turbulent Horn of Africa region. For more than a decade, Ethiopia and th...

Bonus episode : Ethiopia’s Tigray Crisis and Horn of Africa Politics (from the Crisis Group podcast Hold Your Fire!) from 2021-03-25T16:30:59

In this episode of Crisis Group's podcast Hold Your Fire! Richard Atwood, Crisis Group’s interim president, and guest host Comfort Ero, our interim vice president and Africa Program director, ta...

S2 Episode 14: Tanzania's Opposition Leader Tundu Lissu on Politics after Magufuli from 2021-03-23T08:59:50

The death of President Magufuli, a populist authoritarian and COVID-denier, officially from a heart failure, raises questions about whether newly sworn-in President Samia Suluhu Hassan will chan...

S2 Episode 13: What Does Reconciliation among Gulf States Mean for Africa? from 2021-03-10T10:51:46

The Gulf dispute over Qatar’s foreign policy has spilt over into the Horn of Africa. In trying to shape the regional landscape in their respective favours, Gulf states have intensified proxy con...

S2 Episode 12: Risks of Starvation Rise in Ethiopia's Tigray War from 2021-02-23T11:15:53

Armed conflict has been raging in Ethiopia's northernmost Tigray region since November and fears are growing that it is on the brink of famine. Sporadic reports trickling out of the chronically ...

S2 Episode 11: Uganda After Its Troubling Elections from 2021-02-09T12:04:52

Last month’s elections in Uganda saw President Yoweri Museveni clinch another six years to his rule that began in 1986, a  win marred by controversy and violence. The widespread crackdown on the...

S2 episode 10: Somalia's Election Crisis from 2021-01-26T12:26:17

With President Farmajo’s mandate due to end in just two weeks and little consensus on the way forward, a delay in Somalia’s high-stakes elections appears inevitable.

Back with Alan to expl...

S2 Episode 9: 2021 in the Horn of Africa from 2021-01-12T11:06:52

Crisis Group’s Horn of Africa Director Murithi Mutiga joins Alan Boswell to debate which regional conflicts and crises are most prominent on their radars for 2021.

From the myriad politica...

Replay: Comfort Ero from 2020-12-29T09:36:38

During our brief season break, we're re-running an earlier episode from Season 2 that new subscribers may have missed. We will be back in January with a brand new line-up!

Alan talks to Cr...

S2 Episode 8: America’s (and Biden’s) South Sudan problem from 2020-12-16T14:54:41

The U.S. was South Sudan’s most important ally on its path to independence in 2011 and a major player during talks that led to a peace deal in 2015. The agreement collapsed soon after, plunging ...

S2 Episode 7: As Conflicts Mount, Where Does Ethiopia Go from Here? from 2020-12-04T14:18:42

With the conflict in Tigray declared over by the federal government, Ethiopia’s complex transition is at a daunting crossroads. Steering the country into calmer waters ahead of the upcoming elec...

S2 Episode 6: Biden and Africa – Same Old, or New Era? from 2020-11-17T11:17:58

The last four years of relative U.S. absence in Africa contrast starkly with the country’s historically oversized role in shaping peace and security on the continent. Has this shift set the tone...

Special Episode: Ethiopia's Slide Toward Civil War from 2020-11-06T13:13:02

A war that many feared was possible but hoped would never happen appears to be underway between Ethiopia’s federal forces and those commanded by the northern Tigray region. 

William Daviso...

S2 Episode 5: Sudan's U.S. Terror Delisting: Too Little, Too Late? from 2020-11-02T14:47:10

Almost eighteen months after a popular revolution ousted President Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s transition remains on shaky ground. While the Juba peace agreement signed in August and President Trump...

S2 Episode 4: Strengthening Africa’s Hand in Peace and Security from 2020-10-21T14:07:38

The onslaught of COVID-19 combined with a host of upcoming elections are putting Africa’s peacebuilding institutions and democratic resilience to the test. Managing the overlapping challenges in...

S2 Episode 3: Eritrea's One-man Rule from 2020-10-06T11:54:16

President Isaias Afwerki has become virtually synonymous with the state of Eritrea, having single-handedly molded the country in his image since its inception in 1991. Alan is joined this week b...

Bonus episode: Ethiopia's Political Crisis (from the Crisis Group podcast Hold Your Fire!) from 2020-09-24T13:56:13

In the third episode of Crisis Group's new podcast Hold Your Fire!, our Ethiopia Senior Analyst Will Davison joins host Rob Malley, our President, and co-host Naz Modirzadeh, a Crisis Group Trustee...

S2 Episode 2: A Rare Glimpse into Darfur’s Last Rebel Stronghold from 2020-09-22T07:26:04

Sudan’s 31 August peace deal between the government and an alliance of rebel groups from Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile was welcomed with enthusiasm by the international community. But in...

S2 Episode 1 : Peace and Conflict in Africa, Then and Now from 2020-09-08T09:25:07

To mark the first episode of season two of The Horn, Alan talks with Crisis Group’s Africa Program Director Comfort Ero about how the politics of conflict and peacemaking have changed — and not ...

Replay: Rashid Abdi from 2020-08-09T05:05:45

In our second re-run of the Summer, Alan is joined by Rashid Abdi to discuss the legal battle Kenya and Somalia are fighting over their shared maritime border.

Somalia’s President Mohammed...

Replay: Nanjala Nyabola from 2020-07-20T12:26:56

During our season break, we will be re-running two early podcasts from our first season that new subscribers might have missed. We will be back in September with some brand new episodes. 

...

Episode 22: Somali Politics Heat up, Again from 2020-07-06T09:41:36

Somalia's political crisis has reached a worrying stage. Since his election in 2017, President Farmajo has pushed to strengthen the federal government's control, fuelling infighting between the ...

Episode 21: As Rains Begin, Crisis Looms over the Nile Dam from 2020-06-22T09:59:43

As rains swell the Blue Nile, Ethiopia has made clear its intent to soon start filling the massive dam it is building. However, it has yet to reach an agreement with its two downstream neighbour...

Episode 20: Africa and the Emerging US-China Cold War from 2020-06-08T10:25:40

The "age-old story of the rise and fall of great powers", already in motion, has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

So says Abdul Mohammed, chief of staff and senior political advi...

Episode 19 : Inside Africa's Coronavirus Response, with Africa CDC's Dr. John Nkengasong from 2020-05-25T08:50:43

Africa’s priority in fighting COVID-19 is to find the right “balance between saving lives and saving livelihoods”, based on the experience of what happened in Europe, the United States, and Chin...

Episode 18: Fighting the Pandemic in the Horn of Africa: A Conversation with Amb. Alexander Rondos from 2020-05-11T09:05:51

Africa has been hit with a double punch. The economic fallout of COVID-19 has preceded the health crisis, resulting in job losses and endangering food supplies. The pandemic's impact on the regi...

Episode 17: Climate, Conflict, and Peacekeeping’s Unwanted Footprint from 2020-04-29T12:32:25

“Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change across the world, and yet is the least responsible”.

Climate change is a threat multiplier. Its ability to disrupt livelihoo...

Episode 16: Bracing for the Post-pandemic Storm from 2020-04-22T11:22:40

“COVID-19 is not just an epidemic, but a highly complex emergency”. 

The implications of the coronavirus pandemic are still unclear. But the looming global recession and direct impact of c...

Episode 15: Around the Horn: The Political Fallout of the Pandemic from 2020-04-15T09:26:39

We continue our COVID-19 series with a 360-degree view of perspectives on the pandemic’s impact. Five Crisis Group analysts look at the risks and opportunities in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, T...

Episode 14: Sizing Up the Threat of COVID-19 in East Africa from 2020-04-08T12:33:19

COVID-19 poses an enormous threat in the Horn of Africa. Beyond deadly risks to public health and hospitals, democratic systems are already affected and critical diplomatic efforts disrupted. Outbr...

Episode 13: Flattening the COVID-19 Curve in East Africa from 2020-03-30T07:36:28

The death and disruption wrought by the coronavirus pandemic have already been felt by much of the world. With the disease now making its way across East Africa, Alan Boswell sat down with journ...

Episode 12: The Dangers of Deadlock in the Nile Dam Talks from 2020-03-16T08:48:30

Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan are struggling to reach agreement over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Ethiopia, which sees the dam as a defining national development project, is ready to ...

Episode 11: Will South Sudan’s peace deal hold? from 2020-03-02T12:31:03

On 22 February, South Sudan's two warring leaders, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar agreed once again to form a unity government. After several failed attempts to make peace, this deal is more importa...

Episode 10: Freeing Sudan from U.S. Sanctions from 2020-02-17T07:44:02

Sudan’s transition hangs in the balance. 

As the country embarks on its journey to inclusive, democratic rule, one of the most pressing issues it faces is the flailing economy. The civilia...

Episode 9: Ethiopia’s Fragile Transition from 2020-02-03T08:41:21

Ethiopia’s elections, scheduled for August, are set to be the first free and fair elections since 2005. But myriad challenges lie ahead, warns Will Davison, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Eth...

Episode 8: East Africa in 2020 from 2020-01-20T08:49:12

From Sudan’s fragile transition and Ethiopia's internal tensions to a resilient Al-Shabaab insurgency in Somalia and beyond, 2020 is set to be an important year in the Horn of Africa.

Muri...

Episode 7: How Women’s Support Energises Somalia’s Al-Shabaab from 2020-01-06T07:44:42

The Al-Shabaab insurgency remains a potent force in Somalia. One understudied source of its resilience is the support it enjoys among Somali women, despite the group’s patriarchal ethos, strict ...

Episode 6: Kenya and Somalia Quarrel over Offshore Oil from 2019-12-09T08:21:17

Kenya and Somalia are currently fighting a legal battle over their shared maritime border, an area rich in oil and gas. 

Somalia’s President Mohammed Abdullahi "Farmajo" is playing hardbal...

Episode 5 : Inside South Sudan's Peace Talks from 2019-11-25T10:52:54

After five years of violent conflict, South Sudan’s main warring leaders, President Salva Kiir and his chief rival Riek Machar, signed a 2018 peace deal. The agreement established a ceasefire an...

Episode 4: Trumpian Minimalism vs East African Realities from 2019-11-11T08:19:22

President Trump hoped that minimal engagement would bring big wins in the Horn of Africa: more U.S. trade & investment and seeing off his great power competitors. In practice, multiple surpr...

Episode 3: After Sudan's Revolution from 2019-10-28T07:52:32

Sudan’s strongman Omar al-Bashir was swept from power in April after thirty years of autocratic rule. The country has been left with a flailing economy, political polarisation and a powerful securi...

Episode 2: On East Africa’s Digital Frontier from 2019-10-14T05:24:46

Digital technologies are having a dramatic impact in politics. But while their influence in Western political spaces has been heavily scrutinised, little attention has been paid in Africa. Best-sel...

Episode 1: Red Sea Rising from 2019-09-30T07:09:38

Regional instability, a relative power vacuum and competition among rising Middle East states have prompted Gulf countries to seek to project their power into the Red Sea corridor. Alan Boswell is ...