The Horn
News & Politics
About
The Horn of Africa is in turmoil. From revolution in Sudan to civil war in Ethiopia, from Somalia’s political stalemate and the regional spread of jihadism to troubled East African democracies, the region’s pace and scale of change are difficult to keep up with. The Horn, a podcast series from the International Crisis Group, helps make sense of it all. Host Alan Boswell and guests dive deep behind the headlines as they analyse events, debate diplomacy and discuss avenues toward peace. Hosted by Alan Boswell and produced by Maeve Frances Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- Sudan, and a Region and World in Upheaval
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by journalist and author Nesrine Malik. They take stock of Sudan’s war after more than three years of fighting and consider where the conflict might be headed. They discuss what the wars in Suda…
- Somalia’s Election Standoff and New Inflection Point
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Omar Mahmood, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Somalia and the Horn of Africa, to discuss the deeper implications of Somalia’s new election crisis. They discuss the looming electoral standof…
- Bonus Episode: After Three Years of War in Sudan, What Hope for a Ceasefire?
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Sudan from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael and Horn of Africa direc…
- How the Iran War is Reshaping the Region
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Hafsa Halawa, an independent political analyst and mediation specialist, to discuss the fallout of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in the Horn of Africa. They examine the immediate disruptions…
- What’s Really Going on in the Horn?
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Moses Chrispus Okello, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Security Studies, to unpack the common forces driving instability across the Horn of Africa and where the region might be headed.…
- Behind the Saudi-Emirati Rift
In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by H. A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, to explore what’s behind the rift between Saudi Arabia and…
- Bonus Episode: Will Ethiopia and Eritrea Start a Regional War?
Today we're bringing you a bonus from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard speaks with Crisis Group Africa director Murithi Mutiga about rising Ethiopia–Eritrea tensions and the growi…
- Israel, Somaliland and the Horn
In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Asher Lubotzky, senior research fellow at the Israel-Africa Relations Institute, to discuss Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and its interests in the Horn of Africa. They trace the history o…
- Uganda after Museveni
In this episode of The Horn , Alan speaks with Kristof Titeca, professor at the Institute of Development Policy at the University of Antwerp, to talk about Uganda’s post-election landscape and the question of who might succeed President Yo…
- The Rupture in the Gulf, and its Fallout
In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Crisis Group experts Yasmine Farouk, Omar Mahmood and Shewit Woldemichael. He first speaks with Yasmine about what is behind the new public rupture between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emi…
- The Ethiopia-Eritrea Standoff
In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Michael Woldemariam, associate professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, to unpack the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. They examine how these dynamic…
- Bonus Episode: Reflecting on Sudan’s Collapse and Elusive Peace
This week on The Horn, we post a recent discussion between Crisis Group’s CEO and President, Comfort Ero, and leading expert Alex de Waal, about ongoing efforts to bring Sudan’s war to an end. In this bonus episode of The Horn , Alan bring…
- Global Disorder, Horn of Africa Turmoil. Can Europe Keep Up?
In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Heiko Nitzschke, Germany’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa, to discuss whether and how Europe needs to adapt its approach towards the Horn of Africa. While Europe used to act in relative…
- The El Fasher Atrocities
In this episode of The Horn , Alan speaks with Julia Steers, investigations editor at Lighthouse Reports, about the large-scale atrocities that took place in Darfur’s El Fasher after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the…
- Mediators’ Brave New World
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Timur Söylemez, former ambassador and former head of the mediation unit at Türkiye’s foreign ministry, to discuss the evolving landscape of conflict mediation and Ankara’s approach in the Hor…
- Bonus Episode: What Does the RSF’s Seizure of El Fasher Mean for Sudan’s War?
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on the fall of El Fasher in Sudan from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this update episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael…
- The Trial of South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, to discuss the trial of South Sudan’s first vice president and former rebel leader Riek Machar. They…
- Bonus Episode: Can a U.S.-Arab Roadmap Stop Sudan’s War?
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Sudan from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard talks with Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael, Horn of Africa director A…
- Ethiopia’s Grand and Contested Dam
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Crisis Group’s Africa Program Director, Murithi Mutiga, to discuss the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam. They trace the project’s…
- Dr. Comfort Ero on the Future of Peacemaking
In this episode of The Horn , marking Crisis Group’s 30th anniversary, Alan Boswell speaks with president & CEO Comfort Ero about how the landscape of peacemaking has evolved since the organisation’s founding in 1995. They trace how the en…
- Peacekeeping is Dying. Long Live Peacekeeping?
This week on The Horn , Alan Boswell sits down with Samira Gaid, founder and senior analyst at the Mogadishu-based think tank Balqiis Insights, and Fred Bauma, human rights advocate and executive secretary at the Ebuteli research institute…
- What Does Sudan’s RSF Want?
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by analyst and researcher Sarra Majdoub to take a closer look at Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their evolving military and political objectives. They discuss the RSF’s rece…
- Bonus Episode: The DR Congo-Rwanda Deal, Trump’s Mediation and African Politics
Today, we're bringing you a bonus episode on the DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal and U.S. engagement in Africa from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard is joined by Murithi Mutiga, Crisis…
- Somaliland’s Moment?
This week on The Horn , Alan is joined by Guleid Ahmed Jama, a Hargeisa-based lawyer and political commentator, to discuss Somaliland’s push for recognition. They revisit Somaliland’s decision to declare independence from Somalia in 1991 a…
- As South Sudan Quakes, an Heir Apparent Rises
This week on The Horn , Alan speaks with Daniel Akech, Crisis Group’s senior analyst for South Sudan, about the deepening political crisis in South Sudan and looming questions about President Salva Kiir’s succession. They trace Kiir’s rise…
- The New Scramble for Peace (and Minerals) in DR Congo
In this episode of The Horn , Alan Boswell is joined by Richard Moncrieff, Crisis Group’s Great Lakes project director, to discuss the state of the war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. They discuss the extent of the Rwanda-back…
- Any Hope Left for Diplomacy in Sudan?
In this episode of The Horn , Alan Boswell is joined by Abdul Mohammed, who has worked on Sudan for many years, including as a senior official in the UN and African Union. They discuss the risks of a de facto partition of the country as bo…
- Sudan’s Two Years of Hell
In this episode of The Horn , Alan Boswell is joined by Sudanese civil society activist and political commentator Dallia Mohamed Abdelmoniem. They discuss her flight from Khartoum when war broke out between the Sudanese army and the parami…
- A Region in Spiral, a World in Tumult
In this episode of The Horn , Alan Boswell is joined by Annette Weber, the European Union’s Special Representative for the Horn of Africa. They discuss how the first months of Donald Trump’s presidency have affected the region and whether…
- Bonus Episode: South Sudan on the Brink of Another War
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on South Sudan from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Horn of Africa director Alan Boswell and South…
- Which Way Will Trump Go on Somalia?
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Omar Mahmood, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Somalia and the Horn of Africa to discuss Somalia’s uncertain new global context with the dawn of a new Trump administration. They first unpack…
- Ethiopia and Eritrea, On a Collision Course
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Michael Woldemariam, associate professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, to discuss the risk of renewed war between Ethiopia and Eritrea amid rising regional te…
- The Aid System is Collapsing. Now What?
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive Officer of ODI Global, to discuss the Trump administration’s sudden halting of most foreign aid amid a trend of broader cuts to foreign aid by Western governm…
- Bonus Episode: A Decisive Turn in Sudan’s War?
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Sudan from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael and Horn of Africa direc…
- Trump’s Aid Cuts and What Africa Should Expect Next
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Joshua Meservey, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s Africa policy. They examine the Trump administration’s recent freeze on foreign aid, its…
- The Race for AU Chair: Power, Politics, and Influence
In this episode of The Horn , guest host Nazanine Moshiri is joined by Liesl Louw-Vaudran, Crisis Group’s Senior Advisor to the African Union (AU), to talk about the upcoming elections for the AU Commission Chairperson. They unpack the cha…
- What to Expect from the New AU Mission in Somalia
In this episode of The Horn , guest host Omar Mahmood is joined by Paul Williams, professor of international relations at George Washington University, to discuss the newly authorised African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Soma…
- Humanitarian Diplomacy: Negotiating Aid Access in a Turbulent World
In this episode of The Horn , guest host Elissa Jobson speaks with Kwesi Sansculotte-Greenidge, former Senior Conflict and Access Advisor at the World Food Programme, and Abdalla Hussein, operational manager at Médecins Sans Frontières. Th…
- Bonus Episode: Trump in Africa
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on what a second Trump administration means for U.S.-Africa policy from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s…
- Peacemaking in Africa amid Global Disorder
In this episode of The Horn , guest host Murithi Mutiga is joined by Hanna Tetteh, former UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa. They discuss the challenges of peacemaking in Africa amid regional conflicts and…
- What’s at Stake for Africa at COP29?
In this episode of The Horn , guest host Nazanine Moshiri leads a roundtable discussion with researcher and journalist Peter Schwartzstein and Karabo Mokgonyana, renewable energy campaigner at Power Shift Africa, to talk about what’s at st…
- Inside Sudan’s Catastrophic Civil War
In this episode of The Horn , guest host Elissa Jobson is joined by BBC journalist Mohanad Hashim, to talk about his recent trip to Omdurman and other war-torn cities in Sudan, and the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in the country as t…
- Africa’s Debt Burden and the Need for Global Financial Reform
In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Hannah Ryder, CEO of Development Reimagined, to discuss how debt and the high cost of debt servicing are affecting economies in Africa. They unpack the history of African debt, the increased…
- Somalia amid a Swirl of Regional Tensions
In the first episode of The Horn’s new season , Alan is joined by Crisis Group’s senior Eastern Africa analyst Omar Mahmood to discuss the escalating regional tensions involving Somalia, Egypt and Ethiopia, the uncertain future of the stab…
- Kenya and the Future of Protests
In this episode of The Horn , Alan talks with writer and political analyst Nanjala Nyabola about the wave of nationwide protests that have swept through Kenya in recent weeks and prospects for the country and the region. They unpack the po…
- Sudan is Starving. Now What?
In this episode of The Horn , Alan talks with Alex de Waal, a leading scholar on famines as well as on Sudan and the executive director of the World Peace Foundation, to talk about the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan as the war…
- With Oil Exports Disrupted, What Lies Ahead for South Sudan?
In this episode of The Horn , Alan talks with Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, about South Sudan’s widening fiscal crisis, with the war in neighbouring Sudan cutting the govern…
- War and Dizzying Regional Alliances in Congo’s East
In this episode of The Horn , Alan Boswell talks with Crisis Group’s Great Lakes project director Richard Moncrieff about the latest from DR Congo as violence in eastern North Kivu continues to escalate. They unpack the recent attack by a…
- Bonus Episode: War and Hunger in Gaza and Darfur
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Sudan and Gaza from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard is joined by Crisis Group experts Alan Boswell, Shewit Woldemichael,…
- Bonus Episode: What’s Left of Sudan After a Year At War?
Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Sudan from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire! . In this episode of Hold Your Fire! , Richard is joined again by Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael and Horn of Africa direc…