There is a renowned inclination to view and discuss Africa largely in terms of failure and disaster. The horrendous civil war in Sudan, the coups in the Sahel, and the never-ending wars in the DRC are excellent examples. More broadly, in the West, the continent is often viewed as a long-term project of democratisation, whereas to Russia and China, it is largely seen as a vast reservoir of natural resources and a useful instrument for anti-Western disorder.
However, Africa is a vast continent comprising 54 states, with a population exceeding 1.5 billion people. The differences between the north and the south are vast, as are those between the east and the west — and it has vast potential for production and investment. To understand both the issues and the potentials, there can be no better guide than Amaka Anku, Head of the Africa Practice at the Eurasia Group. In a sharp, passionate, and humorous discussion with ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El, she takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the continent, from its past to its present and potential futures. Bottom line: African states are young, but they need to move on towards a positive narrative of their states.
This episode was recorded on 11 December 2025
Chapters
- What are the key investors in Africa?
- Why does Africa struggle for effective governance?
- Colonial, legal, and democratic industrialisation
- Population growth and economic challenges
- Zoom in on the Sahel region and the return of coups
- Why are Russia and China back in African countries?
Mentions
Follow
- Amaka Anku, LinkedIn, Eurasia Group
- Ilana Bet-El
- Instagram @women_leaders_podcast
- Watch this episode on our YouTube channel
Credits
- Production: Florence Ferrando
- Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll License code: ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT
The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.
Image credit: Florence Ferrando
