In this episode we discuss the recent political developments in Mali, including the role of radicalisation and COVID-19 in the coup. We are joined by guests Moctar Kane and Ernest Akuamoah

Moctar is an expert on African politics. His is a current African Youth Ambassador for Peace in the African Union and an advisor to the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, Mali. He has been a program manager in Conflict Stability and Security Fund Sahel with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office focussing specifically on Mali. He also conducted a research project at Oxford on issues of citizenship within Mali's democratic experience, after the collapse of democracy in the country in 2012.  He has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Bamako and a MPhil in Development Studies from Oxford University.

Ernest is a PhD student in the School of Politics and International Relations at ANU. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies (First Class Honours) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana) and a Master of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon. Prior to his studies at ANU, he was pursuing a Master’s program in International Development Studies at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada. He has worked as a research assistant and tutored courses in Comparative Politics, Political Economy of Africa’s Underdevelopment and Issues in Africa’s International Relations. His PhD project is concerned with why some elections escalate into high-levels of violence but not others, focusing particularly on Africa.