Africa Day 2021

This week we are excited to share a special episode on Africa Day. Celebrated annually on 25 May, Africa Day commemorates the 1963 founding of the African Union. Lisa Sharland speaks to Ambassador Martin Kimani, the new permanent representative of Kenya to the United Nations. They discuss Kenya’s role on the UN Security Council, engaging in multilateralism via Zoom and counter-terrorism. Brendan Nicholson speaks to Australia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Ms Gita Kamath about Australia’s economic ties with South Africa, the impact of Covid-19 on the region and the effectiveness of groupings such as the Southern African Development Community and the Southern African Customs Union as unifying forces. In November last year, the Ethiopian government launched a military offensive in the country’s northern Tigray region. ASPI Research Intern Khwezi Nkwanyana speaks to the Director of Horn of Africa at Human Rights Watch, Laetitia Bader, about the ongoing humanitarian crisis, its geopolitical implications for neighbouring countries and the responses from different multilateral institutions. Guests (in order of appearance): Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Ambassador Martin Kimani: https://www.un.int/kenya/staff/amb-martin-kimani Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Ms Gita Kamath: https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/high-commissioner-to-south-africa Khwezi Nkwanyana: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/khwezi-nkwanyana Laetitia Bader: https://www.hrw.org/about/people/laetitia-bader Image: Flag of the African Union - via WikiPedia Music: "Beyond" by Patrick Patrikios via the YouTube Audio Library