Channel Africa Podcast

Nigeria has welcomed 100 US soldiers to train the West African nation's armed forces and assist with intelligence gathering in the fight against growing security threats from Islamist militants and other armed groups. The move follows concerns raised by US President Donald Trump, who has accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christian communities from extremist violence. The deployment marks further escalation in military cooperation between Abuja and Washington, coming after recent US airstrikes on militant targets. The Nigerian government strongly disputes that characterisation, insisting the violence affects both Muslims and Christians and is part of a broader security challenge. In Part 1 of this week’s episode, Peter Ndoro speaks to Rev. Ezekiel Bwede Dachomo, a pastor and human rights advocate in Nigeria’s Plateau State. He shares his experiences and discusses the impact of the violence on the Christian community, saying that Christians are attacked and targeted because of their religion. Let’s take a listen. He further laments what he describes as the systematic exclusion of Christian people from employment opportunities and key positions in government.

The military junta in Guinea‑Bissau has released opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira who had been detained by the military after it seized power in November last year. However, local political leaders, analysts and citizens remain skeptical, noting that key figures like Pereira are still under house arrest and participation in government, and upcoming elections are uncertain. While regional pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - is influencing dialogue with the junta, shaping political negotiations and the prospects for a stable transition ahead of the December 6 elections, it remains still to be seen if the junta's pledge of an “inclusive” transitional government will hold true...For more, we are now joined by Alberto Dabo, journalist in Guinea-Bissau... as well as Austin Aigbe, Advocacy Officer at the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) which is a transnational democracy solidarity network that aims to mobilize, coordinate, and leverage the collective power of pro-democracy actors.....