Sign in with Google 
North Africa update
Season 2, Episode 27
Duration: 43m
We are joined on this episode by Amine Antari, managing director of Forensic Investigations and Intelligence and Head of Middle East at Kroll. Born in Morocco, Amine talks us through a career in forensic investigation, intelligence and compliance that has taken him to the US, Canada, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The world seems daily to become a more uncertain place. Amine unpicks three contemporary crises – Covid-19, climate change and the invasion of Ukraine – and outlines how he sees them unfolding across Africa and the Middle East.
Social, political and economic life in many countries remains volatile, but efforts to improve governance and transparency and incorporate climate reporting into corporate decision-making is cause for optimism.
The upcoming Cop27 in Egypt is a real focus. In a fossil-fuel rich region that is also heavily exposed to climate impacts, the risk of stranded assets coexists with a tremendous appetite for global ambition.
We then dive down into specific countries. IMF negotiations in Tunisia balance financial support against a raft of difficult reforms, while failed elections in Libya suggest a return to political instability.
Tensions between Algeria and Morocco have spilled over into the economic and diplomatic spheres, with the involvement of Western powers such as the US and France elevating the conflict to the plane of geopolitics.
Finally, we discuss Africa as an untapped market. The density of opportunity on the continent is unparalleled, and the role of North Africa as a bridge to the Middle East gives it an important strategic role. Digitalisation, technology and renewed transparency and governance are exciting developments.
Read more
- The invasion of Ukraine: implications for Africa
- UN report: the state of water security in Africa
- IMF negotiations in Tunisia
- Electoral instability in Libya
- Algeria and Morocco: a regional cold war?
- Looking ahead to Cop27
Credits
Host and Executive Producer: Desné Masie
Co-producer: Peter Doerrie
Researcher: Angus Chapman
Digital Editor: Charles Dietz
Design: Jason Venkatasamy