Independent Thinking

Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by Mohammed al-Ta’ishi, a civilian member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council - where he served as the chief negotiator and main architect of the Juba Peace Agreement. Joining them both are BBC journalist James Copnall and Rosalind Marsden, an Associate Fellow with our Africa programme and the former UK ambassador to Sudan. Read our latest: Sudan’s forgotten war: A new diplomatic push is needed The ‘conflict economy’ of sesame in Ethiopia and Sudan How Sudan’s forgotten war is being fought Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Soli Özel, a Professor of International Relations at Istanbul Kadir Has University, and Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, the Head of the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. With them is Galip Dalay, a Senior Consulting Fellow with our Middle East and North Africa programme. Read our latest: Has David Cameron’s return revitalised UK policy in the Middle East? Maduro is flouting his commitment to hold free elections in Venezuela. The US must respond – carefully Securitizing the Ethiopia–Sudan border: How cross-border conflict is shaping trade and the control of land  Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by Mujtaba Rahman, the Managing Director Europe of the Eurasia Group and Georgina Wright, a Senior Fellow with Institut Montaigne. Joining them all is journalist John Kampfner, the former head of Chatham House's UK in the World Programme. Read our latest: Is Moldova a new battleground in Russia’s war? Has David Cameron’s return revitalised UK policy in the Middle East? Britain must rearm to strengthen NATO and meet threats beyond Russia and terrorism Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Bronwen Maddox is joined from Dakar, Senegal by Gilles Yabi, the founder and CEO of WATHI, the West Africa Citizen Think Tank and Idayat Hassan, a Senior Associate with CSIS. Joining them in the Chatham House studio is Paul Melly, a Consulting Fellow with our Africa Programme. Read our latest: Democracy in West Africa: Why Senegal’s election crisis matters Sudan’s forgotten war: A new diplomatic push is needed The UK should help coordinate support for Ukraine by backing EU defence initiatives Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Bronwen Maddox is in Japan this week, and is joined from Taipei by journalist Bethany Allen to discuss China's National People's Congress and the political calculations of Beijing's neighbours. Joining them are Robert Ward from The International Institute for Strategic Studies and Dr Yu Jie – a Senior Fellow with our Asia-Pacific programme. Read our latest: Why Egypt’s improved economic outlook is mostly down to luck, not skill This time Haiti really is on the brink. The US and UN must act to restore order The EU’s new AI Act could have global impact Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧  Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧 Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Guest host Leslie Vinjamuri is joined on the podcast this week by Ben Smith, the Editor-in-Chief of Semafor News and Professor Jennifer M Lind – an Associate Fellow with our US and Americas programme. Read our latest: How foreign policy might impact the outcome of the US election This time Haiti really is on the brink. The US and UN must act to restore order How geopolitical competition in the Black Sea is redefining regional order Presented by Leslie Vinjamuri. Produced by John Pollock. Follow Chatham House on Bluesky 🦋  Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Bronwen Maddox is joined on the podcast this week by Gregg Carlstrom, the Middle East correspondent for The Economist, Siavash Ardalan from BBC Persia and Dr Sanam Vakil – the Director of our Middle East and North Africa programme. Read our latest: The Gaza war is testing Hezbollah’s strategic capability Sweden brings benefits for NATO but accession delay raises difficult questions Watch the keynote address by Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Follow Chatham House on Bluesky 🦋  Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by Bill Browder – who for years has worked as a human rights and anti-corruption campaigner against the Putin regime. Alongside him is Nikolai Petrov, a Consulting Fellow with our Russia and Eurasia programme and Yulia Mineeva, an Academy Fellow with Chatham House, who was previously Head of News for Novaya Gazeta, the main independent newspaper in Russia. Read our latest: Alexei Navalny’s most powerful legacy is urging Russians to imagine their country without Putin China’s ‘renminbi trap’: The economy needs a weaker currency, but Beijing is unable to act Ukraine means enlargement is again the EU’s priority – but not for the reasons it claims Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Follow Chatham House on Bluesky 🦋  Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.

Discussing the recent Indonesian elections, the podcast explores Prabowo Subianto's potential presidency, democratic advancements, and geopolitical significance. It analyzes political alliances, ethical concerns, and Prabowo's transformation, raising questions about Indonesia's foreign policy stance under new leadership.

Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by Ciaran Martin, the former Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Centre; Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo, Vice Chair of the African Union’s Cyber Security Experts Group; Amy Hogan-Burney, General Manager of Cyber Security Policy at Microsoft and Joyce Hakmeh, the Deputy Director of our International Security Programme. Read our latest: Yes, China pressured Iran on Red Sea attacks – but only to protect its own ships A long war works against Ukraine – and the West’s own security Pakistan must ensure free and fair elections to avert a meltdown Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by John Pollock. Sound by Alex Moyler. Follow Chatham House on Bluesky 🦋  Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review and subscribe.