WASSAP: the Africa – West Asia Podcast

In this episode of the WASSAP podcast, we explore the role of energy, ports, and infrastructure corridors in shaping Gulf–Africa relations. Hosts Desirée Custers and Hubert Kinkoh are joined by Dr. Maddalena Procopio and Dr. May Darwich, who provide insights into how Gulf states are expanding their economic engagement across Africa through investments in energy, logistics, and port infrastructure. The discussion examines the structural drivers behind these developments, including shifting global economic dynamics and the strategic repositioning of Gulf actors. It also highlights how African governments engage with and leverage these partnerships to advance national priorities. Importantly, the episode moves beyond macro-level dynamics to explore how infrastructure projects impact local communities, labour markets, and social relations, demonstrating how global economic transformations are experienced on the ground. Overall, the episode highlights a dynamic relationship shaped by interdependence, strategic positioning, and evolving forms of agency. The WASSAP podcast is supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation.

In this episode of the WASSAP podcast, we explore a less frequently discussed dimension of Africa–West Asia relations: Iran’s engagement with the African continent and how African actors navigate their relationships with Iran. Hosts Désirée Custers and Hubert Kinkoh are joined by Ambassador Frederic Gateretse‑Ngoga and Dr. Hamid Talebian, who bring institutional and research perspectives on Iran–Africa relations. Together, they unpack how Iran engages with African countries across diplomatic, economic, security, and cultural domains, and how its approach compares to that of Gulf actors. The conversation also situates Iran–Africa relations within broader geopolitical and security dynamics, including the interconnections between the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa, and West Asia, as well as the impact of global conflicts and shifting power structures. A key focus of the episode is African agency, highlighting how African states and institutions actively manage their partnerships with Iran — leveraging relationships, navigating global rivalries, and pursuing their own strategic interests. At the same time, the episode addresses risks such as economic shocks, security spillovers, and geopolitical competition, while pointing to opportunities for African actors to strengthen coordination, economic integration, and strategic autonomy. The WASSAP podcast is supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation.

In this episode of the WASSAP podcast, we take a closer look at how African agency unfolds in real-world partnerships with Gulf countries. Moving from abstract conceptualization of agency to concrete examples, hosts Desirée Custers and Hubert Kinkoh are joined by Dr. Bob Wekesa and Dr. Amare Aweke, who bring perspectives from South Africa and Ethiopia. Together, they explore how African actors engage with Gulf partners in areas such as investment, infrastructure, and regional security. Drawing on their research and policy experience, the guests highlight how African countries are not simply responding to external influence, but are actively shaping their partnerships and navigating opportunities, managing risks, and pursuing their own strategic priorities. The episode reveals a dynamic and evolving relationship marked by negotiation, interdependence, and shifting global dynamics, where African agency plays a central role in defining the future of Africa – West Asia relations.

In this inaugural episode of WASSAP: The Africa-West Asia Podcast, hosts Désirée Custers and Hubert Kinkoh introduce the WASSAP project (West Asia – Sub‑Saharan Africa Partnerships in Flux) and set the stage for the podcast series. Together with Jan Hanrath, CEO and co-founder of CARPO, and Dr Sebastian Sons, Senior Researcher of CARPO, the episode explores why relations between Gulf countries and Sub‑Saharan Africa are becoming increasingly strategic, how these partnerships are changing in a multipolar global order, how they different between Gulf countries, and why they matter for policymakers, researchers, and European audiences alike. A central focus of the discussion is WASSAP’s flagship publication which introduces the NML-framework (Networkability, Maneuverability, and Leveragability) as a novel lens for understanding agency in Gulf-Africa relations. The conversation highlights how African actors exercise strategic agency and challenges common assumptions that frame these relationships as one‑sided or purely driven by Gulf states.