#AFRICAINFOCUSSHOW :Talking Points around ECOWAS(3)

"Dear friends,

Host, E.K.Bensah Jr
As "Africa in Focus" turned 1 year old on 5 May, we took the opportunity to use the forty-first edition to further-explore "Talking Points around #ECOWAS@40", with a particular focus on what the twittersphere describes as a #migrantCrisis.

To that end, we felt it important to speak to a representative from the Ghana mission of the International Organisation for Migration, which has been in Ghana since 1987. Although the international organisation was established as far back as 1951 in the aftermath of the Second World War, it remains ever-relevant especially at a time when there have been over 1000 deaths on the Mediterranean.

Kojo Wilmot of IOM offered us a history of IOM, including the reason why IOM decided to set up in Ghana in 1987. That was a period in Ghana's history when the Diasporan community was being encouraged to return to the country to contribute to the country's development. Kojo further gave us an overview of IOM's activities, including what the organisation is doing to help globally on the #migrantCrisis underway in the Mediterranean.

Dr.Akuffo (L); Kojo Wilmot(R)
Dr.Edward Akuffo, assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Fraser Valley, Canada, gave us the important background to the migrant crisis, which has its genesis in the Nato intervention of 2011 that ousted the Libyan leader Qaddafi; including the 2012 Mali coup, which further destabilised the sub-region, and the Sahel to such an extent that it triggered a new wave of migrants.

Assistant Producer
Juana Akuamoah-Boateng
Qaddafi's deal to contain migrants leaving to Europe evidently all fell to naught, what with his passing, and the cancellation of the Italian-led "Mare Nostrum", which has gone down as arguably one of the EU's most humanitarian-led interventions on migrants in the way in which it offered what the "Guardian" calls "proactive search-and-rescue" assistance for migrants.

Kindly find a link to download the podcast below, and enjoy "Africa in Focus" Show Episode 41:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0waz6qqc38g44pk/AFRICA%20IN%20FOCUS%20%205-5-15.mp3?dl=0

Just in case you missed it: "Africa in Focus Show" is the ONLY weekly magazine on Ghanaian radio explaining; unpacking; demystifying ECOWAS; AU; and South-South cooperation policies around Africa's integration. We are airborne every Tuesday from 13h00 to 15h00 GMT. All podcasts are available for download on www.africainfocusradioshow.org Follow the conversation using #AfricainFocus