VOA Experts

Salwa Jaâfari

VOA Africa Division Director

Salwa Jaâfari brings over two decades of diverse experience in journalism and diplomacy. Since 2021, she has served as the Director of VOA’s Africa Division, initially joining Voice of America as an Executive Producer for the French to Africa service. There, she played a pivotal role in launching four television shows and establishing a TV newsroom. Prior to her tenure at VOA, Jaâfari made her mark as a versatile freelancer for French news agency AFP and British network Skynews Arabia. Hailing from Morocco, Jaâfari’s passion for storytelling ignited early in her career in Morocco thanks to an internship with News Agency Reuters. She went on to thrive as a TV host, field reporter, and chief editor for two prominent TV channels. Her impact extends beyond the screen, with a portfolio boasting ten documentaries, including one credited with catalyzing legislative change. Jaâfari’s commitment to journalistic excellence has earned her accolades such as the prestigious “CNN Best African Journalist of the Year” award, recognizing her groundbreaking work shedding light on illegal immigration in the Moroccan desert and the Spanish Canary Islands. Beyond media, Jaâfari brings a wealth of diplomatic expertise, having served as an Information Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, fostering robust relations between nations.

Expertise: Francophone Africa Politics, U.S. Africa Policy, France, Broadcast Journalism

Languages: English, French, Arabic

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Mwamoyo Hamza, Ph.D.

Program Manager, VOA Africa Division

Mwamoyo Hamza was appointed VOA Africa Division’s program manager in December 2021. Prior to that, he was Chief of VOA Swahili, primarily broadcasting to East Africa. He joined VOA in 1994 and served as Swahili service chief from 2008 to 2021. Since joining the Voice of America, Hamza has covered or planned coverage of some of the most important news events in the Africa Division, including President Barack Obama’s participation in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Nairobi in July 2015. In addition, he was among the first journalists to visit and report from Darfur, Sudan in 2004, after which he traveled to southern Sudan, where he interviewed the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Dr. John Garang. A native of Tanzania, Hamza began his career as a reporter for the Daily News and Sunday News newspapers based in Dar es Salaam, where among other assignments he covered the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Hamza attended the Tanzania School of Journalism. He also holds a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Howard University in Washington D.C.

Expertise: Broadcast Journalism; Sub-Saharan Africa; US-Africa Policy; Press Freedom; Sports Journalism

Languages: English, Swahili

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Steven Ferri

Internet Managing Editor

Steven Ferri is the Internet Managing Editor in charge of digital and social media strategy for the VOA Africa Division. He is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of programming for web sites and social media for sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to VOA, Ferri held various roles within the AOL Time Warner family where he was responsible for strategic content development and media convergence projects at AOL, Warner Bros. Television, and Time Warner Cable. These projects included Telepictures In2TV, where he helped reimagine classic Warner Bros. Television shows for a new generation of Internet audiences; the AOL Sports franchise Time Out with Roy Firestone featuring athletes, such as Oscar de la Hoya and Brett Favre; and Time Warner Cable where he worked on digital media integration. Previously, Ferri was a co-founder of tech startup CineLink and Faultline Pictures, an independent film production company. Early in his career, Ferri reported on distressed communities in the United States for NeighborWorks America. This included award-winning work about people living in at risk communities confronted with gang-related violence. Ferri attended Georgetown University, George Mason University, and the Center for Creative Imaging where he studied digital design and communications.

Expertise: Content Strategy; Documentary Films; US-Africa Policy; Sub-Saharan Africa; Pop Culture

Languages: English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Desalenge Mekonnen

Operations Manager, Africa Division

Desalenge Mekonnen is the Operations Manager in the Voice of America Africa Division. He began his journey with VOA as an intern in the summer of 1997, contributing to field reporting and various programs for the Amharic Service. There he covered African cultural events and produced features on African sports. In 2001, he officially joined VOA as a productions specialist, delivering flawless shows across different services within the Africa Division. Mekonnen has worked across multiple language services in the Division, including French to Africa, English to Africa, Horn of Africa, and Portuguese to Africa, Hausa, Swahili, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Somali, and the Zimbabwe Service. He also served as a substitute producer in the Central Newsroom, ensuring timely distribution of international bureau feeds to language services. Additionally, Mekonnen hosted his own weekly music program for the Horn of Africa Service. In 2010, he was promoted to Africa Division Executive Producer, where he managed production needs, staff training, developing production budgets, and other duties. Mekonnen experiences at VOA have given him expert knowledge in all aspects of multi-platform broadcasting, strategic planning, program implementation, and cross-cultural communications skills. Mekonnen, a native of Ethiopia, holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from The University of the District of Columbia.

Expertise: Broadcast journalism; Sub-Saharan African politics; US-Africa policy

Languages: English, Amharic

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Salem Solomon

Senior Editor

Salem Solomon is a senior editor with VOA’s Africa Division. In addition to filing her own stories, Salem works with reporters from the Division’s 16 language services to bring local stories to a wider audience. Before joining VOA, she was a writer at the Tampa Bay Business Journal and an anchor for Scripps News’ Newsy.com. She also hosted “Global Journalist,” a radio show on international news at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in prominent news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter Online and Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab. At VOA, Salem produced “How Long Have Africa’s Presidents Held Office?,” a special report that won second place in the data visualization category at the 2016 Africa Media Awards and a data-driven project Hunger Across Africa, a project that won the Cowan Award for Humanitarian Reporting. Before coming to the U.S., she was a television news anchor in her home country, Eritrea. In addition, she is the founder and editor of Africa Talks, a multimedia website about Africa and the global African diaspora and future training hub for African journalists. Salem holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communications from the University of Asmara and a master’s degree in journalism at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

Expertise: US-Africa Policy; Sub-Saharan Africa; Press Freedom; Global Politics & Foreign Affairs; Solutions Journalism

Languages: English, Amharic, Tigrigna

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Modibo Dembele

Managing Editor, VOA Bambara

Dembele joined VOA Bambara as an International Multimedia Broadcaster in 2013. A Mali native, Dembele was the first radio host of VOA Bambara that started broadcasting on March 4th, 2013. Prior to VOA, he was the Deputy Chief of the District of Bamako City Hall legal department in Mali. He also worked as a journalist in several private Malian media outlets. Since he joined VOA, Dembele has covered the military coup of 2013 in Mali and the riots of 2020 that led to the overthrow of the former President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. He has also covered other political and security issues, gender and youth related issues, as well as immigration, and he organized special magazine programs on a variety of topics in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Bamako and USAID. Dembele has frequently served as a guest expert on VOA’s Africa 54 TV program, the Washington Forum TV program and Mali Kura radio, web and social media program, covering issues such as violent religious extremism in the Sahel region, U.S. foreign policy, U.S. presidential elections, the political climate in West Africa and youth unemployment. He is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School with a master’s in international and comparative law. He also holds an MBA from the University of the District of Columbia, and a bachelor’s in law from the National College of Administration in Bamako, Mali.

Expertise: International law; U.S. foreign policy; management; investigative journalism

Languages: English, French, Bambara, Jula, Mandingo

Location: Washington, D.C.

Bagassi Koura

Chief, VOA Bambara

An experienced field reporter, Bagassi Koura currently serves as Chief of VOA Bambara. Prior to this appointment he was the managing editor of the same service since 2012. Defying considerable danger, Koura provided extensive coverage of the July 2013 elections in Mali with daily radio and video pieces and a detailed multimedia blog. His reporting from Mali also included the peace treaty between Tuaregs and the Malian government and was recognized with the David Burke Award in 2014. Prior to VOA, Koura worked as a correspondent in Africa, Europe and the United States, covering international news for major global media networks. His stories have appeared on PBS Frontline/World, Agence France Presse, the Deutsche Welle, Reuters Television, Die Tageszeitung, Panos Institute West Africa, Afrikanet.info, and Afrik.com. In addition, his short documentary “The Stinking Ship” that chronicles the odyssey of an oil toxic waste shipment in the Port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, won several awards in 2010. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley School of Journalism.

Expertise: Francophone Africa; documentary films

Languages: English, Bambara, French

Location: Washington, D.C.

Kadiatou Traore

International Multimedia Reporter, VOA Bambara

Kadiatou Traore is an accomplished international broadcaster, who played a pivotal role in launching the Bambara program for Voice of America in 2013. At VOA, she created “Mali Kura,” a daily live radio program, and “An-Bafo,” a weekly interactive call-in show in the Bambara language. These programs, known for their innovative and creative approaches, included live and pre-recorded features, specials on breaking news, and remote coverage. Traore was the senior host of “Mali Kura” for four years. In addition to her broadcasting work, Kadiatou is skilled in social marketing and communication for development. She has 20 years of experience as a consultant in gender policy development, serving as a trainer, facilitator, and women’s rights activist. Her consultancy work spans gender, peace, and security issues. Previously, Traore worked for Woman Watch Africa Inc. as Outreach Community Director, addressing domestic violence and abuse among African women refugees. She also founded and served as Executive Director of the Association for Solidarity Action and Aid, Childhood Mali in Bamako. Kadiatou’s contributions extend to policy development, having served as a Counselor at the Higher Council of Communication in Mali, where she developed national communication strategies. She holds an MBA in policy analysis and program evaluation from Strayer University in Washington D.C, and a BS in Psycho-Pedagogy from the University of Mali. Kadiatou Traore’s diverse background and extensive experience highlight her dedication to social change and women’s empowerment.

Expertise: Broadcast Journalism; Sub-Saharan Africa; Women's Issues; Human Rights; Journalism Standards & Ethics

Languages: Bambara, French, English

Location: Washington, DC

X: @VOAAfrica

Auriane Itangishaka

International Broadcaster, VOA Central Africa

Itangishaka is one of the hosts of VOA Central Africa’s radio show “MURISANGA.” This daily one-hour live call-in program engages the audience on a variety of issues, such as peaceful conflict resolution, political tolerance, reactions to breaking news, and health issues. She is also one of the anchors of VOA Africa Division’s new TV show “Our Voices”; a round table discussion program with a pan-African cast of four women. “Our Voices” engages African women from around the continent on serious subjects and encourages them to speak out about issues that impact their lives and their futures, including politics, business, and migration. As part of VOA’s Central Africa service for over 14 years, Itangishaka frequently interviews heads of state, religious figures, human rights activists, and other high-level politicians and key leaders on topics pertaining to the Great Lakes region of Africa and the world. She is an experienced journalist with in-depth knowledge of the historic, social, political and economic issues of the region. Itangishaka holds a master’s degree in social action and community development from the University of Maryland.

Expertise: Sub-Saharan Africa; international politics

Languages: English, French, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Swahili

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @RadiyoyacuVOA

Etienne Karekezi

Chief, VOA Central Africa

Etienne Karekezi is the Chief of VOA’s Central Africa Service. His journalism career spans more than 30 years, 20 of which were as the Managing Editor of VOA’s Central Africa Service. Karekezi started his career in his native Rwanda, working for both print and broadcast media, and some of his notable coverage assignments came during the Rwandan war from 1990-1994. Since joining VOA in 1995, Karekezi has broken several significant stories and while covering topics ranging from conflicts in the African Great Lakes region to press freedom and U.S. elections. Karekezi completed his college studies at the National University of Rwanda with a license degree in linguistics and language teaching. He later earned his Master of Arts degree in broadcast journalism and environment from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Expertise: U.S.-Africa Policy; Press Freedom; Digital Media

Languages: Kinyarwanda, French, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voaafrica

Fidele Niyongabo

International Broadcaster, VOA Central Africa

Fidele Niyongabo has worked for VOA Central Africa — Kirundi/Kinyarwanda — for more than 24 years. He covers economic, business, trade, as well as environment related issues as an international broadcaster and an editor for the service. As one of the hosts of VOA Central Africa’s radio flagship program “Murisanga,” he conducts interviews with academics, political analysts, news makers and human rights activists on issues affecting the target region. He has also covered a number of live major news events, including but not limited to the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, as well as his address to YALI fellows in Washington D.C. in 2016. Prior to VOA he worked as a legal advisor at the Ministry of Commerce, Department of External Trade in Burundi. He has put out a number of publications, including a Handbook on the Commercial Laws of Burundi, an International Contract Manual (Kluwer Laws International, 1993) and a research document on Ethnic Conflict in Burundi (International Law Institute, Washington DC). Niyongabo holds a master’s degree in international legal studies from American University and a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Burundi.

Expertise: Africa; international trade and global politics

Languages: Kirundi, French, English, Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @RadiyoyacuVOA

Frederic Nkundikije

Managing Editor, VOA Central Africa

Frederic Nkundikije is the managing editor of VOA Central Africa. In his more than 20 years in journalism, Nkundikije has interviewed high profile guests including heads of state, former U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, the former U.S. Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region, Thomas Perriello, as well as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor for the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng. Nkundikije participated in an executive exchange on Burundi at the State Department where he joined Africa experts, including former Director of The Wilson Center’s Africa program, Ambassador Steve McDonald. Nkundikije joined the White House press corps for VOA to cover President Obama’s first official visit to Africa in 2009. Nkundikije has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Burundi and a master’s degree in journalism from Georgetown University. He was also a Hubert Humphrey fellow at Penn State University. Prior to VOA, he worked at the University of Burundi as director of the cabinet to the university president, a position similar to vice president for administration in institutions of higher education in the U.S.

Expertise: Social Media; Data Reporting; Video Journalism; Photo Journalism; Digital Media

Languages: Kirundi, French, English, Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @RadiyoyacuVOA

Edward Rwema

International Broadcaster, VOA Central Africa

Edward Rwema has been an international broadcaster for VOA Central Africa since 2013. He covers many of Great Lakes biggest stories including the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda’s aftermath of the genocide and just recently the crisis in Burundi. In 2015, under extreme conditions, threats and risk of life, Rwema filed stories each day for VOA bringing the world and VOA listeners objective accounts of the crisis in Burundi, covering election campaigns, demonstrations against the president’s third term bid, failed political dialogue, and the impact of the crisis on the people of Burundi. Prior to joining VOA, Rwema reported for a variety of media outlets such as the Associated Press, German International Radio, the Torstar Group and a number of radio and print outlets in Rwanda.

Expertise: US-Africa Policy; Sub-Saharan Africa; Sports Journalism; Human Rights; Broadcast Journalism

Languages: English, French, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @RadiyoyacuVOA

James Butty

Managing Editor, VOA English to Africa & Host of "Daybreak Africa"

James Butty’s broadcasting career began in Liberia where he worked as a volunteer at the Voice of Pleebo, a community radio station in Pleebo, Maryland County. He later worked as assistant news editor and radio and television newscaster at the Liberia Broadcasting System. Butty came to VOA from the West Africa Magazine where he was a Washington correspondent. He now serves as managing editor and host of Daybreak Africa, VOA’s breakfast show to Africa. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in Mass Communication from Howard University, and a diploma in radio and television broadcasting from Brown Institute (now Brown College) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Expertise: Broadcast Journalism; Sub-Saharan Africa; Human Rights; Diaspora Communities; Investigative Journalism

Languages: English

Location: Washington, DC

X: @VOAAfrica

Peter Clottey

International Broadcaster, VOA English to Africa & Radio/TV Host

As the host of Nightline Africa, a radio magazine show on Saturdays and Sundays and One on One with Peter Clottey, a TV segment on VOA’s Africa 54 TV show, Peter Clottey daily interviews African heads of state and other governmental officials, as well as rebel and insurgent leaders. His impartial economic and political news reports to the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa have established him as a highly respected international broadcast journalist with VOA. Prior to VOA, Clottey built a national reputation with Choice 102.3 FM news radio in Accra, the capital of Ghana. He began his journalism career while studying at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering. There he managed the student radio station, Dynamite 88.9 FM. A year into his engineering career, Clottey was drawn back into broadcasting as news anchor for Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Central), 92.5 FM. There he also hosted a music and sports program. Clottey occasionally contributes stories about the rise of African athletes in the world of soccer and hosts The Sports Box, a television show on VOA.

Expertise: Multimedia Storytelling; Broadcast Journalism; Sub-Saharan Africa; US-Africa Policy; Multimedia Journalism;

Languages: English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Zoe Leoudaki

Television Producer and Social Media Strategist, VOA English to Africa

Zoe Leoudaki is a television reporter, producer and audience engagement strategist for VOA’s television news shows in English that are broadcast to Africa. Zoe started her broadcasting career in Athens, Greece, as a reporter for BBC radio. She was also among the first women to produce and direct newscasts for private television networks in Greece. After coming to Washington in 1998, she worked as a host of radio news shows for VOA Greek and was recognized as one of the voices and faces of VOA in Greece for 15 years. In the African Division, she spearheads initiatives in audience engagement on a variety of social media platforms. She created the first Facebook-Live-only show for English to Africa, Shaka: Extra Time, based on audience questions from social media platforms. Leoudaki has a keen interest in how U.S. policies towards Africa affect the lives of women and children in the continent. She also reports on the contemporary African art scene, focusing on art as a tool for social change. Zoe was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She has a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from The American College of Greece and a Master of Science from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Languages: Greek, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

John Tanza Mabusu

Managing Editor, South Sudan

Before joining VOA, John worked in Nairobi, Kenya where he established the first independent radio station (Sudan Radio Service) for the people of Sudan. He has covered several civil wars both in Sudan and South Sudan and has been engaged in the production of civic education materials for creating awareness about post conflict issues facing Sudanese and South Sudanese. John has interviewed South Sudan President Salva Kiir, former Vice President Riek Machar, Vice President Wani Igga, leader of Sudan’s Umma Party Sadiq Al Mahdi in addition to other senior United Nations and U.S government officials in South Sudan and Washington. His travels have taken him across to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Egypt, Ethiopia, Syria, DRC Congo and parts East Africa where he reported on the South Sudanese diaspora and the challenges facing them. John enjoys listening to music from all over the world, reads academic books, watches documentaries and listens to various radio stations on the internet. You can follow John on Twitter at @Abusukon

Languages: English, Arabic, Kiswahili, Lingala

Location: Washington, DC

X: @VOAsouthsudan

Vincent Makori

Managing Editor, VOA English to Africa & Host, "Africa 54"

A native of Kenya, Vincent Makori is a versatile journalist with more than 20 years of experience, working in Africa, Europe and the U.S. Makori has covered a wide range of stories including the Africa Union Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, the UN General Assembly in New York, International Trade and Technology Fairs in Berlin and Hanover Germany, Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, Mexico, and the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has interviewed people from all walks of life, including high ranking officials and presidents, among them, former U.S. President George W. Bush, former Secretary of State John Kerry, President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, former President of Ghana John Kufuor, and Noble Laureate Wangari Maathai. Makori holds a post-graduate degree in Mass Communications from the School of Journalism of the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Moi University, Kenya.

Languages: English, Swahili, German

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Heather Maxwell

International Multimedia Broadcaster, Host and Producer, “Music Time in Africa”

Heather Maxwell is the host and producer of VOA’s “Music Time in Africa.” The 60-minute music show is VOA’s longest-running English language program of pan-African music. She also reports on VOA TV and social media about African music and is the author of the “Music Time in Africa” blog. Maxwell speaks fluent French and Bambara. She is a two-time Fulbright scholarship recipient and has published several works on African music. Maxwell travels to Africa regularly to research music stories and trends and to acquire music recordings for all of VOA’s African music programs. She keeps in constant touch with her millions of radio fans and social media followers worldwide. Maxwell holds a Bachelor of Arts in music (voice) and anthropology from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in folklore and ethnomusicology from Indiana University.

Expertise: US Music & Culture; Diaspora Communities; World Music & Culture; Sub-Saharan Africa; Broadcast Journalism

Languages: English, French, Bambara

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @musictimeafrica

Jackson Mvunganyi

International Broadcaster, VOA English to Africa & Co-Host of "Up Front"

As the co-host of VOA’s Up Front, an interactive, fast-paced, radio program connecting youth in Africa and the United States, Jackson Mvunganyi along with his co-host, Nadia Samie, an on-air personality based in Cape Town, South Africa, talk to teens and young adults about trends, lifestyles, health, entertainment and other issues touching listeners’ lives. Mvunganyi has had a multi-faceted broadcasting career, working in both radio and television, in Africa and the United States. A native of Rwanda, Mvunganyi volunteers his time with African diaspora communities on issues affecting the continent. In addition, he has participated on various panels at the United Nations, World Bank, Harvard University, The Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, American University and Georgetown University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia development from American University in Washington D.C., and a master’s degree in information management from the University of Maryland.

Expertise: Social Media; Sub-Saharan Africa; Pop Culture; Diaspora Communities; Youth

Languages: English, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili, Luganda, French

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @UpfrontAfrica

Ndimyake Mwakalyelye

Chief, VOA English to Africa

Ndimyake Mwakalyelye currently serves as Chief of the English to Africa service at the Voice of America. Prior to this appointment she was the Chief of VOA Zimbabwe since 2014. She is also one of the anchors of the English women’s show “Our Voices,” a round table discussion program with a pan-African cast. Prior to her current position, Mwakalyelye was the lead reporter and anchor at large for “Africa 54,” VOA’s live, daily TV program for Africa. She has a strong interest in Africa and believes the media serves a crucial role in transforming and uplifting the lives of all citizens through well-researched information delivered via TV, radio or digital platforms. She is particularly interested in addressing issues that are relevant and of concern to women, children and people with disabilities. Prior to joining VOA, she worked for New Jersey Network, the state’s only public broadcasting station. Mwakalyelye was born in Tanzania and raised in Zimbabwe. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, and a master’s degree from American University.

Expertise: Digital Media; Sub-Saharan Africa; Multimedia Journalism; US Politics; Youth

Languages: English, Shona, Ndebele

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrica

Nathalie Barge

International Broadcaster, VOA French to Africa

Nathalie Barge has been an international broadcast journalist with VOA’s French-to-Africa service since 2008. She is hosting Le Monde au Féminin, a show focusing on women and youth related issues. Barge has traveled to more than 40 countries for professional and cultural reasons. As a freelance reporter in Sierra Leone during the civil war, Barge wrote articles about the victims of the war and child soldiers. Her photos were selected for several exhibitions, as well as the photojournalism festival Visa pour l’Image in France. Barge also covered the elections of 2002 in Sierra Leone and was the only woman to cover the struggle over Tongo diamond mines controlled by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). She holds a DAEU, a diploma in literature, from Lyon 2 University in France.

Languages: English, French

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrique

Dilly Dicko

International Broadcaster, VOA French to Africa

Dilly Dicko joined Voice of America in 2016 as a journalist and reporter specializing in American and global politics. In addition to her experience working at the Washington, D.C. headquarters, Dicko also served as a correspondent at the New York Bureau. A versatile media professional, she is well-versed in TV production, field reporting and media project management. Her day-to-day work includes writing and producing materials for all platforms, conducting interviews and hosting news segments.

Dicko began her career in France managing development projects. She worked for Canal France International as a Media Project Manager for the Middle East, North Africa and Eurasia regions. She earned her first Master’s degree in International Affairs with a major in Project management in conflict areas, International Security and Defense. While working in Paris, Dicko furthered her interest in public relations by earning her second graduate degree from Sorbonne University in Political Communication. She grew up in Bamako, trained as a competitive swimmer, and studied in Paris and London before moving to the United States. Dicko is fluent in English, French, Russian and Bambara.

Expertise: Sub-Sahara Africa; North Africa; US and global politics; economics; development; communications, TV production and digital journalism

Languages: English, French, Russian, Bambara, Spanish

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrique

Idrissa Fall

Senior International Broadcaster, VOA French to Africa

Idrissa Fall has been VOA French-to-Africa service’s Senior Editor since 1992. Having served at VOA for more than 25 years, Fall has covered numerous crises, conflicts and wars on the African continent. His reporting garnered him two David Burke Distinguished Journalism Awards that recognize courage, integrity and originality by the Broadcasting Board of Governors. In 2013, Fall covered the fighting between Muslim and Christian militias in the Central African Republic, where he barely escaped death in Bangui. He was saved by French soldiers after being attacked by a mob. In 2012, he was the first foreign reporter to enter northern Mali under control of Islamic extremists. In 1996, Fall was also the first reporter to enter the rebel controlled region of former Zaire — now Democratic Republic of Congo — and make a chief rebel known to the world. Laurent Desire Kabila would become head of state in DRC, and later his son Joseph Kabila ruled for 18 years. Fall has also covered the crisis in Niger, the rebellion in Ivory Coast and the fall of president Laurent Gbagbo, the rebellion in Burundi and the genocide in Rwanda.

Expertise: US-Africa Policy; Broadcast Journalism; Sub-Saharan Africa; Terrorism/Extremism; Journalism Standards & Ethics

Languages: French, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrique

Runanira Lionel Gahima

Multimedia Producer, VOA French to Africa

An award-winning producer, Runanira Lionel Gahima is a native of the African Great Lakes region. He began his career at the Voice of America in 2010, as a radio producer for VOA Central Africa. Since 2013, he serves as the lead multimedia producer for the French to Africa team, responsible for the production of television programs, such as “Washington Forum” and “Vous et Nous.” He has also contributed to the launch of “LMA TV,” the service’s daily news broadcast, as well as the development and launch of the “RM Show” radio-on-TV program. In addition, he continues to be involved in the production of French to Africa radio programs such as “Le Monde Aujourd’hui,” “A Votre Avis,” “Dialogue des Religions” and “L’Amérique et Vous.” He traveled to Burkina Faso to cover the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESOACO), and he participated in the production of the first and second editions of the Basketball Africa League coverage. Gahima holds a master’s degree from the “Institut Européen des Hautes Etudes Internationales (IEHEI)” and a master’s certificate in project management from Villanova University. An avid photographer, he is also a member of the World Bank-IMF photography club.

Expertise: Multimedia Storytelling; Video Journalism; Photo Journalism; TV Production; Radio Production

Languages: English, French, Lingala, Swahili, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrique

Roger Muntu

International Broadcaster, VOA French to Africa & Host, "RM Show"

Roger Muntu is a radio and television personality of the popular “RM Show” radio program and “Vous et Nous” TV program. Muntu’s daily hour-long show features music and interesting chat with some of the region’s most notable musicians, actors, politicians and other celebrities. He mixes light and serious subjects to excite listeners, who participate extensively through calls, emails, Facebook posts, and SMS messages every day. Prior to joining VOA in 2012, he worked as an international freelance correspondent for several international media outlets and a Media Technologies teacher in Fairfax County Schools. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Information Systems Technology, with a minor in Communications, and he is working on his MBA and Conflict Resolution Certificate at Marymount University. Muntu is often interviewed by international media on various issues. When people in francophone Africa are asked to name their favorite VOA show, usually the first answer is: “RM Show!”

Expertise: Francophone Africa; music; culture

Languages: French, English, Swahili, Lingala, Tshiluba, Spanish

Location: Washington, DC

X: @VOAAfrique

Georges Leonard Sagno

Multimedia Journalist, VOA French to Africa

Georges Leonard Sagno is a multimedia reporter for VOA’s French-to-Africa service. A native of Guinea in West Africa, he joined VOA in 2004. He hosts a daily sports segment in French to Africa’s “RM Show” radio program and has contributed a series of interviews with high profile African and international musicians from a variety of African countries such as DRC, Cameroon and Benin. Throughout his 28-year career in journalism, Sagno worked for New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); he covered major events in Africa, including late French President Jacques Chirac’s visit to Guinea in 1999, former opposition leader and former President of Guinea, Alpha Conde’s arrest during the 1998 presidential election, and the UN General Assembly in New York; and he interviewed Liberia’s former President Ruth Perry in Washington in 2012. Before joining VOA, Sagno worked as managing editor of Radio Top Africa, and held several high-ranking positions at local media companies in Conakry, Guinea. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry, Guinea and a Postgraduate Diploma in media, democracy, and good governance (MDD) from the University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada.

Expertise: Sub-Saharan Africa; U.S. Africa policy

Languages: French, English, Kpelle

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAfrique

Grace Alheri Abdu

Managing Editor, VOA Hausa

An experienced journalist with more than 35 years in broadcasting, Grace Alheri Abdu is the managing editor of VOA Hausa. Prior to joining Voice of America in Washington D.C. in 2005, Abdu was a deputy director of news and current affairs with Plateau Radio Television Corporation in Nigeria. At VOA she covered extensively the kidnapping of the 276 female students of Chibok by Boko Haram in 2014, as well as the Nigerian presidential elections in 2011 and 2019, during which she had exclusive interviews with the main opposition leaders, presidential candidates and political leaders including the Nigerian Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo. She also covered the #EndSars protest in 2020. Abdu currently hosts two radio and a TV weekly show, including a weekly family-oriented radio program which is popular with young women. Abdu researches and writes on family, early marriage, gender violence, women, and child development issues. She holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, as well as a master’s degree in international law and diplomacy and a second master’s in religious studies, both from the University of Jos, Nigeria.

Expertise: Multimedia Storytelling; Broadcast Journalism; Women's Issues; Human Rights; Investigative Journalism

Languages: Hausa, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voahausa

Mahmud Lalo

International Multimedia Journalist, VOA Hausa

A native of Jos Plateau State in north-central Nigeria, Mahmud Lalo works as a radio and TV presenter and editor for VOA Hausa. He also contributes to the service’s digital programming. Prior to joining Voice of America, Lalo worked for the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Abuja, Nigeria, as a multimedia journalist and the Hausa service of Radio France RFI in Lagos. He has also been a print media reporter working for Media Trust, an Abuja-based private newspaper company and publisher of Daily Trust, Weekly Trust, and Sunday Trust. Mahmud Lalo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication from Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria.

Expertise: Politics

Languages: Hausa, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voahausa

Julie Leathers-Gresham

Senior Producer, VOA Hausa

Julie Leathers-Gresham is a senior radio producer for VOA Hausa, a position she has held since joining the service in 2005. In this capacity, she produces and oversees the 30-minute mid-day and evening airshows that broadcast to Nigeria, Niger and Ghana. Her attention to detail and ability to work under extreme pressure has ensured the service’s high-quality production. Prior to joining VOA Hausa, Leathers-Gresham was the producer of VOA Portuguese-to-Africa’s breakfast show. She’s a native of Washington, D.C., where she attended the University of the District of Columbia.

Expertise: Radio Production

Languages: English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voahausa

Aliyu Mustapha

Chief, VOA Hausa

Aliyu Mustapha, the current chief of VOA Hausa, joined Voice of America in 1989. Since 2016 he served as managing editor of the service focusing on breaking news, as well as the planning and enterprise coverage for a total of 16 hours of weekly radio programming on shortwave, AM and 24/7 audio mobile stream. In June 2015, Mustapha secured the first exclusive one-on-one interview to an international broadcaster with then newly elected Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Prior to VOA, he worked with radio and television stations in Nigeria, including the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). While at NTA, he rose to the position of acting Director, News and Current Affairs Division in his hometown of Sokoto. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of Maryland.

Expertise: US-Africa policy

Languages: English, Hausa

Location: Washington, DC

X: @voahausa

Tujube Kussa

International Broadcaster, VOA Horn of Africa

Tujube Kussa is an international broadcaster in VOA Horn of Africa’s Afan Oromo service and has been at VOA for the last 20 years. She got her start in journalism at Ethiopian Television as a freelance journalist and news anchor. At VOA, Kussa has a weekly program focusing on American culture, history, and way of life. She has also covered major political, social, and health issues, such as the Oromo protest movement from 2015 to 2018, and the 2007 acute diarrhea outbreak in Ethiopia. Kussa has interviewed activists, opposition party officials, and major political leaders at the federal and regional levels, including Lemma Megersa, the former Oromia President, following peace negotiations with the Oromo Liberation Front in 2018. In addition to broadcasting, Kussa has served as the Afan Oromo point person for digital media. She holds a Diploma from the Teachers Training College in Ethiopia.

Expertise: Horn of Africa

Languages: Afan Oromo, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAmharic, @voaafaanoromoo, @voatigrigna

Minia A Teclab

International Broadcaster, VOA Horn of Africa

Minia A Teclab joined VOA on July 1, 1996, when the Tigrigna program first launched. With more than 30 years of reporting experience focused in the Horn of Africa, primarily Eritrea and Ethiopia, Teclab has regularly produced original content on human rights, press freedom, and the refugee crises in the Sinai deserts in Libya, Yemen, and the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to VOA, Teclab worked for the Ethiopian State Television as a TV host, news anchor and reporter from 1991 to 1995. She traveled to Eritrea and covered the UN sponsored Eritrean referendum for independence. She has also covered the 70th UNGA in 2015 in New York, the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington D.C., and the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Minnesota for VOA’s Horn of Africa service.

Expertise: Horn of Africa; East Africa and Middle East politics; human rights;

Languages: Tigrigna, Amharic, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAmharic, @voaafaanoromoo, @voatigrigna

Tewelde Tesfagabir

International Broadcaster, VOA Horn of Africa

With more than 20 years experience in hosting, writing and editing VOA Tigrigna radio programs and digital products, Tewelde Tesfagabir has a deep understanding of the political and cultural challenges facing Eritrea, Ethiopia and the larger Horn of Africa region. Prior to joining VOA, Tesfagabir was a correspondent and editor for Ethiopian State Radio in Addis Ababa. He is one of few VOA journalists who was able to visit his native Eritrea, and interview President Isaias Afewerki. Tesfagabir is known for well-researched video and audio content and interviews on politics, economic development, human rights, press freedom, the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean that has affected the lives of many Eritreans and Ethiopian refugees, and other social issues. Tesfagabir holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and journalism from the University of Asmara, Eritrea, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. His published dissertation focuses on indigenous and independent food sustainability in Africa.

Expertise: Multimedia journalism; public policy; U.S Africa policy; press freedom; Horn of Africa

Languages: English, Tigrigna, Amharic

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAmharic, @voaafaanoromoo, @voatigrigna

Dhaba Wayessa

Editor, VOA Horn of Africa

Dhaba Wayessa is the team lead for VOA Horn of Africa’s Afan Oromo language programming. He joined VOA in July 1996, when the Afan Oromo program was first launched. Since then, he has worked as international broadcaster, editor and managing editor for more than 25 years. Wayessa regularly produces original content and has led the Afan Oromo program team’s coverage of the most sensitive and complex stories, including civil unrest and political violence in Ethiopia, especially in the Oromia Regional State. He has also led the transition of his team from radio to a TV broadcast platform. Prior to joining VOA, Wayessa published two critically acclaimed novels and wrote/produced five stage plays in the early and mid 1990s. His literary work is considered a benchmark in the development of modern Oromo literature. He is a recipient of the agency’s superior achievement award, as well as other local and international awards. In addition to his earlier studies of Educational Administration and Biology in Ethiopia, Wayessa holds a bachelor’s degree in Radio, TV, and Film and a Master of Fine Arts degree in film both from Howard University.

Languages: Afan Oromo, Amharic, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAAmharic, @voaafaanoromoo, @voatigrigna

Mayra Fernandes

International Broadcaster, VOA Portuguese to Africa

Mayra Fernandes has been an international broadcaster with VOA Portuguese since November 2013. Fernandes concentrates in using various social media tools, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to engage audiences and boost content for Portuguese speaking African countries. She writes news stories for all platforms, manages the Service’s social media pages, hosts the weekly TV entertainment show “Red Carpet” and co-hosts daily Facebook live programs. Being multimedia and mobile savvy, Fernandes has been training stringers and media outlets overseas on online journalism and social media interaction, as well as how to shoot and edit using mobile devices. Prior to VOA, Fernandes served as an editorial coordinator for PT Comunicações Sucursal in Angola. Born in Angola, she grew up in Portugal, where she graduated with honors from the University of Beira Interior with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences, majoring in Online Journalism. Her post-graduate studies were in Strategic Management of Public Relations, from the Higher School of Communication and Media Studies, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Expertise: Digital Media; Social Media; Video Journalism; Multimedia Journalism; Content Strategy

Languages: English, Portuguese, French

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOAPortuguese

Falastine Iman

Multimedia Broadcaster, VOA Somali

Falastine Iman is a senior international broadcaster with more than 25 years of experience working in Somalia, Kenya, and the U.S. She has broad expertise in politics, security, and social issues. Iman started her career as a VOA local reporter in Mogadishu in 2007, at the height of conflict in Somalia, and during the rise of extremism. In her 25-year career she has interviewed prominent officials, including all Somali presidents, Djibouti’s president, and the Ethiopian Prime Minister. In 2007, she survived a car explosion attack, that targeted her and other journalists, sustaining a minor injury. She moved to Kenya where she covered the election violence in 2007, before she settled in the U.S. in 2008. Iman has conducted investigative reporting about Al-Shabaab extortions in Mogadishu and has reported on Canada’s gang violence, interviewing parents, the police chief, elected officials, and community elders. She also covered the trial of nine Somali-American youths who tried to join ISIS from Minnesota. Recently, Iman traveled to Somalia to cover the Somali presidential elections interviewing leading candidates and later the elected president. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology, law, and society, with a minor in intelligence analysis from George Mason University and she is working on her master’s degree in global security at Arizona State University.

Expertise: Broadcast Journalism; National Security & Intelligence; US-Africa Policy; Terrorism/Extremism; Investigative Journalism

Languages: English, Somali

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voasomali

Harun Maruf

Senior Editor, VOA Somali

Harun Maruf is a senior editor for VOA Somali. He previously worked as a reporter and writer at VOA’s Africa Division with an extensive experience in working in conflict zones. He also covered security, extremism, piracy, human rights, politics and other current affairs issues. He secured the first radio interview with the late American jihadist Omar Hammami and two weeks later Maruf was the first to report Hammami’s death. Maruf has also reported on the emergence of pro-Islamic State militants in Somalia; the travels of Somali youth from Minnesota to Syria to fight alongside ISIS; and has presented hundreds of original radio documentaries about Al-Shabab, extremism, corruption, piracy, and human rights. In addition, Maruf is the author of hundreds of articles, papers and scholarly works about Somalia and the Horn of Africa and he’s frequently invited to speak on these subjects at international events, conferences, round-table discussions and town halls. Prior to VOA, Maruf worked for BBC and Associated Press as a reporter in Somalia, and as a researcher for Human Rights Watch. He holds a Master of Arts in international journalism from the City University of London.

Expertise: Broadcast Journalism; Press Freedom; Terrorism/Extremism; Investigative Journalism; Solutions Journalism

Languages: English, Somali

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voasomali

Mohamed Olad

Senior Editor, VOA Somali

Mohamed Olad Hassan is a senior editor and writer with VOA Somali. Before joining the Voice of America, 11 years ago, he was a Mogadishu-based correspondent for, among others, the Associated Press and the BBC World Service. He is the recipient of the Speaker Abbot Award given by the British House of Commons and the Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism from Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation. As part of his duties with VOA Somali he anchors the weekly TV show “Qubanaha,” as well as the biweekly program “The Torch” that focuses on social, political and economic stories that affect Somalis, Africans and the world. In addition, Olad contributes stories to VOA Central News, including an exclusive interview in 2014 with Abdilahi Yusuf Abdi, the father of the young stowaway who survived a flight from California to Hawaii hidden in the wheel well of a jetliner. The story was picked up by major media outlets including CNN, NBC, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, ABC, and New York Magazine, among others. Olad holds a Diploma in journalism from SIMAD University in Mogadishu, Somalia, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in peace and conflict resolution at George Mason University.

Expertise: Multimedia Storytelling; Broadcast Journalism; US-Africa Policy; Press Freedom; Terrorism/Extremism

Languages: Somali, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voasomali

Abdirahman Yabarow

Chief, VOA Somali

With over 40 years of journalism experience centered primarily on East Africa, Abdirahman Yabarow has been the Chief of VOA Somali since July 2008. Under his leadership, the service’s audience reach increased to 74.5% in just three years. Yabarow started his career in journalism at Somalia’s Radio Mogadishu. He has also worked for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launching a Somali broadcasting section for the UN’s Regional Integrated Network. Prior to VOA, he served as a correspondent for the BBC reporting from Kenya and Britain, as well as senior correspondent in the BBC’s Washington Bureau. Yabarow’s reporting spans politics, social issues, culture, science and sports. He also has extensive experience training broadcast journalists. Yabarow has a master’s degree in urban studies from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in information systems, cum laude, from the University of the District of Colombia (UDC).

Expertise: East Africa; US-Africa policy; Middle East and Islamic World

Languages: English, Somali, Afan Oromo, Arabic

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voasomali

Abdushakur Aboud

International Broadcaster, VOA Swahili

Abdushakur Aboud is a senior editor and video producer with VOA Swahili. During his 25 years with VOA, Aboud has covered major political, social, health and cultural events in East, Central and Southern Africa. Aboud covered South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, the first multi-party elections in Malawi, the Kenyan elections after the 2008 violence, the fight to eradicate polio in the 1990s in South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia and the AIDS epidemic on the African continent. A native of the Comoros Islands, Aboud has worked for more than 35 years with international broadcast organizations, starting in the early 1980s with the Voice of Germany and the BBC. He is a graduate of Chiekh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. He specialized in television broadcast engineering and video production in Germany and Japan.

Expertise: East and Central African Politics; African Union; US-Africa Relations

Languages: English, Swahili, French

Location: Washington, DC

X: @VOASwahili

Khadija Riyami

Chief, VOA Swahili

Khadija Riyami is the Chief of VOA Swahili. A seasoned reporter with more than 34-years experience in journalism, Riyami joined VOA in July of 1998 and through the decades she has covered major political events such as Democratic and Republican Conventions, U.S. Presidential elections and inaugurations. She has secured high profile interviews with prominent politicians, including the fourth president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, as well as other officials in East and Central Africa and experts. She reported live for the African audience on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the U.S., and during the fall of the former President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, following a mass uprising. She also launched and coordinated the Youth Health Program to Tanzania ‘Je Nifanyeje’ (What should I do), as well as the 30-minute program ‘Kwa Undani’ (In-Depth), which she hosts, providing in-depth analyses on important issues and topics. Riyami attended Tanzania’s School of Journalism. She also studied journalism at International Institute for Journalism in Berlin, Germany, the Commonwealth Press Union, London UK, as well as the Nordic SADCC Journalism Center in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Expertise: Sub-Saharan Africa; Press Freedom; Youth; Women's Issues; Health

Languages: Swahili, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @VOASwahili

Ray Choto

Managing Editor, VOA Zimbabwe

Ray Choto is an award-winning investigative journalist and managing editor of VOA Zimbabwe. In his current capacity, he manages broadcasts to Zimbabwe in English, Shona and Ndebele on medium wave and shortwave radio, and a daily live webcast of its popular Studio 7 radio program. In April 2016, Choto was asked to collaborate with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in the so-called “Panama Papers” project. His initial report revealed that Zimbabwe’s leading platinum-mining firm, Zimplats Holdings, allegedly used an offshore company to pay salaries for senior managers in violation of exchange control laws. A former chief investigative reporter for The Standard, a Sunday weekly based in Harare, Choto and his editor, the late Mark Chavunduka, had uncovered several stories about government and business corruption in Zimbabwe. The journalists were detained and tortured by the military for refusing to disclose their sources. They were later released and subsequently honored as joint-winners of the International Press Freedom award, sponsored by the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. They also became the first African journalists to receive the British James Cameron Award. He has published four novels in the Shona language. Choto was a three-year Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.

Expertise: Press Freedom

Languages: English, Shona

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voandebele

Gibbs Dube

International Broadcaster, VOA Zimbabwe

International Multimedia Broadcaster Gibbs Dube is a seasoned journalist with 35 years experience in news reporting and editing in print and broadcast media. Dube, who is the currently the Assistant and Weekend Editor of the VOA Ndebele desk, is the founding editor of Zimbabwe’s banned independent Weekly Times newspaper, editor-in-chief of the weekly independent Dispatch newspaper, Bureau Chief of the weekly independent Standard and social and digital instructor/lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. Dube is a winner of several awards including Zimbabwe Reporter of the Year, Runner-up-Development Reporter of the year and recipient of the prestigious Hubert Humphrey Fellowship (University of Maryland). He has extensive knowledge in covering general elections, politics, conflict resolution and media, governance matters, development writing, and digital and social media. Dube has acquired various skills in radio news reporting and presentation and internet editing techniques and is the Assistant Editor of the prime call-in-program – Livetalk – and digital and social media lead at the Voice of America’s Zimbabwe Service, where he also works as a multimedia international broadcaster. He is a graduate in journalism and media studies from Zimbabwe’s National University of Science and Technology.

Languages: Ndebele, English

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voandebele

Praxedes Jeremiah

Chief, VOA Zimbabwe

Expertise: Multimedia Journalism; Women's Issues; Broadcast Journalism; Sub-Saharan Africa; Digital Media

Languages: English, Shona, Ndebele, Chewa, Zulu, Swati and Xosa

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voandebele

Blessing Zulu

International Multimedia Broadcaster, VOA Zimbabwe

Born in Zimbabwe, Blessing Zulu is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience in hosting, writing, and editing VOA Shona programs and the “Live-Talk” call-in program which broadcasts in English, Shona and Ndebele. Prior to joining VOA, he worked as a political reporter for the Zimbabwe Independent Newspaper in Harare, getting arrested and threatened on many occasions for his fearless writings. Zulu has covered many stories of interest to the southern African region, including the death of the first black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, the ouster and death of former Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe, the Southern African Development Community summits, the 2014 U.S.-Africa leaders’ summit and the first inauguration of former President Barack Obama. He has interviewed many high-profile officials, including former Presidents Jimmy Carter (U.S.), Peter Mutharika (Malawi), Jerry Rawlings and John Dramani Mahama (Ghana), Prime Ministers Hailemariam Desalegn (Ethiopia) and Morgan Tsvangirai (Zimbabwe), as well as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, several U.S. Ambassadors and members of Congress. Zulu has been a guest on CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, PBS News Hour, South African Broadcasting Corporation and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. He holds a postgraduate diploma in media and communication from the University of Zimbabwe, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and economic history from the University of Zimbabwe.

Expertise: Africa; U.S.-Africa policy; global politics; economics

Languages: English, Shona

Location: Washington, D.C.

X: @voandebele