Executive Director of Vanguard Africa, Jeffrey Smith, a longtime critic of President Mugabe’s excesses, admits that his sting will be missed by those calling for UN reforms. “Despite Mugabe's nearly four-decade rule marked by corruption and widespread human rights abuses, he was often spot-on in terms of the need for reform of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, which is out of step with 21st century realities.”

According to preliminary election results cited by Thiam, his senior adviser, and Vanguard Africa, the Washington-based pro-democracy organization, Abeid managed to win his parliamentary race despite the fact that he is still detained.

This week: Is the Barrow administration corrupt? The Minister of Information, Ebrima Sillah, goes to bat for the Government. Also, the Gambia Government and why it is failing on the deliverables - We hear from journalist and social activist, Mama Linguere Sarr. And the man at the international 'vanguard' that helped bring an end to 22 years of tyranny in The Gambia, Jeffrey Smith.

"Cameroon embodies the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, that most people are unaware of," Jeffrey Smith, the executive director of Vanguard Africa told DW.

Vanguard is a nonprofit organization that partners with African leaders and democracy activists to consolidate democratic gains and advocate for free and fair elections in Africa.

Political observers believe that the arguably worsening crisis in Cameroon is largely due to the Biya regime's use of violence and brutality as a first resort.

"By immediately resorting to violence, Biya and the country's governing elite, dumped petrol on a long-smoldering fire, transforming the conflict into the runaway conflagration we see today," Smith says. 

Vanguard Africa executive director Jeffrey Smith joins host Shaka Ssali and guest Daniel Kawuma, from the Uganda Diaspora Investment Company, to discuss recent events in Uganda, the #FreeBobiWine campaign and the legacy of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

"If international donors and world powers were somehow fooled by an orderly election day, and liable to lend support to the government thereafter, those illusions were effectively shattered when the military opened fire on protesters," said Jeffrey Smith, executive director of Vanguard Africa.

"Many people talk about the plundering and the looting, human rights abuses that took place under Mugabe's rule. He was not alone in that. While the regime talks about Zimbabwe being open for business, this is the same group of people that systematically destroyed Zimbabwe's economy over nearly 40 years," said Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the nonprofit group Vanguard Africa.

We talk with Jeffrey Smith of Vanguard Africa about sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, and why exactly Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga is delivering a special message to Russia.

According to Jeffrey Smith, head of Vanguard Africa, an advocacy group: “Since August 2016 especially, the acts of violence [by the armed groups] have become more routine and more brazen…at this point, it almost seems as if armed groups and government forces are actively bidding to outdo one another in terms of shock value.”

Jeffrey Smith, executive director of Vanguard Africa, says he has been putting pressure on U.S. authorities to address the issue. "What we are trying to do is raise the necessary international alarm bells, to keep attention focused on his case, as it's not isolated. It is part of a wider crackdown on dissenting voices, on political opposition, and certainly on civil society with reports we have seen coming in of people going into hiding."