Isha Sesay has been named host of Inside Africa, the network's weekly show dedicated to providing viewers with an inside look at political, economic, social and cultural affairs and trends in Africa, it was announced today by Katherine Green, senior vice president of CNN International. Sesay will continue in her role as co-anchor of daily global news programme, Your World Today.
“Isha brings a true flair to the reporting of Africa and will help build upon the tremendous success of the last few years,” Green said.
Sesay's appointment comes just a few weeks after the company announced a major expansion of its reporting and bureau structure in Africa. These new resources indicate that Inside Africa will be able to provide even more in-depth and comprehensive coverage of the continent in the years to come.
Having contributed regularly to the program since she joined the network in 2005, Sesay has reported on many stories from the region including Nigeria's presidential elections in 2007; Zimbabwe's economic issues; the kidnapping of British toddler, Margaret Hill, in the Niger Delta; and The Elders, Nelson Mandela's initiative that tackles the world's intractable problems.
A seasoned journalist, Sesay has also covered Liberia's historic election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, human rights issues in Zimbabwe and the long-running conflicts in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Western Sahara.
In a career that spans nearly 10 years, she has interviewed several newsmakers including former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, US Secretary of State James Baker, Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa, 2008 US presidential candidate Governor Bill Richardson, former Iraqi hostage Giuliana Sgrena, five-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan, and acclaimed author Khaled Hosseini.
