African politics
Xenophobic sentiment in South Africa reaches highest level in two decades
Economic frustration and electoral politics are driving a sharp rise in hostility towards migrants in South Africa
Pope Leo’s Africa tour underscores continent’s rising weight in global Catholicism
Africa’s rising Catholic population frames Pope Leo’s tour amid conflict, inequality and questions of church leadership
Benin coup attempt reveals west Africa’s deepening democratic crisis
Nigeria deployed jets to help crush Benin's coup attempt, marking Ecowas's first successful military intervention against putschists since the region's coup epidemic began in 2020
South Africa’s G20 triumph comes face to face with Trump’s wrecking ball
The first G20 on African soil delivered on debt, energy and minerals — but can these wins survive Trump's antagonism and America's forthcoming presidency?
US reviews Tanzania ties after election violence
The United States has said it is conducting a comprehensive review of its relationship with Tanzania, citing concerns over religious freedom violations, speech restrictions, and violence surrounding October's disputed elections
Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan is as repressive as John Magufuli, her predecessor
President Samia Hassan, who is seeking re-election this month, increasingly resembles her predecessor John Magufuli, who banned media, censored journalists, stifled the opposition and rigged elections before his death in 2021
Focusing on M23 allows ADF insurgents to expand in eastern DRC
The capture of Goma and Bukavu by the M23 early this year has put further strain on the DRC's already weak national army, creating a security vacuum that the ADF has exploited to expand its operations
DRC’s latest peace deal is unravelling, and it isn’t the first. What is going wrong?
Despite almost three decades of peace efforts and interventions at local, regional and international levels, the mineral-rich east of the country remains unstable
Experts say new UN declaration must protect rights of world’s poorest to nutritional benefits of milk and meat
Experts have warned that a draft UN declaration aimed at eliminating trans-fatty acids from global diets could inadvertently deny the world’s poorest people the nutritional benefits of milk and meatMore African politics
Why bartering Africa’s minerals for security is a bad idea
A US-brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda binds the two nations in a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower in return for vague promises of security
Trump’s Africa summit: offshoring the US’s immigration problem?
Last week, US President Donald Trump hosted a mini-summit with five African leaders at the White House, which was surprising given his stance towards the continent
Four things every peace treaty needs, and how the DRC–Rwanda deal measures up
One agreement is rarely enough to resolve a complex conflict; deals are often part of a series, sometimes between different actors. They often refer to previously concluded ones, and will be referred to by subsequent ones
Will the US-brokered deal between Rwanda and DRC will pave the way for peace?
Any peace efforts must acknowledge the political nature of the crisis in eastern DRC, including the consequences of the failed power-sharing agreement between Kabila and Tshisekedi
What are the chances of success for the US-brokered peace deal signed by DRC and Rwanda?
On 27 June 2025, the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a new peace agreement under the auspices of the United States
China offers zero-tariff access to African nations
China’s President Xi Jinping has pledged to extend zero-tariff treatment to Uganda and 52 other African nations, in a move aimed at boosting Sino-African trade
M23 rebels targeted civilians in Goma, HRW says
The absence of reports of fighting between the warring parties and the nature of the wounds indicate that M23 fighters deliberately executed those in their custody, says HRW
Is the war in Sudan the cause of the economic crisis in South Sudan? What is really going on with oil revenue?
South Sudan’s ability to attract new loans depends on the repayment of existing ones. These repayments largely depend on oil production. As the 2024-24 budget shows, South Sudan desperately needs new loans to keep even core state functions operational
What’s driving Africa’s youth-led protests?
While many of the protesters' demands are unlikely to be met, the demonstrations underline the urgent need for fundamental reform, not just in Kenya or Nigeria, but across Africa
China benefits most from its relations with Africa: where’s the imbalance?
The eight Focac summits since 2000 have not resulted in mutual gain, particularly in trade and industrialisation for Africa, with China reaping most of the benefits
