Tanzania: Autocracies in Transition - in 2025, Cameroon and Tanzania Rulers Clung to Power - but Look More Vulnerable Than Ever

Autocratic leaders in Africa like their numbers to be in the high 90s, it appears. Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Roger Lumbala Is Accused of Horrific War Crimes in DR Congo - Can His Trial in France Bring Justice?

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been called "the worst place on earth to be a woman" and "the rape capital of the world". A 2014 survey estimated that 22% of women and… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Child Marriage Is Still Common in the DRC - What's Driving It and How to Encourage Change

Despite international efforts to eliminate child marriage, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to have high rates of this harmful practice. Read more »

Cameroon: Paul Biya's Life Presidency in Cameroon Enters a Fragile Final Phase

For the first time ever, the opposition parties in Cameroon have come "close" to unseating 92-year-old Paul Biya, who has run the country since 1982. Read more »

Rwanda: Luxury Tourism Is a Risky Strategy for African Economies - New Study of Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda

How successful is luxury tourism in Africa? What happens if it fails to produce higher tourism revenues: can it be reversed? And does it depend on what kind of government is in… Read more »

Cameroon: Yaoundé Is Set to Sizzle At 38°c By 2030 - How Green Design Could Cool Cameroon's Capital

Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital, is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city where green hills meet modern architecture, creating a harmonious blend of culture, history and urban… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Soil Erosion Is Tearing DR Congo Cities Apart - What's Causing Urban Gullies, and How to Prevent Them

In fast-growing cities like some in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), heavy rains are carving huge scars into the land. Known as urban gullies, these deep erosion channels… Read more »

Cameroon: Paul Biya At 92 - Will Defections Weaken His Grip On Absolute Power in Cameroon?

Cameroonians go to the polls in October 2025 in what some people hoped might be a break from the country's troubled recent past. They thought that President Paul Biya (92) might… Read more »

Cameroon: Cameroon Could Be Turning Waste to Energy - Study Uncovers Why It's Not, and Sets Out Solutions

Many African cities still struggle with litter and garbage that is not properly disposed of. This poses serious public health risks. It attracts vectors of disease like mosquitoes… Read more »

Africa: There's a New Outbreak of Ebola in Africa. Here's What You Need to Know

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has declared a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province. It's caused by the most severe strain: Zaire Ebola virus. Read more »

Angola: Angolans Are Fed Up With Broken Promises - Why the Ruling MPLA Keeps Stalling Local Elections

Weeks of protests in July 2025 in Angola left 30 dead and hundreds imprisoned. Sparked by a hike in fuel prices, the outcome of a governmental effort to reduce subsidies, the… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Ebony and Ivory - Why Elephants and Forests Rise and Fall Together in the Congo Basin

The forest elephants of the Congo Basin are critically endangered and face extinction. Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Joseph Kabila Is On Trial for Treason in the DR Congo. What the Case Against the Former President Is All About

The Congolese military court has accused former president Joseph Kabila of treason, corruption, war crimes and supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group. During court… Read more »

Chad: Military Force Isn't the Solution for Lake Chad Basin Conflict - the Key Is Rebuilding Local Economies

Fatima, a fisherwoman on Lake Chad, sets out at dawn not just to make a living from the shrinking waters, but to pay a "tax". Before casting her net, she must hand over part of her… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo's Latest Peace Deal Is Breaking Down and It Isn't the First - What's Being Done Wrong

A series of peace initiatives since 2021 have sought to address the escalation of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a renewed offensive from the M23… Read more »

Cameroon: Cameroon's Election Risks Instability, No Matter Who Wins

Cameroonians will vote in presidential elections on 12 October 2025. The incumbent, Paul Biya, who has been in office for nearly 43 years, will be a candidate. Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Islamic State Massacres in Eastern DR Congo - Who Are the Insurgents and Why Are They Killing Civilians?

More than 100 civilians have perished in a spate of attacks by Islamic State-backed rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-2025. The Islamic State's Central African… Read more »

Chad: What Makes Lake Iro in Chad So Special? It's Not Just a Viral Sunglint Photo

Lake Iro in Chad was in the news in early August 2025 after a picture taken by a NASA astronaut was published showing it looking like a large, circular silver mirror as sunlight… Read more »

Cameroon: Cameroon's Conflict Is Part of a Bigger Trend - Negotiations Are Losing Ground to Military Solutions

In central Africa, a violent conflict has been unfolding for nearly eight years. What began in 2016 as peaceful protests by lawyers and teachers against the increasing… Read more »

Chad: Succès Masra - How Chad's Opposition Firebrand Came to Be Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

Chad's opposition firebrand and a former prime minister, Succès Masra, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 9 August. He was accused of inciting violence and hate speech… Read more »

Africa: Are African Countries Aware of Their Own Mineral Wealth? Ghana and Rwanda Offer Two Very Different Answers

Imagine running a business for over a century without knowing what's in your warehouse. That's essentially what many African countries are doing with their mineral wealth.… Read more »

Rwanda: 4 Things Every Peace Agreement Needs - and How the DRC-Rwanda Deal Measures Up

The governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda concluded a peace treaty in June 2025, aimed at ending a decades-long war in eastern DRC. The United… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo and Rwanda Sign a U.S.-Brokered Peace Deal - What Are the Chances of Its Success?

The foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a new peace agreement on 27 June 2025 under the auspices of the US. Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo's Plan for the World's Largest Tropical Forest Reserve Would Be Good for the Planet - Can It Succeed?

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo passed a law in January 2025 to lead efforts to establish the largest tropical forest reserve in the world. It will be set up as… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Is Worsening Gender-Based Violence Against Women

In early 2025, the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group seized control of Goma and then Bukavu, two major cities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Read more »