Africa News Feed

An investigation is under way into what really happened to Albert Ojwang in a police cell.

The deaths of the environmentalist and eight other campaigners sparked an global outcry in 1995.

Nicknamed the “Black Wagners”, hundreds of African men have been recruited by the Russian army to fight against Ukraine. Lured by promises of high wages, jobs or even Russian passports, some have voluntarily opted to join Russian President Vladimir Putin’s army. But for others, things are far more complicated: dozens have been manipulated and forcibly recruited. Lucile Chaussoy, Marc Kouho and Saloum Sané investigate.

Edgar Lungu’s family says he left instructions that President Hichilema should not come near his body.

In tonight’s edition: Kenyan authorities arrest a police constable over the death of a political blogger in custody, as angry protests rage in Nairobi. Also, Gambians have been growing increasingly worried by the devastation being caused by a growing fishmeal processing industry on their shores. Plus Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis has reached the relatively affluent class of dog owners, who are struggling to feed their pets because of soaring food costs.

Since arriving in Mali in 2021, Russian Wagner mercenaries have abducted and detained hundreds of civilians in former UN bases and military camps shared with the Malian army. Our investigation, as part of the Viktoriia project, reveals secret prisons where abuse and torture are carried out with total impunity.

The boy travelled to Ghana from London in March 2024 after being told a relative was ill.

In tonight’s edition: There’s shock and sadness in South Africa as the number of lives lost to extreme flooding in the Eastern Cape rises to at least 49. Also, African communities worry that Trump’s 3.5 percent tax on remittances could have an impact on the local economy. And Senegal hand England their first defeat by African opponents, sparking jubilation in the country. 

Burundi is set to have a one-party parliament following a poll that the opposition says was rigged.

The move comes as the continent’s exports face the possibility of high tariffs from the US.

As four African sides prepare for the Club World Cup, BBC Sport Africa looks at what impact the expanded 32-team tournament could have on the continent.

A UN official warns that hundreds of thousands in the sprawling camp are “slowly starving”.

Burundi’s long-term ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, won every seat in the country’s parliamentary elections, the electoral commission said Wednesday. Opposition parties said the vote was rigged and observers noted significant irregularities in the process.

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada joins an elite Lord’s club to increase the number of members to two, thanks to a five-wicket haul in the World Test Championship final.

Clashing ideas over how Edgar Lungu should be honoured have led to a political standoff.

Senegal beat England 3-1 at the City Ground on Tuesday to claim a first win for an African nation over England in 22 attempts.

In tonight’s edition: Shock deepens across the continent’s financial sectors over the recent credit rating slash of Afreximbank. Also, Kenyan medical examiners say that suicide is unlikely to be the cause of death of a teacher in police custody. The autopsy suggests assault, this as protests and calls for accountability continue. And in South Africa, communities are changing the way they look after the iconic kelp forests upon which their livelihoods rely.

The war in Sudan has led to the total or partial destruction of clinics and hospitals, but health professionals are determined to rebuild what has been lost. Among them are scientists researching and treating mycetoma, a rare but devastating fungal disease. The Mycetoma Research Centre (MRC) in Khartoum was unique and worked in partnership with several companies and organisations, including the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative. Today, doctors are appealing for help to rebuild the partially destroyed centre. FRANCE 24’s Shirli Sitbon spoke with the MRC’s director, Professor Ahmed Hassan Fahal.

In tonight’s edition: Authorities claim that a Kenyan man, who died in a police station after criticising a senior police officer, hit his own head. Also, days after pulling Wagner mercenaries out of Mali, Russia says it wants to deepen security ties with Africa. Plus world leaders, scientists and environmental campaigners meet for a crucial UN conference geared at saving the world’s oceans from pollution and dangerous levels of exploitation.

The Ojude Oba festival in south-west Nigeria combines fashion and culture connecting people to their roots.

Hundreds of activists in Tunisia on Monday launched a land convoy heading towards Gaza in a bid to break Israel’s siege on the Palestinian territory. Organisers said more activists would join the during the planned journey through Libya and Egypt

In this special edition we take a look at cutting-edge African culture. Peace Hyde, producer of three-season Netflix runaway success “Young, Famous & African” speaks to Georja about tackling myopic views about Africa by tapping into the diaspora to focus on the continent’s innumerably cosmopolitan, sexy and exciting facets. Georja also heads to the Ibrahim Governance Weekend in Morocco to speak to Nigeria’s highlife high flyers, The Cavemen. They’re doing their bit to level up Africa’s creative clout, one goosebump-giving riff at a time. 

The Russian-backed Wagner Group, which spent more than three years fighting Islamic extremists in Mali, will be replaced by the Moscow-run Africa Corps. In the last decade, Mali has relied on an estimated 2,000 mercenaries, according to US figures, in its battle against an insurgency by armed groups that include those linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

As the French coastal city of Nice hosts the UN Ocean Conference, we take you to Kenya, where small-scale fishermen are struggling. Fish stocks are dwindling, and their nets often come up empty. The reason: some foreign industrial trawlers – mainly Chinese, Tanzanian, and Italian – are overfishing and damaging marine ecosystems, often with little oversight. But a grassroots response is taking shape. With protected areas, stricter fishing rules and coral reef restoration, coastal communities are working to reclaim and protect their waters. FRANCE 24’s Clément Di Roma reports, with Olivia Bizot.

The Russian-backed Wagner Group, which spent more than three years fighting Islamic extremists in Mali, will be replaced by the Moscow-run Africa Corps. In the last decade, Mali has relied on an estimated 2,000 mercenaries, according to US figures, in its battle against an insurgency by armed groups that include those linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Italy is holding a citizenship referendum and it’s proving so divisive that some, including the prime minister, are boycotting it.

How social media is pushing back against the still common idea that African societies never had a knowledge system.

Bryan Mbeumo has become one of the most sought-after players in the English Premier League.

Why models from South Sudan, a lush but troubled nation, are sought after by the big fashion brands.

Three days after an attack on a humanitarian convoy that killed five people, the African Union, the United States and several other countries are urging the warring parties in Sudan to respect humanitarian law. The East African country has been devastated by a bloody civil war since April 2023. According to the UN, four million people have already fled Sudan, leaving it in a state of chaos and causing a humanitarian crisis.

A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

Three days after a deadly attack on a humanitarian convoy that claimed five lives, the UN and the African Union called on all parties involved in Sudan’s conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law. The nation remains deeply divided, with the regular army controlling much of the central, northern, and eastern regions, while the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces dominate nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south. This protracted conflict, now stretching beyond two years, has displaced 13 million people and triggered what human rights organizations describe as the largest hunger and displacement crisis in the world. Matthew-Mary Caruchet reports.

Bryan Mbeumo’s stellar Premier League season with Brentford has seen him linked with a move to Manchester United. But what is the secret of his success?

Most of the countries on US President Donald Trump’s travel ban list are from Africa. Among the 12 nations whose citizens Trump says are no longer welcome are Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan. Nationals of Burundi, Sierra Leone and Togo are included in a seven-strong list for restricted access.

Robust safety measures are required before the Confederation of African Football gives the green light to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to host CHAN.

Burundi goes to the polls this Thursday to elect MPs and local councillors. But the election has already been heavily criticised, with many candidates disqualified by the electoral commission – including longtime opposition figure Agathon Rwasa. Burundi is also affected by the conflict in neighbouring DR Congo. More than 71,000 Congolese nationals have fled the fighting between the Congolese army and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels since January. Many have crossed into Burundi, making this the largest refugee influx the country has seen in decades. The chaos of war has torn families apart, as our regional correspondent reports.

Cameroon has overtaken Burkina Faso as the world’s most neglected humanitarian crisis, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council. The annual list ranks displacement crises by lack of media coverage, funding and political action. Ethiopia comes in second, its highest-ever position, while Mozambique appears for the first time in third. Burkina Faso, number one for the past two years, now ranks fourth.

For several years, the Kédougou region in the far east of Senegal has been experiencing a gold rush. This race for the precious metal has led to a proliferation of artisanal mining sites, drawing thousands of gold miners from across West Africa. But alongside the economic boom, the region has seen a surge in human trafficking. In particular, hundreds of Nigerian women are forced into prostitution at the mining sites. This exploitation is driven by extensive transnational networks whose reach spans nearly every gold mining site in West Africa and beyond. Our Senegal correspondents report.

Four major opposition figures will be unable to contest Ivory Coast’s October presidential election, the country’s electoral commission announced Wednesday, having been struck from the final voter list.