Africa News Feed

President Donald Trump said the operation eliminated “the most active terrorist in the world”, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Saturday confirmed President Donald Trump’s announcement that US and Nigerian forces killed a senior Islamic State (IS) group senior leader in a joint mission in the West African nation. 

Africa’s top health agency says around 246 cases have been reported – a case has also been reported in Uganda.

First, the Ebola outbreak tears through eastern DR Congo, killing at least 65 people and triggering fears of wider regional spread. Also, final stretch in Cape Verde ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for Sunday.  And, Ethiopia’s coffee sector is under pressure as global prices plunge. But  in a striking paradox, local consumers are paying far more, with coffee prices tripling in just six months. 

Over the past few years, cryptocurrency has become part of everyday life for nearly one in 10 Nigerians. Some use it to get around the naira, the Nigerian currency, which has lost much of its value in recent years. Others, particularly young people, buy and sell crypto assets on trading platforms in the hope of quick returns. Yassin Ciyow reports.

In tonight’s edition: Congolese Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege slams the US-brokered peace deal in eastern DR Congo as predatory. Also, once dominant in Senegal’s economy, France is now being overtaken as China and Turkey emerge as the country’s leading investors. Plus we take a squint at the stellar career of South African sensation Tyla. 

The Trump administration waives a $15,000 visa bond for fans from five countries who have World Cup tickets, but African fans still face challenges.

A month after Guinea deployed troops to its border with Liberia, President Joseph Boakai claimed to be in touch with his Guinean counterpart Mamady Doumbouya, in an interview with FRANCE 24. “We’ve been speaking very well,” Boakai said, adding that he told Doumbouya the border situation is “getting under control”. Asked about the state of democracy in West Africa, Boakai stated that Liberia has “learned that war is not the way to go”. “We have learned to live with our neighbours. And we are doing everything possible to show them that we are avoiding conflict.”

South Africa prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye is banned for 18 months for breaking anti-doping rules – ruling him out of the 2027 World Cup.

Cryptocurrency has become part of everyday life for many Nigerians in the face of inflation and the collapse of the naira. People are turning to cryptocurrencies to save, trade, and send money outside traditional banks. For many young people, crypto also represents hope for quick financial success, fueled by a new generation of influencers, who showcase their success and sell advice to an audience hungry for social mobility. But behind the promise of opportunity lies a darker side marked by scams, fraud, market manipulation, and money laundering. Authorities and some private players are now working to better regulate practices and support victims. Report by Yassin Ciyow.

A photographer and filmmaker who’s published a book of incredible photographs from the six countries that span the Congo Basin has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his love for the rainforest. Thomas Nicolon used to be FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Kinshasa, and says he’s been very fortunate to build a career out of his childhood dreams. His book “Kongo” takes us on a journey through the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest of nearly 4 million square kilometres. He spoke to us in Perspective.

A rare sanctuary in Congo looks after baby bonobos away from the poaching threat. This primate nursery on the forested outskirts of the Congolese capital of Kinshasa is the world’s only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos, usually rescued from poachers or found trapped in the homes of locals who raise them for their meat. Story by Laurent Berstecher.

In southern Libya, the city of Kufra is hosting between 40 and 60 thousand Sudanese war refugees. Among them are many children who had to abandon their schooling since the war broke out in 2023. In the face of a conflict that has lasted three years, authorities in eastern Libya have set up a system for them to begin their schooling again. But going back to school in a refugee camp isn’t easy. Report by Lilia Blaise and Hamdi Tlili.

As the crucial legislative elections in Cape Verde approach, a major challenge resurfaces: water. The archipelago is ranked among the 15 countries with the lowest rainfall in the world, which remains scarce and expensive. Report by Caitlin Kelly.

In the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, AFC/M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, have withdrawn from certain areas under US diplomatic pressure. The Congolese army has moved in to regain control. This marks the most significant development on the ground in months.

Ghana has started evacuating ​300 citizens from South Africa, following a ​wave of xenophobic attacks targeting migrants from other sub-Saharan African countries. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Accra, Justice Baidoo.

Former Power Minister Saleh Mamman was convicted last week – but the authorities do not know his whereabouts.

The actor was recognised for his contributions to entertainment as well as his humanitarian efforts.

Rebel fighters and Rwandan troops are accused of committing atrocities after capturing the DR Congo city of Uvira in December.

In tonight’s edition: Hundreds of Ghanaians caught up in xenophobic attacks in South Africa are set to be evacuated. Also, Cape Verde is ranked among the 15 countries with the lowest rainfall in the world, and the vital resource is not only scarce but also expensive. Plus Sudanese refugees have been going back to classes set up by Libya, where they live in refugee camps.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) discussed the upcoming World Cup and AFCON competitions. “I’m confident that an African country will win the World Cup,” Patrice Motsepe said. “We have to aspire high and high”. He also addressed the unprecedented decision by the CAF to strip Senegal of the most recent AFCON title and hand it to Morocco. “Things are back to normal,” Motsepe insisted. “Based on what has happened since the AFCON in Morocco, we are now stronger, more united than ever.” 

Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe admits to errors following the chaotic Afcon final between Morocco and Senegal which dented Caf’s reputation.

As the Africa Forward summit concluded in Nairobi, FRANCE 24 sat down with Kenya’s President William Ruto. For him, the summit was “significant” after French President Emmanuel Macron announced investments in Africa in areas such as the energy transition, digital and AI. Ruto also discussed the war in Sudan, refuting claims that he is siding with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “Both SAF (the Sudanese Armed Forces) and RSF are cut from the same cloth,” he said. “And they have taken the country to the dogs, so to speak”. 

A BBC investigation exposed how scammers posted social content of dogs in distress to dupe donors into giving money.

The foreign minister says the “distressed” Ghanaians registered with the embassy in Pretoria to be evacuated.

“If now everyone is rushing to isolate Rwanda simply because the Americans have done so, there is little chance of persuading Rwanda to adopt a cooperative policy.” In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, RFI and TV5Monde, French President Emmanuel Macron called for dialogue with Rwanda and DR Congo

In tonight’s edition: Sovereignty was the buzzword of Kenyan President William Ruto at the close of the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi. Also, in the biggest change on the ground in months, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have retreated from seized territory in DR Congo. And as the war in Iran continues to disrupt exports around the world, Zimbabwe’s horticulture industry is also struggling with rising shipping costs, which are threatening vital exports. 

“I think we should have had that challenging dialogue sooner. And perhaps in such cases, we should have rethought our military presence sooner.” In his interview with FRANCE 24, RFI and TV5Monde, French President Emmanuel Macron reflected on the state of relations between France and the Sahel countries. Here’s a part of his interview.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday spoke to FRANCE 24 at the close of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. Here’s what you need to know about how Macron sees France’s changing relationship with African nations.

As the Africa Forward Summit came to a close, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to journalists from FRANCE 24, RFI and TV5Monde in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi about what the president described as a new model of partnership between Paris and African nations. Watch the full interview on FRANCE 24.

Ethiopian long-distance runner Yebrgual Melese dies at the age of 36 after falling ill during a routine training session.

FRANCE 24 spoke to Botswana’s President Duma Gideon Boko, on the sidelines of the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, Kenya. Boko, a Harvard-educated human rights lawyer, was elected in October 2024, ending the former governing party’s six-decade rule. “Over the years, the opposition gained a lot of momentum,” Boko recalled. “In 2024, it was clear that the message we were taking to the people was finding fertile ground”. According to him, Botswana’s democracy “has passed all the tests now”. 

France is pitching what it calls a new model of partnership with African countries at a huge summit in Kenya, as it completes a military withdrawal from West African countries which is largely considered as a sign of a declining influence on the continent. On this second day, heads of states are meeting with heads of French and African businesses. FRANCE 24’s Tom Canetti tells us more about the political implications of the summit.

In a first since these meetings started in the 1970s, this move reflects a change in France’s thinking.

On the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, François Picard is pleased to welcome celebrated historian and political theorist Achille Mbembe. He offers deep insight into a continent in the midst of profound psychological, sociopolitical and economic transformation. Author of “The Earthly Community” and one of Africa’s leading voices on post-colonial sovereignty, Mbembe argues that while institutional change is slow-moving, a seismic change is underway: “What has ended is the rule of gerontocracy. It has ended in the minds of the people. That is what matters.”

Kenyan conservationists are slowly reintroducing a rare species of antelope into the wild. Dubbed the ‘ghost of the forest’ for its ability to camouflage itself, very few mountain bong antelopes remain, as many were decimated by diseases in the 1960s.

In Kenya, dozens of heads of states are gathered for the two-day Africa Forward summit, meant to platform the best of Africa and channel ressources to opportunity there. The summit is co-hosted with France and more than 23 billion euros of investment has already been pledged because of it. But it is also hosted in an English-speaking country for the first time, as France turns towards Anglophone Africa while its influence in former colonies dwindles. FRANCE 24’s Tom Canetti tells us more.

At the Africa Forward summit in Kenya, French President Emmanuel Macorn is hoping to boost a new kind of partnership with African countries. France has long maintained a policy of economic, political and military sway over its former colonies dubbed Françafrique, which included keeping thousands of troops in the region. But after years of criticism from leaders and opposition parties in those countries over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach, France has been forced to withdraw most of those troops. FRANCE 24’s Douglas Herbert looks at how Macron aims to do that, in the face of other big investors.

Ahead of the second day of the Africa Forward summit, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that it had raised 23 billion euros in investment on the continent. As France pitches a ‘partnership of equals’ with African countries, it aims to distance itself from its neocolonial past. This comes as it completes a military withdrawal from West African countries, which has been seen as a sign of its declining influence on the continent. FRANCE 24’s Tom Canetti tells us more on what to expect from this second day from Nairobi.