Africa Brief

From Algeria to Zimbabwe and countries in between, a weekly roundup of essential news and analysis from Africa. Delivered Wednesday.

Incumbent President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (C) addresses his supporters at the Stade des Martyrs during his first campaign rally as the electoral campaign officially kicks off in Kinshasa on Nov. 19.
Incumbent President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (C) addresses his supporters at the Stade des Martyrs during his first campaign rally as the electoral campaign officially kicks off in Kinshasa on Nov. 19.

Will the Congolese Opposition Unite?

Many observers believe the only way to defeat President Felix Tshisekedi is to back a single challenger.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
A woman walks out of a currency exchange shop displaying a giant U.S. dollar banknote in the Zamalek district of Cairo on Aug. 24, 2022.
A woman walks out of a currency exchange shop displaying a giant U.S. dollar banknote in the Zamalek district of Cairo on Aug. 24, 2022.

Egypt Looks to IMF, Again

The war in Gaza has battered an already struggling economy.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (L) South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa (C) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend the first session of the G-20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (L) South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa (C) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend the first session of the G-20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9.

Saudi Arabia Courts African Leaders

Mohammed bin Salman is touting debt relief and conflict mediation to spread Riyadh’s influence on the continent.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Fisherman near Dubai DP World Djibouti container port
Fisherman near Dubai DP World Djibouti container port

The UAE Faces Pushback on African Investments

Abu Dhabi is investing heavily in ports and land across the continent, but it’s facing public backlash and competition from Beijing.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Then-U.S. President George W. Bush holds Baron Mosima Loyiso Tantoh as Tantoh's mother Manyongo Mosima Kuene Tantoh (L), who suffers from AIDS, and Bishop Paul Yowakim (2nd L) looks on after speaking on the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief May 30, 2007 at the White House in Washington.
Then-U.S. President George W. Bush holds Baron Mosima Loyiso Tantoh as Tantoh's mother Manyongo Mosima Kuene Tantoh (L), who suffers from AIDS, and Bishop Paul Yowakim (2nd L) looks on after speaking on the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief May 30, 2007 at the White House in Washington.

Will U.S. Abortion Wars End a Successful Foreign Policy in Africa?

Conservatives in Washington have blocked the reauthorization of PEPFAR, endangering the health of HIV-positive Africans.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
People wave the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Gaza in Tunis, Tunisia, on Oct. 21.
People wave the Palestinian flag during a protest in solidarity with Gaza in Tunis, Tunisia, on Oct. 21.

Regional Leaders Fear Spillover From Israel-Hamas War

Arab League chief: “We have a significant worry.”

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Aid convoy trucks are seen waiting to cross at Gaza's Rafah border on Oct. 17, 2023 in North Sinai, Egypt.
Aid convoy trucks are seen waiting to cross at Gaza's Rafah border on Oct. 17, 2023 in North Sinai, Egypt.

Why Egypt Won’t Open Its Border With Gaza

Concerns about a refugee crisis, financial strains, permanent displacement, and possible militancy in Sinai worry leaders in Cairo.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
A crowd of people carry Palestinian flags as they stage a demonstration in support of Palestinian resistance to Israel in Rabat, Morocco. Buildings and palm trees line the street behind them as the crowd stretches into the distance.
A crowd of people carry Palestinian flags as they stage a demonstration in support of Palestinian resistance to Israel in Rabat, Morocco. Buildings and palm trees line the street behind them as the crowd stretches into the distance.

Israel-Hamas Conflict Tests Abraham Accords

Morocco’s friendly ties with Israel are facing a backlash from some pro-Palestinian citizens as Sudan renews ties with Iran.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso's coup leader, arrives at the ceremony for the 35th anniversary of Thomas Sankara's assassination, in Ouagadougou, on Oct. 15, 2022. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images
Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso's coup leader, arrives at the ceremony for the 35th anniversary of Thomas Sankara's assassination, in Ouagadougou, on Oct. 15, 2022. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images

Will Intervention Stabilize the Sahel?

As coups spread across the region, insecurity is growing—and international military involvement could make it worse.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Nigerian students living in London head for Nigeria House to celebrate Nigeria's Independence from British rule in London on Oct. 1, 1960.
Nigerian students living in London head for Nigeria House to celebrate Nigeria's Independence from British rule in London on Oct. 1, 1960.

Nigeria’s Unhappy Birthday

As the country marks 63 years of independence, insecurity and corruption continue to drive highly educated Nigerians to live and work abroad.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Tunisian Maritime National Guard officials intercept tiny boats carrying migrants before towing them back to the shore of the Tunisian city of Sfax on June 23.
Tunisian Maritime National Guard officials intercept tiny boats carrying migrants before towing them back to the shore of the Tunisian city of Sfax on June 23.

How Tunisia Became Europe’s Border Guard

Another crackdown is targeting Black Africans seeking to enter the EU.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema salutes during his investiture as transitional president of Gabon on Sept. 4, 2023 at the Presidential Palace in Libreville.
Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema salutes during his investiture as transitional president of Gabon on Sept. 4, 2023 at the Presidential Palace in Libreville.

Gabon’s Palace Coup

How the extended Bongo family ousted a president but maintained its control of the country.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Infantry soldiers following a British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) training excercise at the Loldaiga conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya, on Nov. 14, 2022.
Infantry soldiers following a British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) training excercise at the Loldaiga conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya, on Nov. 14, 2022.

A Challenge to British Impunity in Kenya

A parliamentary inquiry into an alleged 2012 murder by British soldiers is causing a diplomatic crisis for the U.K. government.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
Two Chinese construction workers wearing reflective vests push wheelbarrows down a paved plaza at a work site at Egypt’s new administrative capital project. Skyscrapers and palm trees line the street behind the workers.
Two Chinese construction workers wearing reflective vests push wheelbarrows down a paved plaza at a work site at Egypt’s new administrative capital project. Skyscrapers and palm trees line the street behind the workers.

BRICS Expansion Could Help Egypt’s Ailing Economy

New additions to the bloc from Africa are linked by their opposition to a Western-dominated financial system.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
(From L to R) South African Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi listen as Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his remarks virtually during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Aug. 22. (Photo by Marco Longari / AFP) (Photo by MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images)
(From L to R) South African Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi listen as Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his remarks virtually during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Aug. 22. (Photo by Marco Longari / AFP) (Photo by MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images)

Why the BRICS Aren’t Crumbling in Africa

Despite Russia’s decline and China’s economic woes, the idea of a nondollarized economy has strong appeal across the continent.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
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