A man closes a door at the Matero district party headquarters of the Zambian opposition party, United Party for National Development, in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug. 10.
A man closes a door at the Matero district party headquarters of the Zambian opposition party, United Party for National Development, in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug. 10.

Zambia Votes

A country long seen as a bulwark of stability is facing economic stagnation and democratic backsliding.

Some of the 21 people arrested under suspicion of being members of the LGBT community in Ghana leave after appearing in the Circuit Court in Ho, Ghana, on June 4.
Some of the 21 people arrested under suspicion of being members of the LGBT community in Ghana leave after appearing in the Circuit Court in Ho, Ghana, on June 4.

Ghana Doubles Down on Homophobic Laws

A country long regarded as a beacon of democracy in Africa is poised to pass draconian legislation criminalizing the country’s LGBT community.

A woman displays her iPhone in front of the building housing the Israeli NSO Group in Herzliya, Israel, on Aug. 28, 2016.
A woman displays her iPhone in front of the building housing the Israeli NSO Group in Herzliya, Israel, on Aug. 28, 2016.

Pegasus Lands in Africa

From Morocco to Rwanda, governments and their intelligence services have allegedly used spyware to target everyone including opponents, monarchs, and foreign leaders.

Armed people gather around a fire to keep warm at a road block set up to prevent looters from reaching the community in Phoenix Township, North Durban, South Africa, on July 15.
Armed people gather around a fire to keep warm at a road block set up to prevent looters from reaching the community in Phoenix Township, North Durban, South Africa, on July 15.

Is South Africa’s Unrest an Insurrection?

President Cyril Ramaphosa believes the violence is politically motivated, but it looks more like an uprising of the poor and unemployed.

Soldiers in the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces guard the John Garang Mausoleum during the country’s 10th anniversary independence celebrations in Juba on July 9.
Soldiers in the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces guard the John Garang Mausoleum during the country’s 10th anniversary independence celebrations in Juba on July 9.

South Sudan’s Lost Decade

Ten years after independence, Africa’s youngest country remains mired in conflict and poverty.

Women queue to vote at a polling station in Gabiley, Somaliland, on May 31.
Women queue to vote at a polling station in Gabiley, Somaliland, on May 31.

Somaliland’s Strategic Case for Independence

Lacking formal international recognition, the territory is seeking to make its mark through infrastructure deals and bilateral ties with key global powers.

Autorickshaws wait for customers next to the downtown market in Mekele, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, on June 25.
Autorickshaws wait for customers next to the downtown market in Mekele, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, on June 25.

Will a Cease-Fire End Ethiopia’s Civil War?

Tigrayan forces retook the regional capital, Mekele, as Abiy Ahmed declared a unilateral cease-fire and federal forces and officials retreated.

Women wearing masks walk under an overpass in Addis Ababa on June 17.
Women wearing masks walk under an overpass in Addis Ababa on June 17.

Pandemic’s Third Wave Hits Africa

With just 1 percent of the continent’s population fully vaccinated and a higher death rate than the rest of the world, Africa is facing a dangerous surge in infections.

Supporters of the Ivorian Popular Front rally before the reception of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo in his hometown of Mama, Ivory Coast, on June 13.
Supporters of the Ivorian Popular Front rally before the reception of former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo in his hometown of Mama, Ivory Coast, on June 13.

Ivory Coast Leader Returns After a Decade Away

Acquitted at the International Criminal Court, former President Laurent Gbagbo could play a role in the current government.

A woman looks at Twitter on her smartphone in Lagos, Nigeria, on Oct. 29, 2018.
A woman looks at Twitter on her smartphone in Lagos, Nigeria, on Oct. 29, 2018.

Nigeria’s Twitter Ban Has a Lesson for Big Tech

The social media company faces tough questions in talks with the government to restore access to 40 million users.

Namibian skulls from the German Empire's genocide are repatriated.
Namibian skulls from the German Empire's genocide are repatriated.

Europe Repents in Africa

Germany and France have formally acknowledged their roles in the continent’s 20th-century genocides.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Rwandan President Paul Kagame to an international conference on Sudan in Paris on May 17.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Rwandan President Paul Kagame to an international conference on Sudan in Paris on May 17.

Macron Goes to Africa

The French president is seeking to project influence, build new alliances, repair old rifts, and defuse the immigration issue at home.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the official opening of the renovated Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Sept. 26, 2020.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the official opening of the renovated Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Sept. 26, 2020.

Kenya’s High Court Lays Down the Law

In a show of judicial independence, the court declared President Uhuru Kenyatta’s proposed political reforms unconstitutional.

Then-African National Congress Secretary-General Elias Sekgobelo “Ace” Magashule speaks to the media during a party meeting on land expropriation policy in Johannesburg on May 19, 2018.
Then-African National Congress Secretary-General Elias Sekgobelo “Ace” Magashule speaks to the media during a party meeting on land expropriation policy in Johannesburg on May 19, 2018.

South Africa’s Unaccountable Ruling Party

The ANC descends into infighting again as it tries to suspend top officials facing corruption charges.

Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos visits the Portuguese corporation Efacec’s new electric mobility industrial unit in Maia, Portugal, on Feb. 5, 2018.
Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos visits the Portuguese corporation Efacec’s new electric mobility industrial unit in Maia, Portugal, on Feb. 5, 2018.

The Downfall of an Angolan Dynasty

The crumbling of the dos Santos family empire reveals how Western companies allegedly enabled corruption in Africa.

Load 15 More Articles
Loading graphics