A person is shown at a sewing machine behind a couple piles of denim.
A person is shown at a sewing machine behind a couple piles of denim.

What Trump’s Tariffs Mean for Africa

The continent will become even more vulnerable to contractions in China’s economy.

Soldiers in camo are shown on the back of a vehicle on a dusty road.
Soldiers in camo are shown on the back of a vehicle on a dusty road.

Is South Sudan’s Fragile Peace Over?

A high-profile arrest in the world’s youngest country spark fears of a return to all-out war.

Godswill Akpabio, the president of Nigeria's Senate, takes the oath of office in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 13, 2023.
Godswill Akpabio, the president of Nigeria's Senate, takes the oath of office in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 13, 2023.

Nigeria’s Missed #MeToo Moment

A female lawmaker faces condemnation after speaking out about sexual harassment in parliament.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) walks past the Tigrayan flag at the Tshehaye IDPs camp in Shire, Tigray region, on July 16, 2024.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) walks past the Tigrayan flag at the Tshehaye IDPs camp in Shire, Tigray region, on July 16, 2024.

Tigray Power Struggle Risks Ethiopia-Eritrea War

A rift within the TPLF has renewed the risk of a large interstate conflict.

Salomon Kahizia digs in the run-off from an artisanal cassiterite and coltan mining site near Numbi in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Apr. 7, 2017.
Salomon Kahizia digs in the run-off from an artisanal cassiterite and coltan mining site near Numbi in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Apr. 7, 2017.

Why Congo Is Suing Apple

Kinshasa has accused the tech giant of tainting supply chains with tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold smuggled by Rwanda.

A separatist belonging to the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) stands guard ahead of the release of seven captured Senegalese soldiers at an abandoned settlement, Baipal, Gambia on Feb. 14, 2022.
A separatist belonging to the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) stands guard ahead of the release of seven captured Senegalese soldiers at an abandoned settlement, Baipal, Gambia on Feb. 14, 2022.

Senegal Makes Peace With Separatists

The Senegalese prime minister has struck a deal with Casamance rebels in an effort to end a conflict that began in 1982.

People protest against proposed budget and social funding cuts in Cape Town, South Africa on Feb. 21, 2024.
People protest against proposed budget and social funding cuts in Cape Town, South Africa on Feb. 21, 2024.

South Africa VAT Spat Delays Budget

A disagreement between coalition partners delays the government’s plans to raise revenue amid Trump’s aid cuts.

Military personnel supervise the arrival of aid carried by a Russian Ilyushin Il-76TD transport aircraft at the airport of Benghazi on Sept. 16, 2023.
Military personnel supervise the arrival of aid carried by a Russian Ilyushin Il-76TD transport aircraft at the airport of Benghazi on Sept. 16, 2023.

After Assad’s Fall, Russia Looks to Libya and Sudan

Moscow agrees to a Red Sea naval base near Port Sudan while working to establish airbases in Libya.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump appear during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump appear during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11

Trump vs. South Africa

U.S. government escalates feud with Pretoria by cutting aid and offering refugee status to Afrikaners.

Residents look at members of the Congolese Red-Cross burying dozens of bodies in Goma on Feb. 3.
Residents look at members of the Congolese Red-Cross burying dozens of bodies in Goma on Feb. 3.

M23 Declares Congo Cease-Fire

The Rwanda-backed rebels fail to seize Bukavu and announce a unilateral truce.

A displaced man carries his possessions as he flees Nzulo for Goma, near Nzulo, on Jan. 22.
A displaced man carries his possessions as he flees Nzulo for Goma, near Nzulo, on Jan. 22.

Rwanda-Backed Rebels Capture Goma

M23 troops have seized one of the largest cities in eastern Congo.

Supporters of Mozambique's opposition leader Venancio Mondlane hold a Mozambican flag as they follow his convoy after Mondlane landed in Maputo on Jan. 9.
Supporters of Mozambique's opposition leader Venancio Mondlane hold a Mozambican flag as they follow his convoy after Mondlane landed in Maputo on Jan. 9.

Mozambique Forms Government Amid Protests

Opposition demonstrations continued during Daniel Chapo’s inauguration last week.

Somalis celebrate the election victory of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during celebrations organized by the government in Mogadishu, on May 29, 2023.
Somalis celebrate the election victory of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during celebrations organized by the government in Mogadishu, on May 29, 2023.

How Turkey Became Africa’s Mediator

After successfully brokering a deal between Ethiopia and Somalia, Ankara is trying to end Sudan’s civil war.

A man holds the flag of Somaliland in Hargeisa on Nov. 7, 2024.
A man holds the flag of Somaliland in Hargeisa on Nov. 7, 2024.

What to Watch in Africa in 2025

Will Trump inflame conflict over disputed territories?

Trucks loaded with copper prepare to leave Tenke Fungurume Mine, one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world, in the southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17, 2023.
Trucks loaded with copper prepare to leave Tenke Fungurume Mine, one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world, in the southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17, 2023.

Africa Brief’s Year in Review

Middle powers rise, some democracies prevail, and great powers spur a scramble for infrastructure.

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