Africa

List of Africa articles

An illustration shows the lopped off lower half of the globe with a diverse group of people holding it up from below for a story about the term "the global south."
An illustration shows the lopped off lower half of the globe with a diverse group of people holding it up from below for a story about the term "the global south."

Is There Such Thing as a Global South?

The category is emotionally powerful but fundamentally flawed.

Mothers sit in a row with their babies and young children inside a large tent illuminated with string lights. One of the women sitting in the foreground has a wide smile as she looks down at the baby she cradles in her arms.
Mothers sit in a row with their babies and young children inside a large tent illuminated with string lights. One of the women sitting in the foreground has a wide smile as she looks down at the baby she cradles in her arms.

New Lifesaving Malaria Vaccines Need to Be Available Now

Emergency deployment could save tens of thousands of children.

A protester wearing a T-shirt in support of the Niger, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso junta leaders gestures during a demonstration on independence day in Niamey, Niger on Aug. 3.
A protester wearing a T-shirt in support of the Niger, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso junta leaders gestures during a demonstration on independence day in Niamey, Niger on Aug. 3.

Sahel Military Governments Seek Confederation

Juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger move to cement a political, economic, and defense alliance.

John Ackah Blay-Miezah smokes a cigar in the London office of the Oman Ghana Trust Fund in the 1980s.
John Ackah Blay-Miezah smokes a cigar in the London office of the Oman Ghana Trust Fund in the 1980s.

The Man Who Conned the World

How one of the greatest scam artists of all time used Ghana’s colonial past to get rich.

Kissinger stands at a lectern with microphones with a large world map on the wall behind him.
Kissinger stands at a lectern with microphones with a large world map on the wall behind him.

Kissinger’s Great Game

In his worldview, little countries only mattered to the extent that they played into struggles among the mighty.

An aerial view of Imburu, Nigeria, following flooding caused by heavy rainfall, on Sept. 25, 2022.
An aerial view of Imburu, Nigeria, following flooding caused by heavy rainfall, on Sept. 25, 2022.

The Dark Side of Climate Finance

At COP28, poor countries should be careful what they wish for.

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.

Burundian children stand behind a fence as they wait to be registered as refugees at Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania on June 11, 2015.
Burundian children stand behind a fence as they wait to be registered as refugees at Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania on June 11, 2015.

Tanzania’s Threat to Expel Burundians Sets a Dangerous Precedent

Forced removal under the guise of voluntary repatriation could place over 100,000 refugees at risk of harm in their home country.

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.

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.

A barricaded street at night with a fire in the background an silhouettes of four people in front of it.
A barricaded street at night with a fire in the background an silhouettes of four people in front of it.

The U.S. Is Preparing an Outsourced Invasion of Haiti

Repeated interventions have done nothing to aid Haitians.

Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki (left) and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed talk during the inauguration of the Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital in Bahir Dar, northern Ethiopia, on Nov. 10, 2018.
Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki (left) and Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed talk during the inauguration of the Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital in Bahir Dar, northern Ethiopia, on Nov. 10, 2018.

Are Ethiopia and Eritrea on the Path to War?

The enemies became allies to fight the TPLF, but old grievances and new disputes are threatening to revive the conflict.

From left to right: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gesture during the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
From left to right: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gesture during the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Dollar’s Dominance Is Shakier Than Ever

BRICS has growing currency leverage despite internal divisions.

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.

A woman rides a bicycle in the historic center of Ferrara, Italy.
A woman rides a bicycle in the historic center of Ferrara, Italy.

Europe’s Coming Reckoning on Immigration

Large-scale immigration—likely from Africa—is the only thing that can prevent Europe from becoming an empty amusement park.

A military truck of the Nigerien security forces, part of an escort to a French military convoy, crosses the Lazaret district in Niamey, Niger, on Oct. 10.
A military truck of the Nigerien security forces, part of an escort to a French military convoy, crosses the Lazaret district in Niamey, Niger, on Oct. 10.

A New West African Security Pact Is Bound to Fail

The Alliance of Sahel States is focused more on stoking anti-French sentiment than fighting violent extremism.

Five workers carrying baskets pick purple tea leaves on a plantation with hills in the background
Five workers carrying baskets pick purple tea leaves on a plantation with hills in the background

AI Will First Come for Women

Female workers may be at highest risk from the coming waves of automation.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is seen in a circle inside the viewfinder of a camera as he speaks during a news conference. A blurry red recording light is seen to the right.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez is seen in a circle inside the viewfinder of a camera as he speaks during a news conference. A blurry red recording light is seen to the right.

The Rise of the New Spycraft Regimes

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s indictment should remind the West not to underestimate the intelligence capabilities of smaller powers.

Negotiators-S3E5-1080x1080
Negotiators-S3E5-1080x1080

How Kofi Annan Mediated a Volatile Political Crisis in Kenya

The Negotiators: Annan’s aide in the talks, Meredith Preston McGhie, describes how the diplomat negotiated a power-sharing agreement.

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.

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