AFRICA

A war thousands of kilometres from Africa is threatening to push millions of the continent’s people deeper into poverty. Four leading multilateral institutions have issued a joint warning that the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran poses a serious economic threat to African countries — and that the damage could worsen significantly the longer the fighting continues. …

On the third anniversary of the outbreak of the Sudanese civil war on 15 April, the German government will host an international conference on Sudan in collaboration with France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). Representatives of the United Nations, humanitarian organisations and Sudanese civil society are expected to attend the …

– SPECIAL REPORT – Three years after the guns first sounded in Khartoum on the morning of 15 April 2023, the Sudanese people remain trapped in what the United Nations has declared the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. On its anniversary on 15 April 2026, the German capital is playing host to the third International Ministerial Conference on Sudan — an …

Germany is sending an important diplomatic signal on its future engagement with Africa as Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to receive Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, at the Federal Chancellery on 14 April. The planned meeting, which precedes a major international conference on Sudan in Berlin the following day, is being closely watched by business …

A sense of anticipation is building across Africa as Pope Leo XIV prepares to embark on his first major international journey since becoming pontiff last year — a multi-country visit that is already being seen as both symbolic and strategic. The visit, scheduled from 13 to 23 April, will take the pontiff to four countries — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and …

The United Nations General Assembly has taken a significant symbolic step in confronting one of the darkest chapters in human history. On 25 March 2026, the Assembly adopted a resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” a move widely welcomed by advocates of historical justice and reparative action. The occasion was the UN Plenary to …

COMMENTARY By Amal Abbass* On 25 March 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement as the “gravest crime against humanity.” Though non-binding, the resolution explicitly links historical recognition to reparative justice, including apology, restitution, compensation, institutional reform and the return of cultural property. This article argues that …

A growing number of African nationals are being drawn into Russia’s war against Ukraine. What investigators, journalists and governments have pieced together is a troubling picture of systematic deception. Young men targeted in countries where unemployment is high and poverty is prevalent are lured with the promise of well-paid civilian jobs and then coerced into military service on some of …

Victor Oladokun*, a renowned Nigerian media professional and strategic communications expert, has used the occasion of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s historic visit to the UK to make a clarion call to his countrymen and women to unite. Here’s why he believes that now more than ever, the citizens of Africa’s most populous nation should choose unity over division. Victor Oladokun/Photo: …

For the first time in 37 years, a Nigerian head of state has been received at Windsor Castle — and the visit has yielded concrete economic rewards, from a landmark ports financing deal to fresh commitments on trade, security and cultural exchange. When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu stepped out of a royal carriage at Windsor …

The landmark Trans-African Tourism and Unity Campaign, led by Pan-African advocate and former Ghanaian lawmaker Ras Mubarak, concluded its multi-month continental tour on 22 January 2026 after traversing 31 African countries and covering more than 40,000 kilometres. The campaign, which began in Accra on 18 August 2025, was to promote visa-free travel across Africa by 2030, strengthen tourism, deepen cultural …

Over 60% of African countries now face costly bonds or travel restrictions, highlighting the growing global mobility gap compared with European citizens, for example. In recent months, the United States has introduced sweeping visa policy changes that disproportionately affect travellers from Africa, adding new obstacles to business trips, tourism and family reunification. Central to these changes is an expanded B‑1/B‑2 …

The waters off The Gambia have claimed yet more young lives in a devastating reminder of the perils of irregular migration. On New Year’s Eve, a boat carrying over 200 migrants capsized near Jinak village in the North Bank Region, leaving at least 31 people dead and dozens still missing. For the survivors, hope has come at a steep price: …

Veteran Zimbabwean journalist Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, has been named the 2025 Human Rights Tulip Award winner by the Dutch Embassy in Harare. Zaba is recognised for her outstanding investigative journalism and pioneering leadership in a traditionally male-dominated media landscape. With a career spanning more than three decades, she is widely regarded as a trailblazer and a …

Accra is set to become the epicentre of Pan‑African engagement later this month as Ghana hosts the Diaspora Summit 2025 from 19–20 December at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC). Under the theme “Resetting Ghana: The Diaspora as the 17th Region,” the summit aims to advance dialogue on reparative justice while redefining the role of the African diaspora in Ghana’s …

Africa is witnessing a new and assertive diplomatic posture, defined by a confident willingness to demand respect on the global stage. Recent events involving Mali and Ghana have highlighted a shift in how some African nations are choosing to respond to what many view as unfair or demeaning policies imposed on their citizens by powerful states. In October, Mali pushed …

At just 26 years old, Zimbabwean youth and women’s rights activist Namatai Kwekweza has been awarded the 2025 German Africa Prize — becoming the youngest recipient in the award’s more than three decades’ history. The honour, conferred by the German Africa Foundation (DAS), recognizes Kwekweza’s bold commitment to democracy, rule of law, youth empowerment and constitutional reform — even in …

Leaders of the African Union and European Union gathered in Luanda, Angola, for the 7th AU–EU Summit on 24-25 November. The two-day meeting ended with a joint declaration that puts practical cooperation at the centre of AU–EU relations — from infrastructure and industrialisation to security, climate action and, crucially, migration. For millions of Africans at home and in the diaspora, …

Leaders of the European Union and the African Union will convene in Luanda, Angola, from 24–25 November for the seventh EU–AU Summit—an event that comes at a decisive moment for relations between the two continents. Co-hosted by Angola’s President João Lourenço and European Council President António Costa, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen representing the EU, the meeting …

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has embarked on a week-long visit to Africa aimed at strengthening Germany’s partnerships across the continent. His trip began in Cairo, Egypt, where he attended the grand opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum, before continuing to Ghana and Angola to advance political, economic and cultural cooperation. German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier’s agenda began with the opening …