Africa Daily

“We found out in the middle of an operation that the guy were trying to arrest was related to the hotel owner and we were locked in the hotel… We had to use a weapon at that stage – to disperse the crowd but also to break the padlock and get scot free.” What does a wildlife investigator do and what part do they play in conserving Africa’s natural heritage? For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan sp...

Africa is facing a power dilemma – it needs to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, but renewable energy sources currently produce very little power on the continent. This is why some governments are looking seriously at nuclear power as an alternative. There is currently only one commercial nuclear power station on the continent, but there could soon be more. Questions of cost and safety will hav...

Alan Kasujja is in conversation with former Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe and popular African commentator Christophe Bongo. He’s trying to understand why a country like South Africa, for example, with world class stadiums and football academies, finds it difficult to dominate the Africa Cup of Nations. But it’s not the only one. Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria haven’t been doing well either in recent...

There are reported to be tens of thousands of mercenaries belonging to the Wagner Group fighting for Russia in Ukraine. This group has been present in Russian military operations not just in Ukraine but around the world. In Africa, they work in Mali, Mozambique and the Central African Republic. They also have a presence in Sudan where in the last few days fighting between the military and the para...

This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence Over the past few days there has been heavy fighting in Khartoum and other areas of Sudan. The UN believes as many as 180 people have lost their lives in the violence. The fighting is the result of a vicious power struggle within the country's military leadership. Members of a paramilitary force - Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - and regular soldi...

Since 2021, the United Nations has recorded more than 30,000 teenage pregnancies, every month in Uganda. In the East African nation, the age of consent for sex is 18, which means some of these girls are victims of defilement – a term for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Alan Kasujja speaks to BBC’s journalist Paul Bakibinga who’s been investigating this. He also spoke to Pamela Angwech, E...

Artificial intelligence is the science behind human intelligence in machines. It makes simple acts like sending a text or an email, even e-banking easier. But there is a downside to it, if used for spreading disinformation or committing crimes from scams to hacks and cyberattacks. And this is where regulations and policies to safeguard against such types of negative AI use come in. But how is Afri...

Protests have erupted in Ethiopia over the last five days. Demonstrators have taken to the streets and several people have blocked roads and burnt tyres, in an attempt to prevent the military from travelling around. The protests were ignited by a recent government announcement that the country’s 11 regional security forces would be integrated into the federal army or police force. The government s...

Last December, military leaders in Sudan agreed to hand back power to civilian groups. It was seen by many as a move toward ending the ongoing political crisis there. Military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Buran said at the time "The military belongs in the barracks." A transitional two-year period led by civilian leaders was agreed in the deal. But last week the agreement on the transition to ci...

“When you look at the entire integration in the region, be it economic, be it social, all of it sounds like a pipe dream. But it’s a dream that is quite possible” In the 1800s, a conference attended by Europe’s prominent states in Berlin, took a decision to partition Africa. It resulted in social, political and economic marginalisation of Africa’s citizens. With colonialism, came the borders that...

When former journalist, Joseph Bayanga, witnessed the death of three generations of a family on a Kampala road - a mother, daughter and grandchild – he decided enough was enough. More people die on Uganda’s roads – 14 every day – than anywhere else in East Africa. Kampala’s Mulago National Referral Hospital even has a special ward just for the drivers of boda bodas who account for the highest numb...

Today we’re revisiting an episode from a few months ago which seemed to really resonate with people. Alan was reporting on an article which ranked the countries with the best cuisine in the world. Taste Atlas, who describe themselves as a ‘’world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants” caused quite a stir online when they published their 2022 list. A lot of peopl...

The online economy is offering more opportunities than ever before. But not everyone is getting equal access. Last month we heard how women are less likely to access the internet across the continent. This digital gender gap has been found to weaken the economy overall. So, what might politicians do to close the gap? #AfricaDaily

Today is Independence Day in Senegal, but not everybody is celebrating. The day is being snubbed by the Yewwi Askan Wi opposition coalition. Last week, opposition supporters staged protests ahead of the trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. On Sunday, he was found guilty of libel against Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, who he had accused of embezzlement. Sonko was given a two year suspended...

“I think we should never ever get to a point where we are talking about building a wall between any of our neighbouring countries” In February and March this year, the authorities in Lesotho and South Africa hosted meetings to push back against increasing incidents of cross-border crimes. These include human trafficking, money laundering and cattle rustling. The police ministry in South Africa tel...

“For me to leave a place of security, a place that’s been good to me and my family, to go back and get harassed - I’m not prepared to do that.” In the early 2000s, at least 4,000 white Zimbabweans were kicked out of their farms to make way for their black counterparts. Robert Mugabe, who was president at the time, argued only this could address historical injustices. During the colonial-era, much...

“Some bring soil with them. They bring it from their country. We’ve found a number of these little packets that show the bond with one’s country, with Africa.” Imagine packing your bag and leaving your home for a new life. What would you take with you? Photos? Letters? A lucky charm? A group of volunteers on the Italian Island of Lampedusa have put together a collection of items lost by migrants w...

When you think of Kenya and sport, athletics is the first thing that comes to mind. You might even think of Rugby Sevens. A group of young people are however hoping to make ice hockey a Kenyan sport. Their ambitions are as big as making it to the Winter Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey. Meet Kenya Ice Lions, the nation’s only professional ice hockey team that hopes to represent their country o...

The collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank also known as SVB in California has dominated the news recently. But what’s it got to do with Africa? Well it’s important because African start-ups leave a lot of their money in US banks. SVB was a major player in the tech industry and invested in start-ups around the world. The bank’s demise at the same time as another lender has been described as the bigge...

In the past year, Senegal men’s teams won four major football trophies, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. It had been so long without any silverware, football commentators and fans started calling Senegal the “almost” nation. But something changed and the Teranga Lions started coming out of the shadows of giants like Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria and others. Since being crowned African champions...

This episode contains description of violence and sex. ___________________________________________________________________________ Two women in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, have spoken to the BBC about how they got drawn into the underground world of sex work. Both say they became caught in a world of parties and drugs and felt they had few options open to them after being forced to leave home as...

On March 19th, nine Chinese mine workers were killed by gunmen at a site near the central town of Bambari in the Central African Republic. The attack was condemned by Chinese President, Xi Jinping and the Chinese embassy asked its nationals to not travel outside the capital, Bangui. Attacks against Chinese nationals are becoming common. Earlier this month three Chinese were kidnapped in the west o...

Today we are discussing a topic on many people's minds lately – thanks in part to Nigeria's recent elections: why aren't there more young people in political leadership in Africa? Despite having 70% of the population under the age of 30, the average age of its politicians is almost double that, at 62 years old. Which means that the continent with the youngest citizens has the oldest rulers. But ca...

In today’s episode, we introduce you to a man called Fletcher, who is in a romantic relationship with Lethabo. At the same time, Lethabo, who is bisexual, is also going out with a woman called Lunya. But then, Lunya and Fletcher are also seeing each other. Basically, the three are openly involved in the same relationship. This is known as polyamory. It’s the practice of engaging in multiple relati...

Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, called his supporters out onto the streets on Monday– leading to a day of unrest and clashes in the capital Nairobi. He says the protests will be weekly – to the dismay of many business owners. Odinga claims that the presidential election was stolen from him – and that the government is failing to respond to the cost of living crisis. Meanwhile in South Afr...