Africa Daily

Earlier this month, a mass grave containing 25 bodies was discovered in Malawi. Investigators there are still working to find out exactly what happened to these people. But the government believes they were Ethiopian and that it is possible that they were being trafficked. The possibility has put a spotlight on migration routes from north to southern Africa and the conditions people face along the...

Climate change is on people’s mind, and with the climate summit - COP27 - about to kick off in Egypt, it continues to be a hot topic. And some of the little decisions we make every day are helping to fuel the rapid climate changes. Even those that you might not give a second thought – hair, for example. Experts say synthetic hair, which is found in extensions and wigs, worn by millions around the...

Famo is often described as Lesotho’s “traditional music” and is the country’s leading music genre. In recent times, rivalry among Famo artistes has led to bloodshed. Some music experts say this recent behaviour mirrors some of the US hip hop rivaly in the 1990s; the so-called East Coast v West Coast beef. Many Famo artists are divided into two warring factions, Terene and Seakhi. Terene members ar...

Travelers from African countries are more likely to need a visa to travel overseas. Lengthy applications asking for bank statements and marriage certificates can make planning a trip more difficult. But even with a visa in your hand, making it to your destination might not go smoothly. Recently high profile officials have complained of being treated poorly while trying to pass through immigration...

12 months ago today the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, took control of the government in a military coup. The prime minister and his cabinet were arrested, the government dissolved. Sudan's economy, which had already been in crisis with high inflation and food, fuel and medicine shortages, plunged further. Thousands of civilians took to the streets to voice their opposit...

In Uganda it’s not unusual to send children to boarding school – in a tradition that dates back to colonial times. But now a Professor of Psychiatry, Professor Seggane Musisi, has spoken out against boarding schools – warning he’s seeing more children reporting mental health problems like depression and suicidal thoughts because of overwork and tiredness. Many schools get children up at 4 or 5am t...

In Uganda it’s not unusual to send children to boarding school – in a tradition that dates back to colonial times. But now a Professor of Psychiatry, Professor Seggane Musisi, has spoken out against boarding schools – warning he’s seeing more children reporting mental health problems like depression and suicidal thoughts because of overwork and tiredness. Many schools get children up at 4 or 5am t...

Félix Tshisekedi is President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s a country known to be one of the lungs of the world, but also wracked by conflict. The president sat down with the BBC’s Victoria Uwonkunda after more than three years in office. He recognises that DR Congo’s natural habitat is vital to the world’s environment. But he says it would be unfair to those in his country living in p...

A few years ago, Africa was tantalising close to eliminating Meningitis type A - thanks to vaccination campaigns which started from 2010 onwards. But the World Health Organization says the Covid-19 pandemic delayed vaccinations for more than 50 million children across the continent - which means a heightened risk of outbreaks of the disease next year. So – in a race against time, the organisation...

Seasonal flooding is not uncommon in Nigeria, but this year has been the worst for a decade. At least 27 out of the 36 states have been affected. More than 600 people have died and more than a million have been displaced. There are now fears that the disaster could impact food security at a time when the country is already going through a cost of living crisis. #Africa Daily

Although Africa has been dealing with HIV/AIDS for more than thirty years, sometimes the statistics are still arresting. A report recently published by the United Nations suggests that a young woman is infected every two minutes on the continent. More than that, they are three times more likely than young men aged between 15-24 to acquire the virus. The world has come a long way over the decades i...

Power cuts. They’re the bane of most South Africans’ lives… and a massive political headache due to their disruptive, ongoing and frustrating nature. The causes are myriad: including ageing infrastructure, faulty power plants and deliberate sabotage. But where there are challenges there are always entrepreneurs ready to take advantage, and many new businesses are springing up – providing solutions...

There’s a World Cup in Qatar. Yes, the one everybody already knows about – the FIFA World Cup. But there’s another one happening now with less known names and stars. The Street Child World Cup 2022. It happens every 4 years and takes place ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which this year kicks off in November in Doha. The Street Child World Cup aims to highlight the conditions of children living on th...

Burkina Faso has been in political turmoil in 2022, with two coups since the beginning of the year. But while attention has been on political manoeuvres in the capital, a crisis has been quietly building in the north of the country. The town of Djibo has become the focus of a jihadist insurgency that has been developing since 2015. People there have found their town blockaded and largely cut off f...

During the last election, 44 % of seats in Senegal’s parliament were occupied by women, making it the parliament with the largest percentage of women in West Africa. Amongst the countries with the lowest number of women represented- under 15%- are The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Benin and Sierra Leone. And according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Nigeria, has just 13 women amongst 360 members of it...

Kenya has recently lifted a ban on the cultivation and import of genetically modified goods. The country is facing the worst droughts for 40 years and there are concerns that millions could be at risk of food insecurity. These GMO’s - genetically modified organisms - are species that have been scientifically altered in a lab to achieve a specific result…such as drought resistant maize. But they ar...

In September the Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) told students who had been studying in Ukraine that their studies were at risk of being rejected. In the letter, the body said any medical and dental degrees from Ukraine from 2022 will “not be honoured forthwith by the Medical and Dental Council, Ghana, until when normal academic activities resume”. This sent waves among the hundreds of stu...

For the best part of this year, the Kwacha, Zambia's currency has been doing exceptionally well. Some economists have described it as among the best performing currencies against the dollar. This might not be good news for exports, which will be more expensive to buy in other countries. But it has been welcomed by Zambians who are paying lower prices for food and services than this time last year....

BaSotho are heading to the polls on Friday in an election that will choose the next prime minister. The country of just two million people will chose between more than 60 political parties hoping to gain power. It has been a rocky decade in Lesotho’s politics. The coalition government formed in 2012 was challenged when Prime Minister Tom Thabane fled the country claiming to be the target of a coup...

WARNING: This episode contains description of violence and death which some people may find distressing. “There could have been a dissenting voice saying no, no, no – don’t do that. Nigeria is a place where people don’t seem to have value for human life”. Ten years ago, the deaths of four young men – who became known as the ‘Aluu 4’ – shocked Nigeria, after they were viewed by thousands of people...

Burkina Faso is no stranger to coups. It’s had seven military takeovers since its independence from France in 1960. On September 30, a group of junior soldiers toppled a fellow military ruler in Burkina Faso. Announcing their takeover on national television, the putschists accused Lt. Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba of failing to quell jihadist attacks in the country. Damiba had been in charge...

When Alan visited Johannesburg in July, the city was reeling after a mass shooting at tavern in Soweto. Sixteen people were killed by gunmen while socialising with their friends. It a spotlight on increasing violence at drinking spots across the country. That month 25 people died in such incidents. Last week, five people appeared in court in relation to the shooting in Soweto. But the people Alan...

In the early 2000s, African Union members adopted what is known as the Yamoussoukro Decision. The treaty was designed to open up air transport between African countries by promoting fair competition among airlines. However, World Bank says this hasn’t really taken off, as African countries are still restricting their markets to prefer state owned carriers. But now, South Africa seems to be taking...

Uganda is facing an Ebola outbreak which has reportedly infected more than twenty people. And five people have died since the virus was detected last week. The association of medical workers in Uganda has called for the affected region - Mubende - to be quarantined. But on Wednesday evening, President Museveni said quarantines were not being considered as part of the response. He tried to reassure...

The United Nations Security Council is tasked with ensuring international peace and security. It has five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It also has 10 other members who are elected on a regional basis for a term of two years, and among those there at the moment representing Africa are Gabon, Ghana and Kenya. At the recent UN General...