Focus on Africa

UN says a record number of aid workers were killed in 2024. Most in Gaza but dozens also in Sudan, South Sudan, and Nigeria Why is sub-Saharan Africa facing a shortage of child eye doctors? We meet one of the only paediatric opthalmologists in Burkina Faso And we meet Gelda Waterboer the Namibian teacher who has gone viral with a classroom song about sexual consent Presenter: Audrey Brown Producer...

Japan has pledged to work more closely with African countries at global summit on economic development. How can Africa benefit from stronger ties with Japan? The former prime minister of Chad is facing a 20-year prison term after being convicted of hate speech, xenophobia and having incited a massacre. Who is Succès Masra and what sparked the intercommunal violence that led to the charges against...

Uganda agrees a deal with the United States to take in failed asylum seekers provided they are not minors or people with criminal records How does Zambia plan to tackle a gold rush that turned violent? And why are gulper sharks under threat off the coast of Somalia’s Puntland state Presenter Audrey Brown Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke and Priya Sippy in London. Charles Gitonga i...

Two prominent journalists in Ethiopia, Abdulsemed Mohammed and Yonas Amare, have been missing for more than a week after being abducted by what reports say, were men wearing masks and military uniforms. There has been no news about their whereabouts but their disappearances have raised concerns about a crackdown on media freedom in the country. Aid agencies warn that a surge in the number of peopl...

M23 rebels say they will not return to peace talks in Doha unless the DRC government agrees to its demands. Are the talks dead in the water? Could climate change be creating child brides in Malawi? And we learn about the role of matrilineal leadership in everyday Ghana. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Priya Sippy and Stefania Okereke in London Technical Producer: Francesca...

South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a national dialogue called “uniting voices, shaping the nation". It's an ambitious plan to confront its most pressing challenges and unite a nation still wrestling with the legacy of apartheid, deep inequality, and mounting political tension. Critics say it's been rushed. So, will it work? Also, the Ugandan ex-military men arrested for alleged...

The US government has approved a $346m arms deal with Nigeria which would include munitions, precision bombs and precision rockets. What is behind the change in a decade-long US policy about selling certain kinds of weapons to Nigeria? The mining of gold has been a key factor of Sudan's economy, and now it is a major source of funding of the two-year civil war. We look back at its history in Sudan...

There's been outrage in The Gambia following the death of a one-month-old baby girl. Reports suggest she was a victim of female genital mutilation (FGM). Although FGM is outlawed in the country, it's a deeply rooted cultural practice that authorities are battling. Three women have been arrested in connection with the incident. Also, France's president Emmanuel Macron acknowledges France used "repr...

The ongoing war in Sudan and limited access to humanitarian aid has led to starvation amongst those left behind. The United Nations says children are being "reduced to skin and bones."  We'll hear from people within the country.  Also, are Kenya's dreams of becoming a footballing superpower in jeopardy? And how are young African scientists using Charles Darwin’s historical voyage to protect specie...

Dozens of soldiers have been arrested in Mali accused of plotting to topple the country's military leaders, sources say. The wave of arrests reflect tension within the military government. The authorities have not yet commented on the arrests. We'll hear analysis. Also, more than 400 people have died and over 6,000 have been affected following a cholera outbreak in Sudan's Darfur region. What are...

Doctors Without Borders and other NGOs have raised concerns about anti-migrant groups preventing non-South Africans from accessing healthcare services. The South African government has called on all communities to uphold the rule of law, respect human dignity. So why are activists blocking health clinics and hospitals?   The African Union sends a delegation to South Sudan to encourage the warring...

The Zambian government has dismissed claims of dangerous pollution in the Copperbelt mining region, following safety concerns raised by the US embassy. On Wednesday, the US issued a health alert, ordering the immediate withdrawal of its personnel due to concerns of "widespread contamination of water and soil", linked to a spill at the Sino-Metals mine in February. Zambian journalist, Dingindaba Bu...

What's behind deadly clashes at Uganda’s border with South Sudan? Why are heatwaves happening more often on the African continent And plans by Somalia to revive its airline after three decades Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers:  Tom Kavanagh in London, Blessing Aderogba with Makuochi Okafor in Lagos and Richard Kagoe in Nairobi Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga E...

Rwanda has confirmed it will accept up to 250 migrants from the US, in a deal agreed with President Donald Trump's administration. Under the scheme the deportees would be given "workforce training, health care, and accommodation to jump start their lives in Rwanda", according to Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo. Human rights experts have raised concerns that removals to a nation that...

Ghana: Hundreds of soldiers deployed to Bawku town in the Upper East Region, after attacks on two schools killed several students. What is behind the resurgence of violence? Why has Tanzania barred foreign nationals from owning and operating small-scale businesses? What does Kenya stand to gain following proposed plan to move 3 UN agencies to Nairobi? Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Tom Kava...

Two undercover investigators, posing as sex workers spent months infiltrating the sex trade in the town of Maai Mahiu. The expose by BBC Africa Eye shows how women, known as "madams" have coerced children as young as 13 in prostitution in Kenya. Hear reporter, Njeri Mwangi, narrate the details of the story. Also, the United States last week announced new tariff rates for dozens of African countrie...

DR Congo have agreed a multi-million kit deal with Spanish football club Barcelona, rasing many questions. We hear from Dr Congo's Sports Minister, Didier Budimbu. Also, Northern Nigeria is facing food insecurity with the UN warning that aid cuts will push Nigerians into the arms of Boko Haram jihadists. And Kenya proposes drastic plans to control alcohol intake, following Ghana along the same pat...

What began as a three-day strike by taxi drivers against rising petrol prices in Angola, has escalated into one of the most widespread and disruptive waves of protest the country has seen in recent years. What has life been like in the capital Luanda, against the background of the unrest? Why do fewer than a quarter of South Africans trust their police service? A new survey shows only 22% of South...

Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 35 people from Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release. Why is the kidnapping menace in Nigeria not only growing but changing as well ? Why fibroids are particularly a problem for  black women And Ghanaian students abroad facing deportation because the government failed to pay their fees Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Blessing Adero...

More than 40 people including women and children were killed in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), in the town of Komanda, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The militia group is linked to the so-called Islamic state, a jihadi militant group. Majority of those killed were worshippers at a local church, nearby shops were also attacked and looted. Also, why Cameroonian opposition le...

A stand off as Somalia demands release of a cargo ship carrying military equipment that was seized by semi-autonomous Puntland. The ship was reportedly transporting military equipment to Turkey’s military base in Mogadishu. Why indigenous plants are making a comeback in African diets? And after Nigeria's Super Falcons historic victory at WAFCON, in Morocco, we ask what does this mean for the futur...

This week the International Criminal Court sentenced two commanders of a civilian militia in the Central African Republic to a total of 27 years in prison. One of them, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, had formerly been the head of the country’s football federation. What was the conflict that engulfed CAR a decade ago, and what were the crimes that led to the ICC convictions? Also in this episode, the i...

Good news about the state-of-the-art treatment facility in Ghana for cleft lip patients And as the number of billionaires on the continent rises, we ask - are billionaires good or bad for Africa? Why are violence and insecurity on the increase in Haiti despite the presence of an international force?. Does the Kenyan contingent have adequate resources? Presenter : Richard Kagoe Producers: Alfonso D...

The city of Goma in the conflict-hit east of the Democratic Republic of Congo was seized by the M23 armed group earlier this year after intense fighting with government forces. How has the city changed after six months under the group’s control? After retired police officers in Nigeria held demonstrations earlier this week calling for better pensions, we look at wider pension provision and ask if...

How young people in South Africa  are navigating the lack of consistent power supplies Who are the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and why are Uganda and the DR Congo governments struggling to defeat them? And the taxes, charges and fees paralyzing air travel in Africa Presenter: Richard Kagoe Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke and Sunita Nahar in London. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos T...