Focus on Africa

Burkina Faso's military rulers have disbanded the country's electoral commission calling it a waste of money. The government says the interior ministry will handle elections in the future. Will this move by the ruling junta further delay democratic elections? Hundreds of thousands of premature deaths occur each year in Africa due to illnesses caused by cooking with polluting fuels like wood, charc...

Sudan: More than 450 civilians have been  killed in recent attacks in North Kordofan . Why is the RSF paramilitary increasingly targeting  the state? The kingdom of Lesotho recently declared a 'State of disaster'-What can youth facing unemployment do ? And how sinkholes in South Africa are affecting people's lives Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Richard Kagoe in Nairobi, Blessing Aderogba in...

Cameroon's Paul Biya has the distinction of being 'the world's oldest sitting president' and yet at age 92, he is seeking to run for an eighth term, that will see him serve until he is almost 100 years old. How much popular support does he have, and how strong is the opposition? Sudan's newly appointed prime minister, Kamal Idris, has named his cabinet ministers who will form his "government of ho...

Gen Z’s have largely led opposition street protests in Kenya. However, it's taking a toll on their mental health. We talk to an activist and a psychiatrist on how to cope. Why was a French sports journalist recently sentenced to 7 years in jail in Algeria? Was it for talking to a banned separatist movement- or due to diplomatic rows between Algeria and France? Plus, a report says more than a quart...

Residents of South Sudan's capital Juba have voiced concern for their safety after the arrival of eight deportees from the United States. The Trump administration have described them as ‘violent criminals’. Who are these men, what did they do and how did they end up in South Sudan? Also, another peace deal in the Central African Republic, but will it hold? And as we enter the half way point for th...

Former Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari has died at 82. He was a two-time leader who first led Africa's most populous country as a military ruler, then later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023. What will be his legacy and how will he be remembered? What's the truth behind recent coup rumours in Ivory Coast? And we remember Arthur Ashe, so far the only black male Wimbledon...

A recent US-brokered peace deal may have raised hopes of stability in eastern DRC. However, miners have told the BBC that M23’s control of mineral-rich areas could keep the conflict going. US aid cuts are forcing HIV clinics across Africa to shut down, with South Africa hit hardest. Experts are also warning that this could stall vaccine research and reverse years of progress. And Uganda has overta...

US President Donald Trump announced recently that he would impose a new 30% tariff on imports from South Africa. They kick in next month. What effect will this have on the nation? The United Nations Refugee Agency says the insurgency in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province is intensifying – and spreading And we meet one of Cameroon's first scientific diving marine scientists.  Presenter: Audrey Brow...

Ghanaian authorities have rescued more than 70 young men from a trafficking ring in Nigeria. The men thought they were heading for football contracts or overseas opportunities. Why has football become a gateway for trafficking? Leaders from five African countries - Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal - have been invited to a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White Ho...

The first malaria medicine suitable for babies and very young children is approved for use. How increased taxes on remittances from USA could hurt Africa. Plus,  a new tool to help children with communication impairments. Presenter: Richard Kagoe Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Stefania Okereke in London, Blessing Aderogba in Lagos Technical Producer: Pat Sissons Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editor...

Two people have reportedly died of gunshot wounds after police opened fire during protests in Kenya. It's the latest in a wave of anti-government rallies that began last year. The demonstrations mark the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba protests that launched Kenya's push for multiparty democracy. Security forces blocked all major roads into central Nairobi ahead of the protests. We'll h...

Starting pistol fired ahead of Nigeria's 2027 elections. Two main opposition leaders form alliance in bid to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party. We meet a Kenyan breastmilk champion -who is donating litres of breast milk to families in need. Plus, what are natural assets and why do we need to value them in Africa? Presenter : Charles Gitonga Producers: Blessing Aderogba in Lagos, Su...

Jihadist militants have launched a series of simultaneous attacks on military posts across numerous towns in Mali. It's the third major assault on Mali's army over the last month. Why is there an increase in these attacks, and what's the impact on neighbouring countries? Also, the kidnapping epidemic in Nigeria that's got many living in fear. And did you know that Ghana shares an old friendship wi...

Mothers in the DRC struggling to raise children fathered and abandoned by UN peacekeepers amid fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Also in the programme: we ask South Africa's minister of police whether he's lost control of the spiralling gang violence in Cape Town. And the rising wave of South Korean culture sweeping across Africa. Presenter: Richard Kagoe Producers: Blessing Aderogba,...

Angola was certified as polio-free in 2015, but is now combatting a new outbreak of the disease after several cases were reported in a Western province. What has caused the virus to come back? A new report says Islamist militants are using Starlink technology to ramp up operational capabilities in Niger. And why are South Sudanese women fashion's favourites and are being sought after on the catwal...

At least seven people reportedly killed, and many others wounded during recent anti-government protests in Togo’s capital Lome. The Togolese government denies the allegations. Who is Victoire Ingabire and why has the Rwandan government locked her up again? Plus, a look ahead to the Women's African Cup of Nations in Morocco Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Blessing Aderogba in Lagos, Victor Sylve...

Civil organisations in Mozambique say at least 120 children have been kidnapped by insurgents in the north of the country. The Human Rights Watch group warn of a rise in abductions in the country's troubled nothern province of Cabo Delgado. The children are reportedly being used by Al-Shabab, an insurgent group linked to the so-called Islamic State, to transport looted goods, cheap labour and in s...

People from Kenya’s growing Gen Z movement hold protests demanding justice and police accountability. We ask whether the police is acting on behalf of the Kenyan government. The protests marked the anniversary of last year’s deadly anti-tax demonstrations. Also in the programme: a quarter of a century after their land was seized, a small group of white farmers in Zimbabwe accept a controversial co...

A new bout of intercommunal violence in Chad, has left more than 40 people dead, according to the Chadian Government. This includes women and children. What's behind the recent rise in violence? Also, the border town of Zalambesa re-opened after years of tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Will it stay that way? And we discuss the mixed reviews of Tyler Perry's latest movie, Straw. Presenter: A...

More than 200 gunmen on motorbikes recently attacked a Niger army base leaving at least 34 soldiers dead. Meanwhile dozens of civilians were reportedly killed in another attack in the region. Why is western Niger vulnerable to attacks by militant Islamists? Concerns after Sudan orders universities in Khartoum to reopen And how Nelson Mandela used sport to help transform South Africa, 30 years on f...

The South African city of Cape Town is one of the wealthiest cities in Africa, but it's also one of the most unequal. The city has now become the country's gang capital with more than a hundred gangs fighting for control of the lucrative drugs trade. We hear from a local journalist who grew up near one of the most volatile communities in the country, Hanover Park. Also, why the UNESCO protected to...

There is a glimmer of hope that three decades of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo could end after the government agreed a draft peace deal with Rwanda, a country accused of funding the M23, a group that has taken over some significant towns in the east of DRC. Representatives of the two countries will formally sign the agreement next week. But will this deal brokered by the United Stat...

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to bring an end to the wave of killings in Benue state. It's believed that more than 200 people were killed in attacks across various communities. What's behind the increase in violence? Also, a young man from the DRC is on the path to sainthood in the Catholic Church. Who was he and what did he do to achieve this? And we discuss the st...

The Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon is severely impacting education. With widespread school closures and displacement of teachers and students. Over 200,000 students are reportedly out of school. Is China’s recent offer to extend zero-tariff treatment to almost all African countries a reason to celebrate? And why Kenyan smallholder farmers went to court to fight for the right to sell indigenous seed...

Zambia's former president, Edgar Lungu, reportedly left instructions that his political rival and current president Hakainde Hichilema "should not come anywhere near his body". Edgar Lungu died on the 5th of June and ever since, his family and the Zambian government have been locked in a tussle over his funeral. However, following days of negotiations, arrangements for his burial have now been fin...