Focus on Africa

Algeria's incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been re-elected with almost 95% of the vote. Election officials reported that less than 6 million of the country's 24 million voters turned out to vote raising questions about Tebboune's popular support. We'll get analysis. Also, the Nigerian woman in Canada who allegedly made threats against other Nigerian ethnic groups in the country. And ho...

South Africa’s ruling ANC denies allegations of harassment and killing human rights activists in the country. The Grenfell Tower fire in London report is out after seven years. 72 people, including several from Africa, were killed. Were any lessons learnt? And why has Ethiopia suspended flights to Eritrea ? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Sunita Nahar, Yvette Twagiramariya, Joseph Keen and Bell...

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend. The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns following Sunday's attack. We hear a moving tribute and reaction to her death, also what's it like being a female athlete? Over 100 people have been killed in northeastern...

An attempt by inmates to break out of Makala high-security prison in Kinshasa, DR Congo, has led to the deaths of more than 100 people. How can Africa benefit from ties with China? And can traditional and modern medicine work together? We hear from someone who practices both in Uganda. Presenter :Audrey Producers: Sunita Nahar, Bella Hassan and Stefania Okereke in London. Charles Gitonga and Frenn...

As African leaders gather in Beijing this week for the China-Africa summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping may have one thing under his belt to boast about - satellite TV rolled out in Africa. But have villagers really benefiited or not? Also, an announcement asking to free members of the Muslim Brotherhood from Egypt's prisons is quickly withdrawn. Why? And in Cape Town, artists from across the con...

The arrival of Egyptian military planes in Somalia ratchets up tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, raising tensions in the already fragile Horn of Africa A dam bursts in Sudan killing at dozens of people, intensifying the suffering of a country already facing the ravages of war - we ask why dams fail so often in Africa? And doctors in Nigeria have been striking to demand the release of one of t...

Every year hundreds of thousands of people go missing or are ‘forcibly disappeared’ around the world, and Africa has one of the highest number of cases. On International Day of the Disappeared we hear the testimony of one affected family, and discuss what needs to be done to effectively deal with the crisis.  As health officials from several African nations conclude a week-long summit to discuss t...

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a three-day trip to west Africa. He's hoping to curb the record number of unauthorised migrants travelling by boat to Europe via the Canary Islands. But why is migration increasing? Also why is there a delay in paying the Kenyan police deployed in Haiti? And what does naming of a lion, after the leader of the opposition, tell us about politics in Tanzania...

An El Nino induced drought is intensifying across southern Africa and has left almost 70 million people in urgent need of aid. Countries affected include Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia. We hear about the devastating impact it's having on a community in Northern Zimbabwe. Also the Gambian government wants to make ammendments to the country's constitution..but does it enjoy the suppor...

In a rare move, Burkina Faso’s military-led government has acknowledged that a deadly attack has taken place in which at least 200 security officers and villagers were killed. Some reports say it could be one of the worst ever in the country. So who was behind the attack and why is the military government unable to contain the violence? Zambia faces a maize contamination crisis as aflatoxins – pro...

The Maasai community in northern Tanzania has continued to protest against what they call forcible evictions from their ancestral lands at the Ngorongoro conservation area and a UNSECO heritage site. Why are they being relocated? Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, has announced that it is out of the doldrums, and has posted its first net profit in more than a decade. What lessons have they l...

Yevgeny Prigozhin was at one time the leader of the well known Russian mercenary group, Wagner. The group, since Prigozhin's death a year ago, has changed its name to Africa Corps. Has this altered Russia's operations on the continent? Also how is Burundi coping with the outbreak of Mpox? And is it a good idea to save up for your funeral? We find out why some Kenyans are doing just that. Presenter...

At least 30 people have died and around 200 people are still missing after a boat sank in the Lukeni River in DR Congo. It's the latest fatal boat accident in the central African country, where overloading boats is often the problem. Why do these fatal accidents keep happening? Also why were charges dropped against the Libyans arrested while undergoing training at an illegal military camp in South...

African domestic workers trapped by their labour contracts in Lebanon as border tensions with Israel escalate A young Liberian poet in America tells us why bookshops are needed back home. And why are Mixed Martial Arts rising in popularity in Africa. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Bella Hassan, Joseph Keen, Rob Wilson and Nyasha Michelle in London. Blessing Aderogba and Todah Opeyemi in Lagos...

A video appearing to show a young woman being sexually assaulted in Tanzania went viral, prompting an outcry in the East African nation. This past weekend a police commander in the capital, Dodoma, was removed from her post following controversial comments in which she linked the victim in the video to sex work. So what's been the reaction in Tanzania? Also, why is Libya's Central Bank under siege...

Why did a Western Cape court order that dozens of homeless people be evicted from the streets of Cape Town? We take a closer look at Nigeria's multiple exchange rates And what lures African athletes to compete for other countries? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Blessing Aderogba in Lagos. Bella Hassan and Rob Wilson in London. Technical Producer: Nick Randell Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Ed...

A Chinese company has initiated plans to seize Nigerian assets in in the United Kingdom, United States of America and in six other countries. What's going on? Also, can US negotiators convince General Burhan's side to attend the Sudan Peace talks in Geneva? And why was there a media blackout in Senegal? Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Rob Wilson, Bella Hassan and Nyasha Michelle Technical Pr...

Will Africa's past experience with health emergencies help in tackling the Mpox outbreak? Could a rift within Ethiopia's TPLF party derail the Pretoria peace agreement? And was a landslide at a rubbish dump in the Ugandan capital that killed at least 30 people preventable? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Joseph Keen, Charles Gitonga and Nyasha Michelle Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa Senior P...

Thomas Kwoyelo, a child soldier-turned-rebel commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in a landmark case in Uganda. He denied all 78 charges that were brought against him. Who is he and what role did he play in the LRA? Also a conversation with a journalist travelling around Sudan, bearing witness to what's happening in the c...

Why are so many potential presidential contestants in jail ahead of October presidential polls in Tunisia? We find out why Nigerian demonstrators were waving Russian flags at protests And how a novel method of mental health therapy- the friendship bench- could be making its way to a place near you. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Charles Gitonga, Susan Gachuhi and Frenny Jowi in Nairobi. Blessi...

Former finance minister Manuel Chang was found guilty of fraud and money laundering in a major corruption case, which came to be known as the 'tuna bond' scandal. It involved two billion dolars and crippled Mozambique's economy. How did this scandal change the country and what measures have been put in place against corruption? Also, the impact of forced evictions in Abidjan And celebrating the ne...

Talks aimed at ending the 16-month conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces are due to take place in Geneva. Can lifestyle audits help curb corruption by Kenya's public servants? And we meet the Cameroonian lawyer who's walking a marathon at the Paris Olympics to highlight disability. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Victor Sylver and Nyasha Michelle in London. Charles Git...

A United Nations report says fake or substandard medicines could be causing the deaths of around half a million people across Africa. This new study found, if people continue to be exposed to fake medicines, they could develop a resistance to genuine medication. How do you spot fakes? Also why the concept of the family home needs a legal definition to protect the rights of women and children. And...

Mali and now Niger say they've cut diplomatic relations with Ukraine. How much involvement does Kyiv have in the Sahel?   Why are multinational companies leaving Nigeria?   And we hear more about the world's greatest running rivalry: Kenya vs Ethiopia   Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers : Victor Sylver, Charles Gitonga, Sunita Nahar and Nyasha Michelle Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa Senior Prod...

The United Kingdom is experiencing almost a week of violent disorder after three girls were fatally stabbed in the town of Southport, in England. The subsequent unrest in towns and cities has been fuelled by misinformation online, the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment. How did the UK get to this point? Also, why does Lesotho have the highest suicide rates in the world? And Somalia sentences...