Focus on Africa

A BBC Africa Eye investigation uncovers how dozens of women from Malawi working in Oman, have suffered abuse. The investigation reveals how a WhatsApp group was used to rescue at least 50 of them. How and why were these women abused? Also, how African countries can use 'soft power' for their benefit. And why people in Botswana took to social media to criticise the 2024 Miss World contest

The Rwandan government says elections will be free and fair. But how democratic will they be if an opposition leader has been banned from standing? At least sixty-two Cameroonian national football players have been suspended for lying about their age. So why does lying about your age matter? And a young innovator in Sierra Leone designs a robot which he says will preach peace to the world.

Kenya's health workers defy a labour court order and go on a nationwide strike. They are protesting the delayed employment of thousands of medical graduates. How Egypt's galloping inflation is adversely affecting students and ordinary citizens. And is hosting the African Games worth the price tag for Ghana which is in economic doldrums?

Congolese nationals who are now refugees in Rwanda have been protesting. Some of them fled the eastern DRC more than twenty years ago because of the ongoing conflict there. Why are they protesting and what are their demands? Also, why did one adult and eight children die after eating turtle meat in Zanzibar? And if you're interested in a career as an Afrobeats dancer, Izzy Odigie shares the secret...

A Ugandan IT specialist, who was trafficked to Myanmar, shares his personal testimony with us.  Francis Kamugisha was trafficked to a scam camp in Myanmar but he managed to escape.  We'll hear his compelling story.  Also, why is the main opposition party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance, calling for international observers ahead of the country's next general election? And good news for Gha...

Almost three hundred school children have been kidnapped in the past few days in Nigeria's Kaduna State. The recent kidnappings surpasses the abduction of almost two hundred and seventy six Chibok girls, by Boko Haram in 2014. Why do children keep getting abducted? What's going on? Also how the ongoing Red Sea crisis is affecting Ramadan celebrations in East Africa. And why are fans of Nigerian Af...

On International Women's Day, we ask is a lack of safety and easily available childcare affecting working women's progress at work? Could blanket large-scale tree planting projects across Africa be damaging to the environment? And heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua fights ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. Could a major upset be on the cards?

The US accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other senior officials in Zimbabwe of corruption and human rights abuses. But will these sanctions work? More than 70 children are missing following recent jihadist attacks in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province. And how the migrant who inspired an Oscar nominated film survived his harrowing journey?

Kenya and Haiti have signed a deal to deploy Kenyan police officers to Haiti but what's holding up their deployment? The United Nations Security Council sanctions rebel leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We ask just how effective they are. And scientists unearth the hidden mysteries of a giant, moving star dune in Morocco.

Kenya is now a common transit route for undocumented migrant workers to try and reach the southern tip of the continent, and particularly South Africa, says the UN’s migration agency. The Church of England explains how it will repair the damage caused by their links to the slave trade. And it is the end of Nigeria's favourite TV family - The Johnsons. Director and lead actor Charles Inojie tells u...

Hundreds of thousands of people were killed in Liberia's civil wars and the Truth and Reconcialition Committee proposed war a crimes tribunal but why has it not been established yet? Cameroonians struggle to cope as food and fuel prices continue to rise. And what are the benefits and advantages of women-led health tech companies?

A leading critic of Chad's military leader, Mahamat Déby, has been killed in a shootout with security forces, that's according to officials Yaya Dillo's death comes after the government blamed him for a deadly attack on the country's security agency. He had denied the accusation. Several others were killed following that attack. What's going on? Also, fresh calls for a proper investigation into th...

Ghana ‘s parliament unanimously passed a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill that could get some people sent to prison for 10 years. Is the proposed law constitutional and is it really about promoting family values? Concern grows in South Africa over how children access guns.  And what is circular finance, and can it help with environmental issues?

According to the Libyan government, militias have agreed to leave Libya's capital, Tripoli, following lengthy negotiations. The deal comes after a series of deadly clashes in the city in recent months. The country has been battered by armed groups who emerged after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. How will the deal work? Also, following the tragic death of a zookeeper at a Nigerian univer...

Malawi's influential Catholic Bishops have written a letter criticising President Lazarus Chakwera's government. They say the country is worse off now. than it was four years ago.  The government has acknowledged the issues raised by the church.  Also how widespread is the recruitment of child soldiers in Africa? And we hear the second half of the story of the Nigerian student who fled Ukraine two...

There's been a rise in the number of people attempting the dangerous Atlantic crossing from West Africa to Europe. Migrants are once again returning to Mauritania, which is struggling to cope with the growing numbers. Why are migrants choosing Mauritania? Also, we'll hear a personal and distressing story of how a Nigerian student fled Ukraine and made her way across Europe when the war broke out t...

More than 100 mothers in Uganda have been given community service for allowing their children to beg on the streets of Kampala. We hear more about why street-begging is a huge issue in the country and how most are from a particular region where they are sold as a commodity. Senegal’s President Macky Sall says he will stand down on 2 April when his term in office expires, but he has not announced a...

South Africa's finance minister Enoch Godongwana, acknowledged that the country's economy is facing 'a tipping point'. There's massive youth unemployment in South Africa and this recent forecast won't be favourable to young people. We hear reaction and look at possible solutions. Also, Somalia signs a military and economic deal with Turkey. What's the deal and why has it angered Somaliland? And Ma...

The rebranded Russian mercenary group Wagner offers Niger a regime survival package

There's anger in Nigeria as food prices continue to rise. Some people have taken to the streets in protest. Inflation is at its highest the country has seen for a generation, at almost 30%. How is the government dealing with the problem? Also, Kenya's shilling strengthened against the dollar a few days ago, making it Africa's top performing currency. It caused excitement in the country. What's goi...

The African Union urges action on instability and condemns coups on the continent

Despite being an energy-rich country, Nigeria has been experiencing widespread blackouts and power cuts. We hear from the former boss of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on what needs to be done to fix the national grid. Also, we meet the lawyer who defies threats of violence, to defend people sentenced to death for blasphemy under Sharia law. And what is the best way to handle cyber...

Racheal Kundananji becomes the most expensive women's footballer after a record transfer fee of $860,000 is paid. Will this pave the way for better pay for women football players? With successful hosting of the recently ended AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast,  we explore how sport can be an effective tool in peace building. And why is there an initiative to stop the illicit trade in tobacco around...

Senegal’s President Macky Sall is coming under increasing pressure from West African leaders and the international community to reverse a decision to postpone the presidential election. He is accused of putting the country’s democratic path on to “a dead end”. We find out why some asthma inhalers are environmentally unfriendly. And what was reggae icon Bob Marley really like? We hear from the vete...

There has been a resurgence of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo involving rebels from the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 movement. Thousands of civilians have fled the violence. What is behind this latest escalation and what do the rebels want? Nurses and midwives in Nigeria protest new rules for verifying their qualifications to foreign nursing boards. Why are cases of prostate cancer incre...