Focus on Africa

Nearly a decade ago in Ghana, 15-year-old Kevin Moses died at Achimota High School. In a landmark ruling last year, Ghana’s High Court found the school negligent for Kevin's death. The school has appealed that decision. Between May 2023 and February 2024, six students died while in boarding school. Why are children dying in schools in Ghana? Also, we hear differing views on what caused the recent...

Violent clashes, arrests and deaths during Morocco’s GenZ 212 protests Why Senegal's fishermen are blaming a BP natural gas project for lack of fish And Nigeria's First Lady raises $13million for national library – but why has it taken so long? Presenter : Nyasha Michelle Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Mark Wilberforce, Bella Hassan and Joseph Keen in London. Makuochi Okafor was in Lagos. Senior...

The former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo is sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, treason and backing the Rwandan-supported M23 rebels in eastern Congo. The court has ordered his arrest, but his whereabouts remain unknown We look at the man and his life. Also in the programme: Officials in Namibia have deployed hundreds of soldiers to battle a fire that has ra...

AGOA: Why is a vital US-Africa trade deal set to expire? And why will women be more affected? Oil workers go on strike at Dangote Refinery in Nigeria following dismissal of hundreds of staff. And professional boxing suspended in Ghana following the death of two boxers in 6 months. Presenter Nyasha Michelle Producers: Tanya Hines, Joseph Keen ,Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke, Bella Hassan an...

Authorities in Madagascar impose a curfew in the capital, Antananarivo, after protests over frequent power and water shortages turn violent. As the police continue to patrol the streets, we ask whether the government has improved conditions in the country? Also in the programme: The Island of Seychelles, one of the richest countries in Africa, holds a re-run of the presidential elections after the...

Malawi re-elects former President Peter Mutharika. At 85. How did he beat other contenders? What's life like in Bunagana town along Uganda's recently reopened border with rebel held eastern DR Congo Nigerian women push for more female MPs. Does reserving seats for women in parliament help ? Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Nyasha Michelle and Stefania Okereke Senior Producer...

A new HIV prevention drug will be made available at a lower cost in over 100 low-income countries within two years, including across Africa. It's a move expected to give millions access to the breakthrough treatment and potentially bring the world closer to ending the HIV/Aids epidemic. So, how affordable and effective is it? Also, Zimbabwe continues on a quest to become Africa’s blueberry capital...

UNGA: More than 150 member states recognise the State of Palestine-Cameroon and Eritrea will not. South Africa's police discover illicit drugs worth $20 million on a farm. Plus, we discover the nutritional benefits of eating dried fish. Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Patricia Whitehorne, Makuochi Okafor, Mark Wilberforce, Sunita Nahar and Nyasha Michelle in London. Senior Producer: Paul Bak...

A group of deportees from the US have sued the Ghanaian government, alleging they've been detained illegally. We talk to the lawyer representing these deportees and ask what legal framework underpins this US-Ghana deportation deal? And how does this situation tests the principles of human rights? Also in the programme: The BBC has managed to get rare access into Sudan's oil-rich Kordofan region, w...

Togolese Prime Minister Faure Gnassingbe’s sister-in-law, who’s also the ex Defence Minister, has been arrested after calling for end to family rule. How aid cuts and crocodile attacks are contributing to malnutrition in northern Kenya. And why do Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso apparently want to leave the International Criminal Court? Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers : Mark Wilberforce, Bella H...

Guineans will vote in a referendum on a new constitution on Sunday, that would permit junta leader Mamady Doumbouya to run for president, despite his promise not to do so when he seized power four years ago. Political analyst Renna Hawili explains the other major proposals. Also, will a new World Trade Organisation agreement help protect the livelihoods of fishing communities off the coast of Afri...

South Sudan: UN report accuses leaders of "systematic looting" The government denies the allegations Why was the Gambia’s auditor general forcibly removed by police from office? Plus, why domestic worker jobs are on the decline in South Africa Presenter :Charles Gitonga Producers: Sunita Nahar, Stefania Okereke, Nyasha Michelle and Mark Wilberforce in London. with Jewel Kiriungi in Nairobi. Techni...

Several fuel tankers were destroyed in Mali after al Qaeda-linked insurgents, who had declared a blockade on fuel imports to the country, attacked a convoy of more than 100 vehicles. That's according to local reports. A fuel supply blockade initiated by the militant group, JNIM, has been in place since early September. The militants had threatened fuel importers and drivers that they would be targ...

Why is the treason charge being used against several key opposition figures in some African countries ? We meet Elsa Owusu-Sarpong - aka Bikergirl El’- the tireless road safety campaigner from Ghana. What's the sad tale behind her passion and inspiration? And Africa’s elderly population is set to increase – but how are they treated? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Charles Gitonga in Nairobi wit...

A Ugandan woman, Monic Karungi, known online as Mona Kizz, tragically fell to her death from a Dubai high-rise in 2022. Within hours her name was trending. A grainy video of a woman jumping from a building began circulating, with social media users claiming it was of Monic and that she’d taken her life after a “porta potty” video of her was leaked. We hear from BBC Eye’s Runako Celina, who spent t...

South Africa is to reopen an inquest into the death of anti-apartheid figure Steve Biko, who died in police custody. It will officially be registered in court on the anniversary of Biko's death, the 12th of September, almost 50 years ago. We hear reaction from Biko's friend and fellow anti- apartheid campaigner, Saths Cooper. We also remember the legacy Steve Biko left behind. Also, are Islamist m...

Will the second Africa climate summit produce tangible solutions to fight for climate justice? Police abuse is widespread in Kenya a new study finds. Rights groups warn the findings expose systemic failures that have left many Kenyans vulnerable to police harassment and violence. And how did Botswana become a leader in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV? Presenter: Charles Gitonga Pro...

A new Ebola outbreak declared in the DR Congo. An emergency response has been launched Over 10 opposition parties form coalition ahead of Ethiopia's next polls And we experience a ride on one of Tanzania's locally manufactured planes Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Sunita Nahar, Stefania Okereke and Priya Sippy in London. Makuochi Okafor in Lagos with Jewel Kiriungi in Nairobi. Senior Produc...

Why are fighters from Somalia's Jubaland region crossing the border into Kenya. Their presence is - causing fear and uncertainty Burkina Faso's unelected transitional parliament bans homosexual acts Plus how experts in Africa are tryings to close the AI language gap Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Priya Sippy, Alfonso Daniels, Sunita Nahar, Mark Wilberforce, and Nyasha Michelle in London. Jewel...

An extensive earthen wall is being built around the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher. Researchers from Yale University say it is intended to trap people inside. Why is there a rapidly growing demand for solar panels in Africa? And we meet Iris- the teaching robot in South Africa. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Charles Gitonga in Nairobi, Mark Wilberforce, Yvette Twagiramariya and Sunita Nah...

Two years on from the devastating fire at an abandoned building in Johannesburg that was occupied by squatters, how much has changed? We revisit the scene of one of South Africa's worst tragedies, in which more than 70 people - including children - died, to find out what happened to the survivors. Scientists warn that global warming and climate change could be making flight turbulence more frequen...

Nigeria has banned for six months exports of shea nuts used for beauty products to help boost the local economy More about Malawi's health boat that provides a lifeline for locals on a remote island And we find out why African made prom dresses are a hit among American teenagers Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Makuochi Okafor and Ayuba Iliya in Lagos. Alfonso Daniels, Stefania Okereke and Yvett...

A new Human Rights Watch report says the EU's and Spain’s outsourcing of migration control to Mauritania has worsened abuses against asylum seekers and migrants heading for Europe, but the Mauritanian authorities reject those claims. Why are cybercrimes on the rise in Africa and how can you stay safe? And we find out why the population of one of Kenya's iconic tourist attractions - flamingos - has...

Botswana's president Duma Boko, has declared a public health emergency as the country faces a shortage of essential medicines and medical equipment. Africa's defence chiefs discuss collective strategies and joint responses to insecurity in the continent. And why is the northern Nigerian state of Kano losing its famous yellow buses? Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Priya Sip...

There are fears that the mass starvation cult in Kenya is still active after the discovery of new bodies in fresh graves near the site of the Shakahola forest massacre. So far, eleven people have been arrested in connection with these new exhumations. We hear from a Rapid Response Officer, working with a human rights organisation, who has been helping people track down missing relatives. Why are A...