FRANCE 24’s coverage of events, politics and social issues across Africa, including North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Sahel, aided by our network of correspondents and experts across the continent.
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Protesters in South Africa gather outside of a meeting of regional leaders demanding that they fetch their people. Frustration continues to fester on all sides as Pretoria tries to repair fractured relationships with its neighbours whilst placating the powerful anti-migrant movement.
The DRC’s latest Ebola outbreak has killed 2,325 people, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak on record. Nearly 5,000 cases have been confirmed as the virus spreads to a sixth province, while health authorities work to tackle mistrust and contain transmission. Two vaccines have also entered early human trials.
A prominent Malian broadcaster and an influencer were on Monday jailed for seven years after criticising the ruling junta. Mohamed Youssouf Bathily was convicted by the Bamaka court of criminal conspiracy and discrediting the state alongside Rokia Doumbia, a noted campaigner.
Cameroon defeated tournament newcomers Malawi 3-0 in the final to win its first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice and Naomi Eto added another goal. Both finalists, along with Morocco and Algeria, qualified for next year's Women's World Cup in Brazil.
The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo is now the deadliest in the country's history, according to the latest government data, with 2,235 reported killed from the virus. Confirmed cases have risen to 4,945, including 101 new cases detected in the last 24 hours, Congo's public health institute said.
In Saint-Louis, Senegal, traditional pirogue races are keeping alive a centuries-old tradition dating back nearly 200 years. Held in the fishing district of Guet Ndar, the 3.5-kilometre race brings together dozens of rowers and huge crowds, turning the event into both a major sporting competition and a celebration of local culture. But despite the race's popularity and the money it generates,…
Rescue workers recovered more bodies on Sunday following a ferry capsizing accident that occured earlier this week on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, bringing the death toll to at least 84. The search continues, as authorities fear the number of casualties could rise even further.
Chadian opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succès Masra, who founded the opposition party Les Transformateurs and challenged President Mahamat Idriss Déby in the 2024 presidential election, was jailed for more than a year after being sentenced to 20 years in 2025. Pardoned by Déby on August 14, he has now spoken to France 24 about Chad's political situation and his future.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo is now the second-largest on record, with more than 2,100 deaths and the virus spreading to a sixth province. Health workers are struggling to contain the rapidly growing outbreak amid community resistance, misinformation, unpaid staff strikes and threats from rebel groups.
In Chad, the Chari River has been badly affected by years of intensive sand extraction along its banks, particularly around the capital, N’Djamena. The Ministry of Mines recently banned the practice to protect the environment and wildlife, but the decision has sparked controversy as thousands of people in the capital depend on sand mining for their livelihoods.
Zambia resumed vote counting Friday after a nationwide suspension over alleged attacks on polling staff and stolen marked ballot papers. The halt came a day after presidential and parliamentary elections, with opposition leader Brian Mundubile already claiming victory. Sishuwa Sishuwa, Senior Lecturer at Stellenbosch University and author, was FRANCE 24's guest to recap the recent events in…
The Ebola outbreak in the DR of Congo is spreading, with the virus now confirmed in a sixth province, raising fresh concerns about new infections and the challenges facing health teams. Meanwhile, the migration crisis between Morocco and Spain continues, as Moroccan authorities step up security around the border following the recent crossing of tens of thousands of people into Spain's North…
Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby on Friday pardoned the jailed ex-prime minister and leader of Chad’s main opposition party Succès Masra, along with eight other party leaders. Masra had been serving a 20-year sentence, convicted of hate speech, xenophobia and inciting a massacre, in what Human Rights Watch called a politically motivated trial.
Zambia's electoral commission on Friday suspended vote counting from Thursday's presidential and parliamentary elections for at least 24 hours due to “violence targeted at poll staff” and reported instances of theft of marked ballot papers. Former minister Brian Mundubile, the main challenger to President Hakainde Hichilema, claimed a first-round victory and said his camp viewed "the continued…
In Zimbabwe, hundreds of people have attended a memorial service following a ferry disaster on Lake Kariba that claimed at least 46 lives. The boat was a vital link for villagers and fish traders around the vast lake, but was reportedly overloaded when it ran into trouble on Tuesday. Laurent Berstecher has the details.
In tonight's programme: Mourners gather in memory of the 44 people killed in Tuesday's ferry accident on Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba. Also, ballot counting has started in Zambia, where President Hakainde Hichilema is expected to win a second term. Finally, researchers believe that the rising cost of living and changing societal expectations is behind a marked drop in birthrates across North African…
Mali President Assimi Goïta on Thursday pardoned a French national who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Last year, Mali's military-led government accused Yann Vézilier, an official from the French embassy, of being involved in a plot to destabilise the West African country.
Zambians vote Thursday in a general election widely expected to give President Hakainde Hichilema a second term, as his economic record faces a test from voters frustrated by the cost of living and opposition parties seek to capitalise on discontent despite deep divisions.
Across parts of Africa, millions lifted their eyes skywards this Wednesday to observe a rare celestial event: a partial solar eclipse. Also, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema hopes for a second term in Thursday’s elections. Hs main rival says it's been a tough campaign, in part because of deliberate obstruction from the government. Finally, Nigerian drivers are increasingly turning to electric…
The Libyan National Army, which controls the east and parts of southern Libya, said Tuesday that a car bomb killed its military intelligence chief Fawzi al-Mansouri in Benghazi. The assassination raises fresh questions over security in the stronghold of military commander Khalifa Haftar as efforts continue to reunify the divided country.
In tonight's programme: Nigerian returnees are trying to forget the trauma they experienced during months of xenophobic protests in South Africa that have frayed diplomatic ties between the two African powerhouses. Also, Chad says teaming up with General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army has made the country's shared border safer. Finally, Liberia has got a new drug enforcement tsar as the…
At least 2,000 people have died in Congo’s Ebola outbreak – the fastest-growing on record, according to the latest data – as health authorities struggle to get help to remote localities due to rebel conflict, bad roads and work stoppages over payment issues.
The World Health Organization says that sequencing shows the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in DR Congo started about three months before the emergency was officially declared in May. Also, it's crunch week for Zambia as voters gear up for presidential elections. Plus a Rwandan mine has become one of the US's main suppliers of tungsten, a metal critical to the defence industry.
Born barely five years ago in Yopougon – the poorest, but also the liveliest area of Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan – Biama has got the whole of Ivorian youth dancing. Faster than coupé-décalé, this newer musical and choreographic genre borrows many of its codes. But unlike its older sibling, which is associated with trendy nightclubs, biama is danced in the streets and on social media,…
In Nigeria, people rescued this week after being held captive by jihadists are speaking out about their ordeal. On Thursday, security forces freed 308 people who had been abducted six months ago in two separate locations in the country’s northwest. The government described it as the largest single-day rescue operation in the country’s history.
In recent years, Lake Baringo in Kenya’s Rift Valley has risen to levels not seen in decades. Scientists say extreme rainfall linked to climate change is behind the surge, submerging communities and bringing dangerous wildlife closer to people, with attacks on the rise. Laurent Berstecher has more.
In tonight's programme: A grim new milestone is marked in the fast-growing Ebola outbreak in DR Congo as cases surpass 4,000. Also, low rainfall and failing pipes leave taps dry in Gabon's capital Libreville. Finally, rising water levels at Lake Baringo in Kenya push communities into closer contact with crocodiles, leading to increased attacks.
Sharon Gaffney is pleased to welcome Heather Kerr, Country Director for Congo at the International Rescue Committee. The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is unprecedented, not simply because of its scale, but because it spread undetected for months before it was correctly identified. According to Kerr, the response has been hindered by delayed diagnosis, the…
In his Lagos studio, Nigerian artist Emmanuel Olatunde is transforming the way portraits are painted, using clay sourced from the earth beneath his feet. The 39-year-old artist has developed a unique technique that turns natural clay into paint, using his background in science and his passion for art.
South Africa's textile industry is facing a workforce crisis after thousands of migrant workers fled the country in the past few months, in the wake of violent xenophobic protests. The campaign led by anti-immigrant group March and March sought to free up jobs for South Africans, one-third of whom are unemployed. But factory owners in Newcastle on say they have yet to fill vacancies left by…
