Spotlight on Africa

This week in Spotlight on Africa: Sudan’s war enters its fourth year, with no sign of easing since fighting erupted on 15 April 2023. The conflict is intensifying, amid fresh accusations of foreign interference – most recently involving Ethiopia. The conflict, now nearing its three-year mark, has already killed tens of thousands, displaced more than eleven million people and created what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis. International summits and negotiations have done little so far to put an end to the fighting, which has been marked by violations on both sides. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Sudanese civilians continue to bear the brunt of the atrocities. The NGO’s latest report has found that forces affiliated with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have arbitrarily detained, tortured, and ill-treated civilians in areas under their control, denying them any due process for their rights. Sudan is also directly affected by the US-Israeli war against Iran and Tehran’s retaliation in the Persian Gulf, reducing the supply of medicines to Africa – a sector already severely impacted by funding cuts. Sudan: rebels using sexual violence in Darfur as 'war weapon', says MSF In this episode, you'll here from the newly appointed advisor to the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) chairman in Sudan, Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, on the line from Khartoum, then Omar Digna in Cairo, Egypt – a Sudanese author and analyst – who fled the country four months after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over Khartoum. Ethiopia's involvement Meanwhile, the RSF have been accused by the Sudanese military of launching drone attacks "from inside Ethiopian territory" since March. This constitutes the first public allegation of Ethiopian involvement in the conflict. Ethiopia has denied the claim and has also rejected allegations that it is hosting RSF camps. But the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) said analysis of satellite imagery and open-source data shows activity "consistent with military assistance to the RSF" at an Ethiopian base in Asosa, in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, between late December 2025 and late March 2026. To discuss Ethiopia’s involvement in favour of the RSF, and the recent changes on the conflict, we speak to Christy Cooney, Chief of the Sudan team for the NGO Avaaz, who is regular contact with its staff in Sudan. "What the Yale team have been able to conclude with a high degree of confidence is that these vehicles are then being fitted at this Ethiopian military base, fitted with these mounted machine guns, and then being used in attacks that are where the RSF are crossing the border and launching attacks inside Sudan," Cooney said. "So there you have the Ethiopian military colluding with the RSF to launch these attacks in Blue Nile. They're colluding with an organisation that has been credibly accused of of genocide in Darfur." Chad relocates refugees amid rising tensions at border with Sudan Saving Sudan's cultural legacy One aspect that is less obvious to outsiders is the impact the war has had on the country’s culture and heritage. Important public buildings such as the Sudan National Museum have been ransacked since the fighting broke out, putting precious historical artefacts at risk of damage, theft and trafficking. RFI's Ollia Horton looks into how Sudanese cultural institutions like the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) and the Louvre museum in France have been working together to preserve the country's heritage for future generations. Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

In Kenya, charities are working with landlords to fight gender-based violence – in particular the domestic violence experienced by women living in overcrowded, impoverished areas. In Kibera, one of the largest informal settlements in Africa, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, the NGO CFK Africa has begun helping landlords to spot and respond to domestic violence and sexual assault. Siama Yusuf, senior programme officer for girls empowerment at CFK Africa, told RFI: "Kibera faces a persistent high level of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse." And this reflects broader national trends, she adds, with the situation intensified by poverty and overcrowding in informal settlements such as Kibera. "Violence often happens behind closed doors and goes unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, lack of trust in institutions and the belief that such issues are private family matters," she explained. Little by little, however, thanks to the way the charity is supporting landlords, some parts of Kenya are becoming safer places for women, as awareness on how to address the violence grows. Stigma and sisterhood: how one Kenyan woman knitted a healthcare revolution Lessons for improvement In 2025, landlords working with the charity made 92 referrals to the authorities, helping survivors of violence with life-saving support services. While landlords might once have dismissed signs of domestic violence in the homes of their tenants as a private matter, CFK Africa's training teaches them how to intervene. One owner said that after this training, he knew that he was entitled to go and investigate upon hearing cries from inside one of his properties – where he found a father sexually assaulting his four-year-old daughter. Thanks to the landlord’s intervention, she survived. Childcare solution springs up for Nairobi's market trader mothers Geoffrey Wesonga is a landlord in Kibera who is involved in the training. "When I first heard of the programme, I was really happy because handling gender-based violence cases in Kibera was becoming something very hard to do, because we didn't have anywhere to report them," he told RFI. "The police tend to tell the perpetrator who reported the matter to them," Wesonga continues. "So, when I heard of the programme CFK was rolling out, I felt that in my capacity as a landlord, I would help many households." Kenya: The accidental librarian keeping Kibera's kids in books CFK Africa says its programme could be replicated around the globe. It quotes the work of researcher Meg Warren from Western Washington University in the United States, who conducted a study in 2024 with academics in the Democratic Republic of Congo that suggested the most powerful allies often aren't outsiders, but local leaders. It also showed male allyship was key to lasting changes. "In the past, most landlords didn't know the power they hold in preventing and reporting cases of gender-based violence," said Yusuf. "But, because the landlords usually live within or near the compounds they oversee, they frequently hear or see warning signs before anyone else, so positioning them as critical gatekeepers in prevention and response is crucial." Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

US and Israeli attacks on Iran are raising concerns across Africa, from security risks in the Horn of Africa to economic pressures and fears for migrant workers in the Gulf. They also come as West African countries step up cooperation against spreading jihadist violence. In this week’s Spotlight on Africa podcast, we speak to Nigeria’s presidential adviser Sunday Dare and Africa analyst Heni Nsaibia about the risks. As the conflict spreads across West Asia, the Gulf and the Red Sea, worries are growing about how it could affect the African continent. American military bases in Djibouti and Somalia lie within range of Iranian-aligned groups, while US deployments in Nigeria and Kenya further extend potential exposure. Israel also maintains military assets in Eritrea, vulnerable to missile attacks launched across the Red Sea. Such attacks could also threaten Egypt if missiles pass through its airspace. Some African countries fear security risks from the United States, Israel, Iran or Houthi forces in Yemen. Others are already suffering from rising oil prices, related food insecurity and concerns for migrant workers. More than 700,000 African workers remain in Gulf states as missile strikes continue in the region. Fearful African migrants warily work on through Gulf missile strikes Ladd Serwat, an analyst on Africa at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED – a conflict data organisation), writes regular analyses on Iran’s regional reach and the security implications of the war for Africa. He said direct military action by Israel or the United States against Iranian allies in Africa remains unlikely, but cannot be ruled out. Nigeria and jihadist insecurity Meanwhile, West Africa is facing a rise in jihadist attacks in the Sahel. Violence has increasingly spread south to coastal countries such as Benin, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, prompting governments to seek stronger cross-border cooperation. Authorities in Benin and Nigeria announced this week plans for a joint security operation along their shared border. The move aims to combat militant groups operating in the area. In the podcast, Sunday Dare, senior adviser to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, discusses security challenges facing the country, including the Islamist insurgency and the need for regional and international cooperation. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

African Heads of State convened for the 2026 African Union Summit last month at a critical time for the continent, amid escalating conflicts and democratic backsliding. This episode examines the AU's relationship with the United Nations, the European Union and the United States, and its place within a fractured global order. At the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and home to the headquarters of the organisation, leaders held debates on conflicts, institutional reform, financial sovereignty, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and Africa’s place in the emerging new geopolitical order. Giorgia Meloni was a guest of honour, invited to co-host the second Italy-Africa Summit and to consider a strategy to tackle the root causes of migration. United Nations secretary-general António Guterres was also in attendance, and called again for two permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council. The rotational chair passed from Angola to Burundi, putting leadership of the AU for 2026 with the latter's President Évariste Ndayishimiye. Outgoing chair João Lourenço, president of Angola, parted with the warning that: "Normalising coup-makers who retake power through elections cannot become standard practice." With 10 military coups having taken place on the continent since 2020 and elections held in a climate of repression, plus wars in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and insurgency in the Sahel region, observers agree that Africa needs stronger institutions and leadership. We spoke with Liesl Louw-Vaudran, senior advisor for the AU at the International Crisis Group (ICG), and Désiré Assogbavi, an international development strategist with more than two decades of experience in policy analysis. African Union summit opens, as continent faces conflict and climate extremes Imprints of violence Also in this episode, we meet South African photographer Jo Ractliffe, whose images focus on the residues of violence left by apartheid, regional conflict and population displacement. South African photographer Jo Ractliffe captures imprints of violence RFI's Isabelle Martinetti met her in Paris, where her latest exhibition "Out of Place" is showing at the Jeu de Paume, displaying work from the past four decades. With photographs taken in South Africa and Angola, several of which are being shown in France for the first time, the exhibition explores places marked by history and trauma. Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English service.

In this episode of Spotlight on Africa, we're looking at the race for critical minerals on the continent. In the first week of February, around forty African delegations were invited to Washington DC for a summit dedicated to the issue. The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo appear keen to sign deals, but much of the rest of Africa has been calling for better proposals and more robust mechanisms to ensure accountability. So what is happening? The African continent is rich in resources that are critical to the energy transition, as well as to the electronics and high-tech industries. Africa holds vast reserves of coltan, gallium, cobalt, tantalum, lithium, nickel, and many other strategic minerals that sit at the heart of this global competition. The Trump administration is seeking to counter China's growing dominance over the continent's metals and mining sectors. DR Congo weighs price of security in minerals deal with US For the moment, Trump is focused on a US - DRC agreement, which would prioritise American interests in the central African country's supply chain. The DRC sits on vast mineral wealth and is currently engaged in a peace process with Rwanda, brokered by the United States. DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped? To help us analyse the context of these deals, we are joined today by three guests. First, Clionadh Raleigh, head of ACLED - the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. We also have Akin Adegoke, Chief Digital Officer at Lotus Bank, who brings experience in driving technology-led, inclusive banking. And finally, Frédéric Mousseau, Policy Director at the California-based Oakland Institute, who argues that, that under the guise of peace and development, the US–DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement rewrote Congo's laws to favour American mining interests." Delegates also gathered at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for the 32nd edition of the African Mining Indaba, the continent's largest conference on the sector. You'll also hear reactions from people on the ground in the DRC, as well as from leaders in South Africa and Zambia, on what has already been dubbed the new scramble for Africa. Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In the episode, we examine recent US strikes in northern Nigeria and explore the experiences of the US African diaspora in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nigeria has endured years of violence from extremist groups such as Boko Haram, but there is growing debate over whether a US intervention is the appropriate response. Meanwhile, in the US, many immigrants say they feel under threat as enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensify. This week, we discuss recent US airstrikes in northern Nigeria and the fact that many people of African descent feel threatened by the recent enforcement actions by ICE in many US cities. The United States launched airstrikes in northern Nigeria in late December, saying it had targeted Islamic State jihadists - at Abuja’s request - to halt the killing of Christians. However, experts have challenged Washington’s claims that Christians are being massacred in Nigeria, arguing that the narrative, promoted by sections of the American right, oversimplifies far more complex conflicts. US strikes on Nigeria set 'deeply troubling precedent' for African governance First, we talk to Isa Sanusi, from Amnesty International Nigeria, to discuss the aftermath of the US strikes and of US President Donald Trump's invasive strategy to fight jihadism in West Africa. US to increase cooperation with Nigeria to pursue Islamic State militants US African diaspora in Minneapolis Then, in the United States itself, since the Trump administration came to power a year ago, anti‑immigration policies have been severely intensified, affecting even some people living in the country legally. In Minneapolis in January 2026, two people were killed in shootings involving US federal immigration agents. On 7 January, 37‑year‑old Renée Nicole Macklin Good, an American woman, was fatally shot by an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a federal enforcement operation. Then, on 24 January, 37‑year‑old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a United States citizen and intensive care unit nurse, was shot and killed by officers from United States Customs and Border Protection in a separate incident in Minneapolis. US immigration agent's fatal shooting of woman leaves Minneapolis in shock Others were killed without making the headlines. Human rights lawyers have cited at least nine such cases, and possibly more, including Keith Porter, Parady La, Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, Víctor Manuel Díaz, Luis Beltrán Yáñez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, and Geraldo Lunas Campos. Anti-immigration policies have particularly targeted Somali migrants and Somali Americans, among other immigrant communities. Minneapolis is also the city where George Floyd, a Black American man, was killed by police in 2020, an event that sparked the global Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Dr Rashad Shabazz joins us from the United States. He is a historical geographer specialising in race, culture and the built environment at Arizona State University. He has recently published a series of studies on the diversity of Minneapolis, undertaken while working on a new book about one of the city’s most famous residents, the musician and singer Prince. Music from us Finally you'll also hear music from the Cameroonian French duo, OKALI. The song Gathering celebrates gathering and sharing; Traveler explores travel and cultural exchange. Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In this first episode of Spotlight on Africa for 2026, we look back at a very eventful first three weeks of January. We focus on the recent general elections in Uganda, Israel's recognition of Somaliland, and how both could have implications for the entire East Africa region and beyond. Over 21 million Ugandan citizens were called to the polls last Thursday in the country's general elections. Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 81, stood for a seventh term following 40 years in power. He faced seven challengers, including Robert Kyagulanyi, known to most as Bobi Wine, who garnered substantial support but fell short of unseating the veteran leader. Museveni was declared the winner on Saturday 17 January, securing over 76 per cent of the vote. In this edition of Spotlight on Africa, you'll hear from Bobi Wine's international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, about the formidable obstacles facing opposition candidates during the campaign. 'He represents a population desperate for change’, Bobi Wine’s lawyer tells RFI Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the think tank Vanguard Africa, joins us to examine the aftermath of these elections and the future of politics in Uganda, and more broadly across East Africa and other parts of the continent where democracy is severely undermined. Somaliland, Israel and the Horn of Africa The state of Israel recognised the independence of Somaliland from Somalia in the final days of December, prompting widespread concern and questions in an already turbulent region, and drawing largely condemnatory responses. The risky calculations behind Israel's recognition of Somaliland Faisal Ali is a Somali British independent journalist. He looks with us at the motivations behind this move for every state involved. Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In this new episode of Spotlight on Africa, we explore perspectives on African history - from across the continent with UNESCO, which has just released the final three volumes of its General History of Africa, and from the Congo, through the insights of artist and filmmaker Sammy Baloji. For this final episode of 2025, we look back at the full sweep of the African continent’s history. Sixty years after launching its ambitious project to recover, document and narrate Africa’s past from prehistory to the present day, Unesco has announced the completion of the last three volumes of the General History of Africa. Relaunched in 2018, the project seeks to translate this body of knowledge into educational resources for teaching the continent’s history. Three new volumes - IX, X and XI - have now been published, introducing fresh material and innovative approaches. Our special guest reflects on the project and on African history more broadly: UNESCO’s assistant director-general for social and human cciences, Lidia Brito,, who discusses these three new volumes. In the second part of this episode, we also welcome the Congolese artist and filmmaker Sammy Baloji, who discusses his new film The Tree of Authenticity, recently screened at Film Africa in London and now available on the website of the Franco-German television channel ARTE. Rapper and sorcerer-poet, Baloji, works his magic on new album The documentary begins in Yangambi, in the Congo, in search of the remnants of a former research centre for tropical agriculture, bearing witness to the country’s colonial past at the heart of the continent. In doing so, it highlights the links between colonisation and the climate crisis, adopting an unusual perspective: that of the “tree of authenticity”, which plays a decisive role in regulating the climate. Congolese filmmaker Baloji mixes magic with biting social commentary Episode edited and mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In this new episode of Spotlight on Africa, we hear from Sudanese people fleeing the atrocities in El Fasher. We also reflect on a year of South Africa’s presidency of the G20, which held its final major summit of the year this weekend in Johannesburg. And, in the final segment of the episode, we turn to the world of the arts. In Sudan, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said last week that atrocities in Darfur – where the rebellious RSF are fiercely battling the regular army and targeting civilians – have been met with indifference and “complete impunity”. He made the remarks following a visit to the devastated Sudanese region. Chad has consequently become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict in Sudan – and as violence against civilians intensifies in Darfur, even more are crossing the border. The influx is placing severe pressure on already scarce resources in one of Africa’s poorest countries. Meanwhile, Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council, travelled to eastern Chad recently and spoke to us while on the ground visiting refugee camps. She said that the escalating humanitarian crisis urgently requires the world’s attention and that she expects more people to flee Sudan in search of safety and basic survival. As thousands flee, Sudan's war spills over into humanitarian crisis in Chad Last weekend in South Africa, the final event of the country’s G20 South African presidency - the heads of state summit - took place in Johannesburg, aiming to secure commitments on debt relief for developing countries and to address global inequalities. World leaders signed a declaration reflecting a “renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation”, according to South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa. We have two guests reflecting on this significant year for Africa: Désiré Assogbavi, Adviser for Africa at the Open Society Foundations, a lawyer and international development expert in African institutions, policy, and politics, who took part in many of this year’s meetings in South Africa, including the Heads of State Summit in Johannesburg this weekend; Ivor Ichikowitz, founder and director of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, which has produced the comprehensive African Youth Survey G20 Briefing to better understand what young Africans expect from this moment of leadership. South Africa closes G20 year framed as ‘presidency for all of Africa’ Finally, we’ll hear from my colleague Ollia Horton, who recently met in Paris with the Ghanaian artist Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku, a civil engineer by profession and an artist at heart. A stitch in time: the Ghanaian artist sewing trash into treasure He has found an innovative way to raise awareness of the problem of textile waste in his native Ghana. His installations are stitched together from hundreds of pieces of used clothing, collected from cities around the world as part of a project that has spanned decades. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In this week’s edition of Spotlight on Africa, we look back at the recent elections in Tanzania. We’ll then head to London and Paris for a look at some outstanding African film festivals. You’ll also hear from South Sudan’s blind football team, who have just won a crucial match. Finally, we have an interview with Angélique Kidjo, introducing her brand-new song Chica de Favela, inspired by Brazil! Tanzanians were called to the polls on 29 October, but instead of a free and fair election, they were met with severe repression. Demonstrations have been banned, protesters arrested, and members of the opposition detained. Tanzania’s authorities have also charged more than 200 people with treason — an offence that carries the death penalty. The incumbent president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, was eventually declared the winner of the election with 98 percent of the vote. However, the opposition – which had been barred from participating – condemned the results as fraudulent. To explore the deep-rooted causes of this repression, and to consider how the situation could shape the political future not only of Tanzania but of the entire East African region, we are joined by a special guest: Prince Charles Dickson, a Nigerian peace and policy analyst with a PhD from Georgetown University and decades of experience in public policy and development practice. Films from Africa The cinema festival Film Africa 2025 (14–23 November 2025) opens in London, UK. To mark the event we have Stella Okuzu, interim director of the festival, with us to explain what's happening. Meanwhile in France, the Festival du Cinéma Franco-Arabe de Noisy-le-Sec is coming to an end just outside Paris (7–13 November). The festival has placed a special focus on Tunisian cinema. Mathilde Rouxel, its cultural director and programmer, tells us more. Sudan's blind football team success Also this week we take a look at South Sudan's blind football team which recently played its first major match in Kampala, Uganda, thanks to the help and support of the charity Light For The World. And they won! We have their coach and players on the line to tell us how football changed their life and why it is so important for people with visual impairment. Angélique Kidjo and La Chica de Favela Finally, "La Chica de Favela" is an initiative from 'Beyond Music', a song featuring a Congolese man, a Latin American, a Swiss citizen, and a Beninese woman, Angélique Kidjo. "The African continent is predominant on this song", Angélique told Spotlight on Africa, "and it tells a story through this song." It tells the story of a young girl in a favela "who doesn't want to be defined by her gender". She is free and independent. "In a patriarchal world that doesn't necessarily give women much space," Angélique told us. "And that's what made the subject interesting to me." Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

Ivorians voted on Saturday to choose their next president, in what is being seen as the most important election in West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire remains the region’s most stable and economically prosperous nation, and the last close ally of its former colonial power, France. Yet despite recent economic growth, the vast majority of people continue to struggle. In this episode, we speak to Ivorians about their hopes for the future. In Spotlight on Africa this week, you’ll hear from the people RFI met and interviewed in Abidjan - the main economic hub of Côte d’Ivoire and its administrative capital - located in the south of the country on the Atlantic coast. Although Yamoussoukro is the official capital, Abidjan remains home to most embassies, the National Assembly, and one of the presidential palaces. Côte d'Ivoire's recent economic growth depends heavily on its cocoa and coffee producers as well as on the mining sector. Abidjan is also recognised as a cultural hub for the whole of West Africa. In this episode, you’ll hear from campaign supporters - particularly young people and women - about their expectations for the post-election period and its outcome. We’ll then head to the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny to hear from students and their lecturer, Wise Bogny. In Cocody, we also take you to the shop of Axel Emmanuel Gbaou, Le Chocolatier Ivoirien, the first Ivorian chocolate maker. We then head to the Maison de l'Art, in Grand Bassam, which opened in late September and which now hosts the first museum of African contemporary art in Côte d'Ivoire. Finally, in the last part of this episode, you'll here from the AKAA, (Also Known As Africa) the African contemporary art fair in Paris, which closed on Sunday, with our arts journalist Ollia Horton. Paris fair celebrates modern African artists reinventing traditional crafts Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

Côte d'Ivoire's presidential election campaign is taking shape, with four challengers hoping to defeat longtime incumbent Alassane Ouattara in the 25 October vote, but no candidates from the country's two main opposition parties. For Spotlight on Africa, analyst Paul Melly underlines that the run-up has so far been peaceful, but that voters could be disengaging from politics, in response to the lack of alternatives and forward-looking change. The presidential campaign officially began on Friday 10 October. President Alassane Ouattara has led the country since April 2011, and is seeking a fourth term. He managed to establish himself as a heavyweight in Ivorian politics over the past thirty years, and is credited with keeping Côte d'Ivoire prosperous and economically dynamic. But Ouattara's Côte d'Ivoire is also seen as "France's last bastion". Now 83, he can run after changing the constitution in 2016 to remove presidential term limits, which has angered most of the opposition in Côte d'Ivoire. Four candidates are standing against the incumbent president, the only ones having been ruled eligible by the country's constitutional court: former ministers Jean-Louis Billon, Ahoua Don Mello and Henriette Lagou, and Simone Gbagbo, ex-wife of president Laurent Gbagbo and therefore a former first lady. But neither of the main opposition parties - PDCI and PPA-CI - have been able to secure a candidate, as the court disqualified many, including former president Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam, a businessman and former minister of development. Why Côte d’Ivoire’s election could be more complex than it seems The election campaign will end on 23 October, two days before voting begins. Provisional results will be published at the national level by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) between Sunday 26 October and Thursday 30 October 2025. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority of the votes cast. If none does, a second round of the presidential election could take place on Saturday 29 November. Our guest this week is Paul Melly, researcher on West Africa and consulting fellow with the Chatham House think tank in London, UK. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

With more than two million Algerians and people of Algerian heritage living in France – the country’s former colonial power in North Africa – a smaller community of roughly 35,000 has made its home in the United Kingdom. In 2022, Rachida Lamri founded the DZ Fest, a cultural festival designed to celebrate and showcase Algerian traditions in English. RFI was present at this year's event. DZ Fest is the only festival focused on Algerian culture outside the country. It has been run every year since 2022 in the United Kingdom. This year the festival took place in the latter half of September with events in both London and Nottingham. Spotlight on Africa travelled to London to talk to the organisers and guests of DZ Fest, and to some Algerians living in the UK Founder and creative director Rachida Lamri - an artist, musician and member of the London-based Arabo-Andalusian orchestra - curated a programme showcasing Algerian music, traditions, and cuisine. We also met: KhamsaFayssal BensalahMehdi WalkerLeila Gamaz Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Nicolas Doreau. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In this episode of Spotlight in Africa, we discuss the forthcoming presidential election in Cameroon, before turning our attention to Nigeria. We also explore ways to strengthen relations between South Africa and the United States, with a particular focus on improving conditions for seasonal migrant workers. Cameroonians are set to go to the polls for the presidential election on 12 October, but the opposition remains fragmented, despite efforts to unite behind a single candidate to challenge President Paul Biya, who, at 92, is seeking an eighth term. In the first week of September, the United Nations raised concerns over whether rising tensions in the country could jeopardise the possibility of free and fair elections. According to Enrica Picco, Central Africa director for the International Crisis Group (ICG), this lack of unity, combined with the perception of an absent or weak opposition, could lead to low voter turnout. The ICG also warns that ongoing instability in the country may further depress participation. On Saturday, Issa Tchiroma Bakary was named the opposition’s “consensus candidate” for the October vote. But will this be enough to galvanise voters? The 10 other opposition candidates, who remain officially in the race, have yet to comment on Tchiroma Bakary’s appointment. We have Enrica Picco on the line to discuss the potential flashpoints and the ICG’s recommendations ahead of the election. Fears over divided opposition and instability, as Cameroon heads to the polls Oil pollution in Nigeria In Nigeria, major oil companies are facing allegations that they have abandoned decades of pollution in the Niger Delta without addressing the environmental damage. A UN-appointed panel of experts has written to Shell, Eni, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies, warning that the firms cannot simply sell off their assets to evade their responsibilities to local communities. We'll hear the reaction of community member Celestine AkpoBari, an Ogoni-born activist who coordinates the Ogoni Solidarity Forum and leads the Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative (MEDI). Oil giants accused of dodging Niger Delta clean-up as UN panel intervenes South Africa and the US Finally, in South Africa, since Donald Trump assumed office in the United States, companies, business leaders and diplomats have been working behind the scenes to strengthen relations, particularly for the hundreds of South African seasonal farmers who spend a few months each year in the US to supplement their income. One prominent advocate for these farmers is Neil Diamond, president of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the US, based in Atlanta. We discuss the importance of these work opportunities in the US for South Africans, as well as the final three months of South Africa’s G20 presidency — a historic first for an African nation. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In this episode of Spotlight in Africa, we discuss the forthcoming presidential election in Cameroon, before turning our attention to Nigeria. We also explore ways to strengthen relations between South Africa and the United States, with a particular focus on improving conditions for seasonal migrant workers Cameroonians are set to go to the polls for the presidential election on 12 October, but the opposition remains fragmented, despite efforts to unite behind a single candidate to challenge President Paul Biya, who, at 92, is seeking an eighth term. In the first week of September, the United Nations raised concerns over whether rising tensions in the country could jeopardise the possibility of free and fair elections. According to Enrica Picco, Central Africa director for the International Crisis Group (ICG), this lack of unity, combined with the perception of an absent or weak opposition, could lead to low voter turnout. The ICG also warns that ongoing instability in the country may further depress participation. On Saturday, Issa Tchiroma Bakary was named the opposition’s “consensus candidate” for the October vote. But will this be enough to galvanise voters? The 10 other opposition candidates, who remain officially in the race, have yet to comment on Tchiroma Bakary’s appointment. We have Enrica Picco on the line to discuss the potential flashpoints and the ICG’s recommendations ahead of the election. Fears over divided opposition and instability, as Cameroon heads to the polls Oil pollution in Nigeria In Nigeria, major oil companies are facing allegations that they have abandoned decades of pollution in the Niger Delta without addressing the environmental damage. A UN-appointed panel of experts has written to Shell, Eni, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies, warning that the firms cannot simply sell off their assets to evade their responsibilities to local communities. We'll hear the reaction of community member Celestine AkpoBari, an Ogoni-born activist who coordinates the Ogoni Solidarity Forum and leads the Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative (MEDI). Oil giants accused of dodging Niger Delta clean-up as UN panel intervenes South Africa and the US Finally, in South Africa, since Donald Trump assumed office in the United States, companies, business leaders and diplomats have been working behind the scenes to strengthen relations, particularly for the hundreds of South African seasonal farmers who spend a few months each year in the US to supplement their income. One prominent advocate for these farmers is Neil Diamond, president of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the US, based in Atlanta. We discuss the importance of these work opportunities in the US for South Africans, as well as the final three months of South Africa’s G20 presidency — a historic first for an African nation. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

Spotlight on Africa returns after the summer break. In this episode, we travel first to Rwanda and then on to Malawi. We begin by examining how the United States, along with some European powers, is looking to third countries in Africa to take in illegal migrants, with particular focus on Rwanda. We then move to Malawi to explore how one village is now running entirely on solar energy. Rwanda received seven people from the United States in the last week of August, as part of a deportation deal with the Trump administration, which has sought to send foreigners to third countries including Eswatini, South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. Authorities in Kigali announced at the beginning of August that they had reached an agreement with the United States to take in up to 250 migrants. The move has raised fresh concerns over human rights, legality, and the growing trend of wealthier nations paying others to accept deportees. To understand the implications for migrants, for Africa, and for human rights, we spoke to Phil Clark, Professor of International Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. A specialist on Rwanda, the Great Lakes region, and conflict and post-conflict issues in Africa, he has conducted field research in Rwanda and beyond every year for the past 20 years Rwanda agrees to take migrants from US in deal that includes cash grant Kasakula: The first solar-powered village in Malawi Meanwhile, in southern Africa, a community of nearly 9,000 households in rural Malawi became the country’s first village to achieve universal access to solar power at the end of August. Kasakula town, where off-grid families have until now relied on lamps and candles, has reached this milestone, according to Brave Mhonie, general manager of the charity SolarAid Malawi and president of the Renewable Energy Industries Association of Malawi. SolarAid is a small international charity, and chose the remote and low-income village of Kasakula to pilot its model called Energy-as-a-Service. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

This season of Spotlight on Africa concludes ahead of the summer break with a focus on Frantz Fanon in the year of his centenary. It also highlights a groundbreaking new report by UNESCO on the state of the publishing industry across the continent. This week, we begin in Harlem, New York City, USA, with Rico Speight, a film and theatre director. His film, Rediscovering Fanon, was screened in Paris on 5 July in partnership with the Frantz-Fanon Foundation, as this year marks the centenary of one of the inspirational figures of the anti-colonial movement. The film will also be screened acorss France and in Martinque later in the year. According to Speight, Frantz Omar Fanon (1925–1961), whose ideas have stirred the hearts of progressives since the 1950s, continues to inspire even decades after his death. With Speight's latest documentary, the filmmaker said he "aims to reveal the man behind the legend and analyse the relevance of his prolific theories in a globalised, post-racial millennium." Biopic explores the life and legacy of Frantz Fanon, a century after his birth We also head to Unesco in Paris, where Spotlight on Africa spoke to Caroline Munier about the UN agency's new report on the state of the publishing industry on the African continent. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In this episode, Spotlight on Africa reviews the origins of protests in Kenya against police brutality. And you'll also hear from the co-founders of the Africa Basel contemporary art fair, in Switzerland, the newest event of its kind. This week, we go to East Africa where Kenyans are protesting to denounce police brutality, exactly a year after a wave of protests organised against an unjust tax, that led to police violence. This year's protests were triggered by the killing by the police of a teacher and blogger in his cell. Albert Ojwang, 31, had been arrested for criticising a policeman online. On Monday (23 June), Kenyan prosecutors said they were charging six people, including three police officers, with murder over his death. To better understand the issues surrounding this incident, Spotlight on Africa podcast spoke to Douglas Lucas Kivoi, Principal Policy Analyst, Governance Department, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA). Africa Basel We also head to Switzerland for a new artistic event known as Africa Basel. This first edition of a contemporary African art fair was created to coincide with the largest fair in the world, Art Basel, in Switzerland. It was held from 17 to 22 June, with over 30 galleries and dozens of artists. Spotlight on Africa spoke with the two co-founders of the event, as they opened the first days of the event in Basel: Benjamin Füglister, artist and cultural entrepreneur born in Switzerland, and now the director of the Africa Basel and Sarah Hachi-Duchêne, curator at unx.art. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Cecile Pompeani. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

In East Africa, politicians and civil society members are increasingly alarmed by political arrests, as opposition figure Tundu Lissu remains imprisoned in Tanzania, facing the death penalty in a trial that continues to be repeatedly postponed. In this week's Spotlight on Africa podcast, we hear from Robert Amsterdam, legal counsel to Lissu and other prominent figures. We also look at the first commemoration of the genocide perpetrated by German colonial rulers over a century ago in Namibia. Tundu Lissu is the leader of Tanzania’s main opposition Party for Democracy and Progress (Chadema). He was arrested on 9 April. Treason charges were brought against him on 10 April, and he could receive the death penalty. Amnesty International’s regional director for east and southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, reacted by saying that the Tanzanian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Tundu Lissu, whose arbitrary arrest and detention comes amid a growing crackdown on opposition leaders ahead of the October 2025 general election. He added, “The authorities’ campaign of repression saw four government critics forcibly disappeared and one unlawfully killed in 2024. The police have also prevented opposition members from holding meetings and other political gatherings, subjecting them to mass arrest, arbitrary detention, and unlawful use of force." Tanzanian politician's lawyers ask UN to declare his detention arbitrary However, the opposition leader has not been released, nor have the charges been dropped. On the contrary, other members of his party have since been arrested and even subjected to torture. Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania’s economic capital, Dar es Salaam, between 19 and 23 May, after attempting to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. The crisis extends beyond Tanzania to neighbouring Uganda and Kenya, where activists from a rights coalition in Kenya also accused police officers of sexually torturing Kenyan and Ugandan activists last month. In this context, this week on Spotlight on Africa, RFI speaks to Tundu Lissu’s international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, who has lodged a complaint with the UN Working Group as part of a broader campaign of pressure. This month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Lissu’s arrest as politically motivated. Amsterdam also stated that he intends to petition the US State Department to impose sanctions. Meanwhile, in Namibia, the first national commemoration was held on 28 May for the victims of mass killings by colonial-era German troops, in what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the 20th century. When first the Herero and then the Nama revolted against the colonial administration, the response from Germany was brutal. An extermination order was sent by the Second Reich, and several concentration camps were built across the country. Namibia holds controversial first commemoration of German colonial-era genocide Some organisations representing victims' descendants have declined to take part. To discuss what is at stake with this commemoration, for Namibia but also for other former African colonies, we talk to the German historian Henning Melber, of the Nordic Africa Institute, who is also affiliated to the University of Pretoria and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein in South Africa. He says that while the announcement of an official Namibian Genocide Memorial Day has been long overdue, the chosen date of 28 May remains controversial, and that communities of descendants were excluded. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

As relations between South Africa and the US hit their lowest point since apartheid’s end, President Cyril Ramaphosa heads to Washington to mend fences after years of frosty ties and dwindling aid under Trump-era policies. In this week's Spotlight on Africa we unpack what’s at stake - and what was said behind closed doors. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Donald Trump in Washington last Wednesday. The meeting took place amid tensions over several issues, including the United States’ resettlement of white Afrikaners - whom President Trump has controversially described as victims of "genocide" - and South Africa’s ongoing land reform. South Africa's Ramaphosa to meet Trump on high-stakes White House visit However, the US President defied all expectations of diplomacy by repeating allegations against Ramaphosa and accusing South Africa of the alleged killing of white farmers. President Ramaphosa remained composed, however, and the visit continued the following day with further discussions on bilateral relations and trade. To discuss, the recent evolution of the relations between the two countries, Spotlight on Africa has two guests this week: Cameron HudsonAfrica ProgramIvor IchikowitzIchikowitz Family FoundationWe also visit the Paris Noir exhibition, currently on display at the Pompidou Centre in central Paris. It showcases the largest collection ever assembled of works by Black artists who created art in the French capital from the 1950s onwards. Paris Noir is at the Pompidou Centre in Paris until 30 June, 2025. 'Paris Noir' exhibition showcases work made in French capital by black artists Finally, we go on a tour with the black British photographer, writer and broadcaster Johny Pitts, who has himself documented the black and Afropean communities all over Europe for over ten years. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.