Africa

Benin is making the rest of Africa look bad — in the best possible way. The small West African nation, wedged between Togo and Nigeria on the Gulf of Guinea, has in recent years produced something that much of the continent has struggled to deliver: peaceful transfers of power, competitive elections, and a political culture […]

Two American service members have gone missing during the African Lion 2026 military exercises in Morocco, sparking a large-scale search and rescue operation that involves US, Moroccan, and allied forces. The soldiers were last seen on Saturday near ocean cliffs in the vicinity of the Cap Draa Training Area, close to the city of Tan

Mali is reeling from one of the most devastating waves of coordinated militant attacks in years. Since April 25, 2026, armed groups including jihadist militants and Tuareg separatists have launched assaults across multiple cities, overwhelming security forces and raising fundamental questions about the Bamako junta’s ability to hold the country together. The offensive has been

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on May 2, 2026, in a visit that underscored the diplomatic isolation facing Taipei as China ramps up pressure on African nations to cut ties with the island. The trip came just days after Taiwan accused China of blocking its leader’s aircraft from flying over three African countries

OPEC+ has agreed to raise oil production quotas by 188,000 barrels per day for June 2026, in what sources describe as a symbolic but carefully calibrated response to a shifting energy landscape that has been rocked by the UAE’s surprise departure from the alliance. Seven major OPEC+ producers voted to increase output targets at a

Starting May 1, 2026, China extended its zero-tariff treatment to all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations — a sweeping policy expansion that now covers 53 nations and will remain in place until April 30, 2028. The move broadens existing duty-free access previously limited to the continent’s 33 least-developed countries and positions China

For the better part of two decades, South Africa held the position of Africa most industrialised economy almost by default. It had the continent most sophisticated financial sector, its deepest ports, the most diversified manufacturing base. The African National Congress governments that followed apartheid invested heavily in sectors like automotive manufacturing, where brands like Volkswagen

For nearly twenty-five years, the African Growth and Opportunity Act has been the cornerstone of US economic engagement with sub-Saharan Africa. It has allowed eligible African nations to export thousands of products to the United States duty-free — a gesture of preferential trade that successive American administrations have framed as a cornerstone of Africa policy.

Three years after the Esther Miracle ferry disaster shocked Gabon, a court has finally delivered its verdict — and for many grieving families, justice remains elusive. Eight people have been found guilty in connection with the sinking of the Esther Miracle ferry in March 2023, which claimed dozens of lives when the vessel went down

Morocco has been named the continent top performer on the African Development Bank Industrialisation Index for the first time, overtaking South Africa and Egypt to claim the number one position in a ranking that measures the depth and sophistication of each country manufacturing base. The designation, announced at the AfDB annual meetings in Brazzaville, marks