BBC Africa Today

Africa Today

Africa news and analysis from the BBC's Focus on Africa. The Africa Today podcast contains the day's top stories from African news - available to download Monday to Friday from 1630 GMT.
Daily English United Kingdom News
42 Episodes
1 – 20

Can DRC be declared ebola free?

The last ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released from a treatment centre in Kasai province. Can the country now be declared free of this latest outbreak? What is behind the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over control of the Red Sea? And we…
21 Oct 11AM 29 min

Who is Madagascar’s new military leader?

Can Madagascar's new president, Col Randrianirina, deliver change demanded by Gen Z Mada? Are West Africa’s illicit economies fueling the region’s wars and causing instability ? And a look at plans by the WHO to integrate traditional and modern medicine. Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Mark Wilberforce, Stefania Okereke…
20 Oct 11AM 32 min

Bonus: Death in Dubai from World of Secrets

Monic dreams of leaving her home in rural Uganda for a different life. So when a “friend” promises her a job in Dubai, it feels like the chance she’s been waiting for. Monic is elated, she is the first of her 11 siblings to travel abroad.  But just a few…
17 Oct 8PM 37 min

Nigeria's presidential pardons spark controversy

Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu pardons many individuals-some posthumously. How were the decisions arrived at?   Why are marriages and births declining in Tunisia?   And are journalists in Tanzania exercising a lot of caution ahead of the general elections?   Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers:  Yvette Twagiramariya, Sunita Nahar, Patricia Whitehorne…
16 Oct 10AM 34 min

What led to the downfall of Madagascar's president

An elite military unit says it has seized power in Madagascar from President Andry Rajoelina following weeks of youth-led protests. Where did it all go wrong for the entrepreneur and former DJ, who first became president in 2009 when he was just 34. Being a park ranger in Africa can…
15 Oct 11AM 32 min

Cape Verde’s football team make history

Cape Verde have become the second-smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup-how did they do it? What was Egypt's role in mediating the deal to end the Gaza war? And how did The UAE became one of the biggest state investors in Africa? Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Sunita Nahar,…
14 Oct 12PM 34 min

Militants' blockade paralyses Mali-Senegal trade corridor

Mali's military government is reportedly engaged in talks with the militant group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) amid an ongoing blockade which has paralysed a key trade route for fuel, food, and essential goods. Could the crisis also threaten Mali’s stability and governance? A BBC Africa Eye investigation in Cape…
13 Oct 11AM 38 min

Madagascar: President asks for year to resolve problems

Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina has asked for one year to fix the country's challenges, promising that if they persist, he will resign. He said this during a town-hall style meeting at his palace with various groups of government supporters. Many attendees had the opportunity to ask the president questions or…
9 Oct 10AM 37 min

Eswatini accepts 10 US deportees

Eswatini accepts 10 more US deportees, despite rights groups in the southern African state mounting legal action to block the plan. We ask what has the Eswatini government got in return? Nigeria's Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaj, resigns after allegations that he forged his academic credentials. And…
8 Oct 11AM 28 min

Darfur: Militia leader convicted of war crimes

A Sudanese militia leader has been found guilty of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region more than 20 years ago. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, is the first person to be tried by the International Criminal Court for the atrocities in…
7 Oct 10AM 37 min

Ghana: Why are children dying in boarding schools?

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…
6 Oct 11AM 34 min

Can Botswana continue to depend on its diamond industry?

In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Waihiga Mwaura, Botswana's President Duma Boko, outlines his plan to reduce his country's reliance on the diamond industry amid falling global demand, and how he is pushing for a 0% tariff deal with the US. Guinea is showing signs of economic progress under…
3 Oct 11AM 27 min

Morocco's Gen Z protests rise and spread

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,…
2 Oct 10AM 28 min

Ex-DRC president sentenced to death

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…
1 Oct 10AM 29 min

AGOA: US-Africa trade deal set to expire

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…
30 Sep 10AM 33 min

Why is Gen Z protesting in Madagascar?

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…
29 Sep 10AM 30 min

Who is Malawi's old next President?

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…
26 Sep 10AM 34 min

A landmark deal for HIV jab

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…
25 Sep 10AM 29 min

The two African countries which don’t recognise Palestine

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…
24 Sep 10AM 36 min

US deportees to sue Ghana's government

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:…
23 Sep 10AM 35 min
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