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.
‘I was tricked into fighting for Russia’
We speak to a Kenyan man who says he believed he was travelling to Russia to join a basketball team but was instead coerced into military service. He describes signing a contract in Russian, witnessing death in battle, and fighting in a war he says he never agreed to join…
Nigeria Senate passes controversial electoral law
Nigeria’s Senate has passed a controversial electoral law after tense debates over how election results should be transmitted during elections. At the centre of the dispute was a provision allowing election officials to revert to manual transmission of results if electronic methods failed. Opposition lawmakers had sought to remove the…
What prompted weeks-long students protests in Senegal?
University students in Senegal have been protesting in demand of payment of their stipend from the government. They say the allowance, paid to students mostly from low-income backgrounds, has not been disbursed for months. A week ago, a protest at the country's main Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar left…
UN Women calls for ceasefire in Sudan
The Deputy Executive Director for UN Women, Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda has made an appeal for a ceasefire in Sudan - while speaking at the just concluded Africa Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. UN Women says of the 12 million people displaced by the Sudan war, more than half of…
Investigation links Ethiopia to a secret camp for Sudan’s RSF
An investigation by Reuters news agency has revealed that Ethiopia built a secret training camp for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a group involved in the Sudan war. Satellite images released by Reuters show that the camp is located in western Ethiopia near the border with Sudan. Experts say…
Investigation links Ethiopia to a secret camp for Sudan’s RSF
An investigation by Reuters news agency has revealed that Ethiopia built a secret training camp for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a group involved in the Sudan war. Satellite images released by Reuters show that the camp is located in western Ethiopia near the border with Sudan. Experts say…
Are dating apps the answer to finding love?
In this episode of Focus on Africa: The Conversation, we explore the world of dating apps on the African continent. Around 350 million people worldwide are using dating apps to look for romantic connections. But the picture looks different in Africa. We hear from a Nigerian couple who met on…
Senegal busts transnational child abuse network
Authorities in Senegal are investigating a transnational network of criminals accused of committing henious crimes against children. The police in the west African country say that the network was operating in coordination with a French national who was arrested in France in April last year. The suspects are accused of…
Is the US deepening military cooperation with Africa?
In an exclusive interview with Focus on Africa, Lieutenant General John Brennan, the Deputy Commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), says that over 90% of revenue generation and recruitment by Islamic State (IS) terror organisation is now happening in Africa. He also discusses how the US is seeking to deepen…
Foot and Mouth Disease threatens South Africa's livestock
Over 200 cases of the Foot and Mouth Disease have been confirmed in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. The highly contagious viral disease that affects cows, sheep, goats and other split hoofed animals has also been confirmed in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini and Mozambique. We hear what this means for farmers and…
US renews key trade pact with Africa
Following a months-long delay, the US recently renewed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) - a key trade deal between Washington and dozens of African countries that was first enacted in 2000. AGOA enables African countries to export select goods to the US duty free. While previous US administations…
'I tied my tubes to stay child-free'
The UNFPA has warned that world fertility rates are facing an 'unprecedented decline'. In its 2025 report, it said many people are having fewer children than they want, or none at all, because of factors like the cost of living and difficulties finding a suitable partner. At the same time,…
Why is Nigeria demolishing Lagos lagoon slum?
In Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, authorities have demolished Makoko - the country's biggest informal waterfront settlement. The Lagos state government says some structures built beneath high-tension power lines pose a serious safety risk. But the scale of demolitions has left thousands of residents displaced and families say they were given…
What is Russia's shadow fleet doing in African waters?
A vessel carrying Russian oil suffered an explosion off the coast of Senegal last December, prompting investigations into the presence of a Russian shadow fleet in African waters. The tanker is reportedly among several vessels trying to flout US, EU and UK sanctions on Russia. And - even though the…
What's fuelling renewed tensions in Ethiopia's Tigray?
Ethiopia's national airline has resumed flights to the northern Tigray region after being suspended for a week amid military tensions. The suspension heightened fears of renewed conflict between the national army and Tigrayan forces - who accuse Addis Ababa of killing civilians using drones. We hear from people in Tigray…
BBC Africa Eye investigates Tanzania abductions
A BBC Africa Eye investigation has been told that a high-ranking police officer in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam was linked to the abduction of several activists, who allege they were subsequently abused by other officers. They claim their ordeals happened as the government was cracking down on dissent ahead…
Are beauty products serving black women?
Africa’s beauty and personal care industry is growing, as more people look to achieve glowing skin and the perfect make up look. But many products on the market still do not cater to black skin. Last year, a study by US-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that over 3000 beauty products targeting black…
Guinea-Bissau suspends US-backed hepatitis vaccine trial
The military government in Guinea-Bissau has suspended a scientific trial for the hepatitis B vaccine administered to newborns. The trial is funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the tune of $1.6 million and conducted by scientists from the University of Southern Denmark. The Bissau government…
Kenya, Botswana efforts against cervical cancer
January is marked worldwide as cervical cancer awareness month. According to the World Health Organisation, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, yet it kills over 350,000 women globally every year. We look at how Kenya, where more than half of those diagnosed die within a…
Egypt, Morocco join Trump's Board of Peace
Morocco and Egypt are the only African nations in President Trump's Board of Peace. The body was initially meant to help implement a ceasefire in Gaza, but Trump says it could serve a wider role in ending global conflicts. We look at why Morocco and Egypt got the invitation to…