Who’s Listening?
NEED TO KNOW Who’s Listening? MAURITIUS Recordings of conversations between journalists, politicians, civil society leaders, foreign diplomats, and others have been made […]
Diamond in the Rough
NEED TO KNOW Diamond in the Rough BOTSWANA The two main opposition parties in Botswana, the Umbrella for Democratic Change and the […]
Bullets and Ballots
NEED TO KNOW Bullets and Ballots MOZAMBIQUE Catholic bishops in the southern African country of Mozambique recently urged electoral observers to be […]
On the Sidelines
NEED TO KNOW On the Sidelines AFRICA Last month, Samuel Nduwimana was in agony in a hospital in Bujumbura, the financial capital […]
No Day After
NEED TO KNOW No Day After CAMEROON Cameroonian President Paul Biya is 92 and has ruled his Central African country for 42 […]
Bombshell Postal
NEED TO KNOW Bombshell Postal SOUTH AFRICA The head of South Africa’s Post Office, Fathima Gany, recently dropped a bombshell on lawmakers. […]
Getting Polished
NEED TO KNOW Getting Polished BOTSWANA The president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, appeared transfixed recently as he held up the rough-hewn, 2,492-carat […]
When the War Ends
NEED TO KNOW When the War Ends ETHIOPIA Alemetu, pregnant, was trying desperately to fall asleep when the men from the rebel […]
Common Ground
NEED TO KNOW Common Ground TANZANIA Architects in Tanzania are using three-dimensional printers to construct housing and other buildings, also using soil […]
The Tyranny of Doubt
NEED TO KNOW The Tyranny of Doubt MALAWI In March last year, Cyclone Freddy ripped through Malawi and southeast Africa, killing 679 […]
Nothing to Lose
NEED TO KNOW Nothing to Lose KENYA In late June, Kenyan President William Ruto blinked. After winning the 2022 general election on […]
Mirror Image
NEED TO KNOW Mirror Image WEST AFRICA Earlier this month, a triumvirate of military leaders who oversee military juntas in Burkina Faso, […]
The Blood Minerals
NEED TO KNOW The Blood Minerals RWANDA Rwandan President Paul Kagame recently won reelection in a landslide, adding five more years to […]
Prosperity, by Fiat
NEED TO KNOW Prosperity, by Fiat RWANDA A notable international exchange occurred recently when Sir Keir Starmer, the new Labour prime minister […]
Lost in the Desert
NEED TO KNOW Lost in the Desert AFRICA Bella, 27, from a small village in northern Guinea, decided to try her luck […]
The Many Shades of Terror
NEED TO KNOW The Many Shades of Terror SOMALIA The Somali National Army suffers from bungling leaders, inexperienced field officers and corrupt […]
A Permanent Transition
NEED TO KNOW A Permanent Transition SOUTH SUDAN Global leaders are putting their heads together to solve South Sudan’s political crisis and […]
Back to Basics
NEED TO KNOW Back to Basics MAURITANIA In 2019, the former president of the West African country of Mauritania, Ould Abdel Aziz, […]
Becoming Besties
NEED TO KNOW Becoming Besties KENYA Western influence on the African continent has been waning in recent years, with many countries moving […]
The Inheritance
NEED TO KNOW The Inheritance NAMIBIA The southwest African country of Namibia has long been isolated geographically and politically. A former German […]
A Long Way to Fall
NEED TO KNOW A Long Way to Fall SOUTH AFRICA Since the racist apartheid regime in South Africa ended 30 years ago, […]
The Fertility of Chaos
NEED TO KNOW The Fertility of Chaos SUDAN On June 15, 2023, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its Arab allied […]
Naming and Shaming
NEED TO KNOW Naming and Shaming UGANDA Barred from staging street protests, Ugandans are leveraging social media to shine a light on […]
The Last, Wobbly Domino
NEED TO KNOW The Last, Wobbly Domino CHAD When polls in the landlocked central African country of Chad open on May 6, […]