Washington, DC — Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, joined by other Africa Subcommittee Democrats, today sent a letter to Secretary Rubio in response to public reporting that the State Department plans to end lifesaving assistance to seven African nations…
When Idoko, a 23-year-old man living in rural Benue State, north central Nigeria, began hearing voices, withdrawing from family and speaking incoherently, his family’s first call was not to a psychiatrist. They took him to a local faith-based prayer group, where members pray over people believed to be afflicted by spiritual forces. When he showed…
As oil prices soared to more than $100 a barrel this week, what will the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East be for African countries? Which sectors are most at risk? RFI spoke to Guinea-Bissau economist Carlos Lopes, former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and now a…
Donald Trump matters a lot to Mzansi and the rest of the world right now. Trump is changing the way America works – and how the world’s most powerful country deals with the rest of the world. We’ll track what he does and connect the dots to your daily life. US launches trade investigation into…
The United States is signing bilateral health deals with African countries. By the end of February 2026, deals worth US$19.8 billion had been signed in new health funding. Of this amount, the US has committed US$12.2 billion and African countries US$7.5 billion. Eighteen African countries have signed these deals. They are Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,…
Pope Leo will visit four countries across Africa from April 13-23, the Vatican announced yesterday, with the pontiff making his first major overseas trip in 2026 to the continent where the Catholic Church is growing fastest. The pope will also make a day’s visit on March 28 to Monaco, the microstate on the French Riviera,…
South Africa has a reputation as one of the most progressive countries on the African continent when it comes to disability rights. It has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and adopted laws aimed at protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. But is it truly a disability-friendly country,…
Abuja — Pope Leo will visit four countries across Africa from April 13 to 23, the Vatican announced yesterday, with the pontiff making his first major overseas trip in 2026 to the continent where the Catholic Church is growing fastest. The pope will also make a one-day visit on March 28 to Monaco, the microstate…
Can the security-for-minerals approach yield win-win outcomes for Sahelian states beyond diplomatic recognition? In February, United States (US) Senior State Department Official Nick Checker visited Bamako to reaffirm Washington’s respect for Mali’s sovereignty, and reset bilateral ties after ‘past policy missteps’ through renewed security and economic cooperation. Similar messages were conveyed to Nigerien Prime Minister,…
Washington — Six countries of the Congo Basin–Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Republic of Congo–are working to take bold steps to unlock results-based payments and climate finance. The newly launched Strategic Roadmaps for Carbon Market and Climate Finance in the Forest Sector for the Congo Basin Countries…
