<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is a study in diversity. Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, the region is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources. It&rsquo;s no surprise that it captured the imagination of Europe&rsquo;s earliest explorers &mdash; and that it continues to capture the imagination of current world powers eager to exploit it. And yet despite the region&rsquo;s diversity, Sub-Saharan African countries have common challenges &mdash; transnational terrorism, rapid population growth, endemic poverty and corruption &mdash; that prevent them from capitalizing on their economic potential. The coming years will be critical for the region, especially as its political institutions mature in a rapidly globalizing world.</p>

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Sudan

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cabo Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Cote d'Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea Bissau

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

Sudan

Eswatini

Tanzania

Togo

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

The Politics of Pipelines

Old Leaders in a New Africa

Nigeria: Obstacles to Prosperity

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Crossing Borders

A Crude Recovery

Globalization

China in Transition

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

Snapshots

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen holds a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Jan. 28, 2025.

Economics

Politics

Rising tensions between the ruling ANC and its key coalition partner over the 2025 budget are raising the risk of a coalition breakdown, which would threaten policy paralysis and a marked depreciation of the rand.

What the Democratic Alliance's Exit From Government Would Mean for South Africa

Assessments

United States

Israel

China

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Ukraine

A list of countries facing reciprocal tariffs on display April 2 at the White House.

Global Trade

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: The Escalating Global Trade War, South Africa's Coalition Government on the Brink

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

A photo of Khartoum, Sudan, with columns of smoke rising in the background.

The SAF's military victory in Khartoum marks a turning point in the country's civil war, but a firm resolution remains out of reach as the RSF fights to consolidate control in the west.

What Next for Sudan After the Army Retakes Khartoum?

Media

Podcasts

Who are the main actors involved, and what are the primary goals influencing the conflict?

Essential Geopolitics: South Sudan's Evolving Political and Security Outlook

Egypt

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Europe

Philippe Lazzarini (C), the commissioner general for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, attends a humanitarian conference for Gaza in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 2, 2024, amid the continuing Israel-Hamas war.

Egypt's economic limitations will continue to restrain its assertiveness in foreign policy, constraining its ability to project power in the region.

Egypt's Economic Priorities Sideline Assertive Foreign Policy

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Cyber

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

Intensifying trade wars, a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, continued volatility in the Middle East and consequential elections in key countries will shape the quarter.

2025 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Global Elections

The skyline of Kigali, Rwanda, is seen on March 27, 2024.

The region's population dynamics will remain favorable in the context of strong labor force growth and declining dependency ratios.

The Economic Potential of Sub-Saharan Africa's Population Growth

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (right) waves as he arrives in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 9, 2024, for the launch of new peace talks with rebel groups.

Rising political tensions risk collapsing the peace deal that ended the country's last civil war, while escalating clashes in the north risk drawing in involvement from Sudan's warring parties.

South Sudan Hurtles Toward Another Civil War

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at a briefing at his African National Congress (ANC) party's headquarters in Johannesburg on May 13, 2024.

South Africa will struggle to meet Trump's demands for major foreign and domestic policy changes, which will risk exposing the country to disruptive U.S. economic retaliation, including entity-based sanctions.

Trump Turns Up the Heat on South Africa

Russia

Reichstag in Berlin with flags.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Russia Contacts on a Ukraine Ceasefire, a Vote on Reforming Germany’s Debt Brake

Al Qaeda's Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, has significantly expanded its operations in Mali's western Kayes region, intensifying attacks near the eastern Senegalese border and engaging in various illicit activities within eastern Senegal, Radio France Internationale reported on April 28, citing a report by the Dakar-based think tank Timbuktu Institute. 

Senegal: Al Qaeda Affiliate Continues Push To Infiltrate Eastern Senegal

Angolan Finance Minister Vera Daves de Sousa said the Angolan government held talks with the International Monetary Fund to "explore" financing options following a slump in global oil prices in early April, Bloomberg reported on April 28. 

Angola: Government Holds Talks With IMF Regarding Support Package Following Oil Price Drop

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seized the town of Kaziba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's South Kivu province following clashes with the Congolese military and pro-government Wazalendo militias despite the group's commitment to advance a ceasefire, Radio Okapi reported on April 28. 

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

Divisions are steadily growing between Malian junta leader Col. Assimi Goita and other key junta figures, including Defense Minister Col. Sadio Camara, Jeune Afrique reported on April 25. 

Mali: Intra-Junta Factionalism on the Rise  

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will receive Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, who are due to sign a "declaration of principles," Jeune Afrique reported on April 25.

Congo: U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio To Receive Congolese and Rwandan Counterparts for 'Peace Pathway Deal'

Kenyan President William Ruto and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a “new level” and strengthen cooperation in a range of sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, science and technology, and security following a bilateral meeting, Reuters reported on April 24. 

Kenya, China: Nairobi and Beijing Upgrade Ties Following Ruto-Xi Meeting

South Africa's National Treasury announced that it would not proceed with a 1% increase in the value-added tax rate scheduled in the country's 2025 fiscal framework and would instead ask parliament to "adjust expenditure" in a way that does not harm the country's fiscal sustainability, Reuters reported on April 24.

South Africa: ANC Capitulates on VAT Hike, Spending Cuts Now on the Table

Rwandan security forces deployed in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province have been accused of limiting or delaying responses to protect civilians during attacks by Islamic State Mozambique Province insurgents, Armed Conflict Location and Event Data reported on April 23.

Mozambique: Further Reports Accuse Rwandan Forces of Delaying Responses to Insurgent Attacks

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Senegal: Al Qaeda Affiliate Continues Push To Infiltrate Eastern Senegal

Angola: Government Holds Talks With IMF Regarding Support Package Following Oil Price Drop

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

Mali: Intra-Junta Factionalism on the Rise

Congo: U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio To Receive Congolese and Rwandan Counterparts for 'Peace Pathway Deal'

Kenya, China: Nairobi and Beijing Upgrade Ties Following Ruto-Xi Meeting

South Africa: ANC Capitulates on VAT Hike, Spending Cuts Now on the Table

Mozambique: Further Reports Accuse Rwandan Forces of Delaying Responses to Insurgent Attacks

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