Featured stories about Sub-Saharan Africa
Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa
15 January 2019
Before it was banned, this Facebook profile urged young people to join violent attack group in northern Mozambique
Since October 2017, an unknown armed group has been terrorizing the north of Mozambique with attacks that have left over 200 dead and many villages destroyed.
31 December 2018
Censored in 2018: Protest videos, court verdicts, real news — and Peppa Pig
From blocked websites to revoked media licenses to account shutdowns, censorship comes in many forms. Here are a few we saw in 2018.
30 December 2018
‘Stop killing women’ — a new campaign against domestic violence in Angola
"Violence against women is real, it really is. It is not something in the heads of feminists, it is not an invention or empty speech: IT IS REAL!"
28 December 2018
2018 across sub-Saharan Africa: Our favorite stories of epic change and transformation
From long-time leaders stepping down to citizens rising up, a cautious hope surges alongside the continuous struggle. Here are our favorite stories from across Africa in 2018.
23 December 2018
Madagascar's land defenders call for a comprehensive framework to protect Malagasy rights
"It is crucial that these communities know that they are not alone in their fight and that other citizens support their cause."
The untold tragedy of 28 Mauritanian soldiers executed on Independence Day
"Great nations ... never try to erase a dark episode out of their history, but instead, show it to the world for everyone to remember and say 'NEVER AGAIN'."
19 December 2018
For the first time, an Angolan president meets with the government's staunchest critics
The meeting appears to signal a pivot from his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos, whose administration was notorious for the ill-treatment of activists, journalists, and international NGOs.
14 December 2018
Angola expels thousands of Congolese migrants in crackdown on illegal diamond mining
"Suddenly, on Monday, we saw youths from the Chokwe community with Angolan policemen starting to burn the homes of those perceived to be foreigners."
30 November 2018
Former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos accused of corruption by his successor
João Lourenço said in a interview with a Portuguese newspaper that he found the state's coffers empty when he took office in 2017.
15 November 2018
Netizen Report: Tanzania’s crackdown on free speech targets media advocates from CPJ
Committee to Protect Journalists staffers were detained in Tanzania, China is flagging fake news on Weibo and activists across Africa face arrest on defamation charges.
Mozambique’s new China-funded Maputo-KaTembe bridge, the longest in Africa, comes with high tolls
At 785 million US dollars, the bridge is the most expensive infrastructure project undertaken in Mozambique since its independence in 1975.
14 November 2018
‘Tuition free for all in public universities in Liberia’, says President George Weah
Mr. Weah’s tuition-free announcement sounds plausible, but neither he nor the Liberian government has the monetary and logistical support for the realization of the policy.
12 November 2018
Mauritania keeps anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid in prison — and far away from parliament
Biram Dah Abeid, who is also an elected government official, is accused of slandering and threatening a journalist with close ties to the Mauritanian government.
Tanzania's stance on homosexuality points to an increasingly repressive political agenda
Even if Tanzania sorts out its mixed messages on homosexuality and human rights — there are other challenges keeping the foreign affairs minister up at night.
10 November 2018
Zimbabwe's black rhinos at risk as China reverses a 25-year ban on horns
Conservationists lack the financial resources required to increase security and boost capacity to monitor and track poachers in Zimbabwe's national parks. China's partial ivory-ban reversal may make matters worse.
8 November 2018
Africa uncovered: an interview with Aida Muluneh
"[...] being African is really more complex as well and it’s not just one thing. There are different definitions and different interpretations and I just happen to be one of...
6 November 2018
Angolans react to government's new law-and-order initiative
"The most important rescue by the state would be to provide the conditions to guarantee decent jobs"
31 October 2018
Madagascar citizens demand transparency in a fishy deal with China
The livelihoods of Madagascar’s coastal communities will be seriously threatened if they must compete with the potential catch capacity of these fishing boats.
29 October 2018
A Mozambique surfwear retailer thought is was a good idea to name their store “Hitler”—Netizens disagreed
The "Hitler" store, which seems to have been in business since early October, is located in one of the largest shopping centers in the country.
24 October 2018
Burundi clamps down on international NGOs and rejects human rights criticisms
In September, the National Security Council announced all NGOs – except in hospitals and schools – were suspended for three months from October 1, and mining companies for one month.
About our Sub-Saharan Africa coverage
Amanda Lichtenstein is the Sub-Saharan Africa editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
Lova Rakotomalala is the Francophone (French) editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
Dércio Tsandzana is the Lusophone (Portuguese) editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
