A landslide that followed days of heavy rain, has killed hundreds of people in the remote Marra Mountains in western Sudan, and many survivors may still be trapped in deep valleys. How do aid agencies help people hit by a natural disaster but also caught in the middle of a war?
 
A new report details an increase in disappearances, kidnappings and torture in Tanzania.  We hear from relatives looking for their family members.
 
And a new study warns that people are using digital platforms like TikTok to sell the meat of endangered animals. Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Sunita Nahar and Priya Sippy in London. Charles Gitonga and Jewel Kiriungi in Nairobi 
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris 
Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Sudan landslide: Race to find survivors

Africa Daily has now come to an end. But do listen to Focus on Africa for all the big stories and for the African perspective on major global news. Hosted by Audrey Brown and ready by late afternoon every weekday. Search for Focus on Africa, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Two years on from the devastating fire at an abandoned building in Johannesburg that was occupied by squatters, how much has changed? We revisit the scene of one of South Africa's worst tragedies, in which more than 70 people - including children - died, to find out what happened to the survivors.Scientists warn that global warming and climate change could be making flight turbulence more frequent. Will bumpier skies put people off air travel?And lawyers are arguing for easier divorce laws in Uganda. So what are the pros and cons of no-fault, as opposed to, fault divorces?Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Alfonso Daniels, Sunita Nahar and Priya Sippy in London. Makuochi Okafor in Lagos
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Technical Producer: Ricardo McCarthy
Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: South Africa building fire: What happened to survivors?

A new Human Rights Watch report says the EU's and Spain’s outsourcing of migration control to Mauritania has worsened abuses against asylum seekers and migrants heading for Europe, but the Mauritanian authorities reject those claims. Why are cybercrimes on the rise in Africa and how can you stay safe?And we find out why the population of one of Kenya's iconic tourist attractions - flamingos - is in decline.Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Sunita Nahar, Mark Wilberforce and Priya Sippy in London
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer
Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Mauritania accused of widespread abuses against migrants

There are fears that the mass starvation cult in Kenya is still active after the discovery of new bodies in fresh graves near the site of the Shakahola forest massacre. So far, eleven people have been arrested in connection with these new exhumations. We hear from a Rapid Response Officer, working with a human rights organisation, who has been helping people track down missing relatives.Why are African students ending up on the battlefields of Ukraine after applying to study in Russia?And France returns the remains of a Malagasy king who was beheaded during the colonial era. Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Sunita Nahar, Alfonso Daniels, Tanya Hines, and Nyasha Michelle in London. Charles Gitonga in Nairobi
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne 
Technical Producer: Pat Sissons
Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Kenya's starvation cult: New bodies found

Japan has pledged to work more closely with African countries at global summit on economic development. How can Africa benefit from stronger ties with Japan?The former prime minister of Chad is facing a 20-year prison term after being convicted of hate speech, xenophobia and having incited a massacre. Who is Succès Masra and what sparked the intercommunal violence that led to the charges against him?And did you know there are four distinct species of the African giraffe? We find out why that discovery is important for conservation.Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Sunita Nahar, Nyasha Michelle and Stefania Okereke
Technical Producer: Pat Sissons
Senior Journalist: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard

Focus on Africa: Exploring Africa-Japan trade ties

Two prominent journalists in Ethiopia, Abdulsemed Mohammed and Yonas Amare, have been missing for more than a week after being abducted by what reports say, were men wearing masks and military uniforms. There has been no news about their whereabouts but their disappearances have raised concerns about a crackdown on media freedom in the country. Aid agencies warn that a surge in the number of people with the respiratory illness diphtheria is becoming 'the most urgent and dangerous threat' to public health in Somalia. Why are cases of the disease increasing?And how the conflict on the ground in Sudan is affecting migratory birds in the sky.Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Nyasha Michelle in London. Richard Kagoe in Nairobi
Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne
Senior Journalist: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Maryam Abdalla, Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard

Focus on Africa: Increased concerns over missing Ethiopia journalists

The US government has approved a $346m arms deal with Nigeria which would include munitions, precision bombs and precision rockets. What is behind the change in a decade-long US policy about selling certain kinds of weapons to Nigeria?The mining of gold has been a key driver of Sudan's economy, and now it is a major source of funding of the two-year civil war. We look back at its history in Sudan, and its role in the current conflict.And one year on since Ghana's parliament passed its landmark Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, which was hailed as a victory for women's rights, how have things changed?Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Nyasha Michelle and Stefania Okereke in London. Charles Gitonga in Nairobi
Technical Producer: Philip Bull
Senior Journalist: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Nigeria negotiates $346m arms deal with US

Doctors Without Borders and other NGOs have raised concerns about anti-migrant groups preventing non-South Africans from accessing healthcare services. The South African government has called on all communities to uphold the rule of law, respect human dignity. So why are activists blocking health clinics and hospitals?
 
The African Union sends a delegation to South Sudan to encourage the warring sides in the country to revive a 2018 peace deal and pave the way for elections. Can they bring both sides back to the table?
 
And as Africa Fashion Week London comes to an end, how can African fashion leverage its global appeal?Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Stefania Okereke
Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Activists block foreigners from South African hospitals

What began as a three-day strike by taxi drivers against rising petrol prices in Angola, has escalated into one of the most widespread and disruptive waves of protest the country has seen in recent years. What has life been like in the capital Luanda, against the background of the unrest?Why do fewer than a quarter of South Africans trust their police service? A new survey shows only 22% of South Africans have any confidence in the institution.And we meet the Nigerian filmmaker, Joel Kachi Benson, who won an Emmy for a film he made about the young boy dancing in the rain who thrilled the world in a viral video a few years ago.Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Blessing Aderogba in Lagos. Tom Kavanagh and Nyasha Michelle in London
Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer
Senior Producers: Patricia Whitehorne and Karnie Sharp
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: What is fuelling Angola's fuel protests?

This week the International Criminal Court sentenced two commanders of a civilian militia in the Central African Republic to a total of 27 years in prison. One of them, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, had formerly been the head of the country’s football federation. What was the conflict that engulfed CAR a decade ago, and what were the crimes that led to the ICC convictions?Also in this episode, the impact that continuing aid cuts are having on women and girls in Somalia.And we uncover the melodic contributions of Congo's queens of rumba music.Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Yvette Twagiramarya, Sunita Nahar and Tanya Hines in London
Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Who are the CAR commanders jailed for war crimes?

The city of Goma in the conflict-hit east of the Democratic Republic of Congo was seized by the M23 armed group earlier this year after intense fighting with government forces. How has the city changed after six months under the group’s control?After retired police officers in Nigeria held demonstrations earlier this week calling for better pensions, we look at wider pension provision and ask if young Nigerians see pension planning as a secure path to protecting their retirement in the future? And could there be a new type of diabetes that accounts for the rising number of cases among young people in Africa.Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Sunita Nahar and Nyasha Michelle in London. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos
Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

How has Goma changed under M23 fighters?

Burkina Faso's military rulers have disbanded the country's electoral commission calling it a waste of money. The government says the interior ministry will handle elections in the future. Will this move by the ruling junta further delay democratic elections?Hundreds of thousands of premature deaths occur each year in Africa due to illnesses caused by cooking with polluting fuels like wood, charcoal and even animal dung. So what is being done to ensure more people have access to clean cooking?And why are ancient and cultural heritage sites in Ethiopia facing a crisis.Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Sunita Nahar and Nyasha Michelle in London
Technical Producer: Philip Bull
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Why Burkina Faso discarded its Electoral Commission

Cameroon's Paul Biya has the distinction of being 'the world's oldest sitting president' and yet at age 92, he is seeking to run for an eighth term, that will see him serve until he is almost 100 years old. How much popular support does he have, and how strong is the opposition?Sudan's newly appointed prime minister, Kamal Idris, has named his cabinet ministers who will form his "government of hope". How will they function in the country still in the grip of war?And after the announcement by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is complete and will be officially inaugurated in September, why has US President Donald Trump weighed in on the long-running dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the giant construction?Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Sunita Nahar and Mark Wilberforce
Technical Producer: Gabriel O'Regan Senior
Producers: Patricia Whitehorne and Karnie Sharp
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Cameroon's president seeks re-election at age 92

Ghanaian authorities have rescued more than 70 young men from a trafficking ring in Nigeria. The men thought they were heading for football contracts or overseas opportunities. Why has football become a gateway for trafficking? Leaders from five African countries - Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal - have been invited to a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. What will they discuss? And we hear how women in Morocco are keeping the art of rug-weaving alive, and how traditional rugs are a symbol of cultural identity. Presenter: Charles Gitonga 
Producers: Nyasha Michelle, Yvette Twagiramariya, Alfonso Daniels and Sunita Nahar in London. Blessing Aderogba in Lagos 
Technical Producer: Pat Sissons 
Senior Journalists: Karnie Sharp and Patricia Whitehorne 
Editors: Andre Lombard and Karnie Sharp

Focus on Africa: Ghanaians lured into football job scam

Angola was certified as polio-free in 2015, but is now combating a new outbreak of the disease after several cases were reported in a Western province. What has caused the virus to come back?A new report says Islamist militants are using Starlink technology to ramp up operational capabilities in Niger. And why are South Sudanese women fashion's favourites and are being sought after on the catwalk?Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Charles Gitonga in Nairobi. Yvette Twagiramariya, Bella Hassan and Alfonso Daniels in London
Senior Producers: Patricia Whitehorne and Richard Kagoe
Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Why has polio re-emerged in Angola?

Russia says the paramilitary group Wagner has accomplished its mission and has left Mali, although a Russian presence remains in the West African country, through the Africa Corps. So what did the Wagner Group achieve?Why has a separatist movement on the tiny, remote island of Annobón that is part of Equatorial Guinea, appealed to Argentina for support with its independence claim?And new research shows that Africa now has more Christians than any other continent, surpassing Europe for the first time. We discuss what is driving that growth.Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Tom Kavanagh, Alfonso Daniels, Nyasha Michelle, Victor Sylver and Joseph Keen
Technical Producer: Craig Kingham
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard

Focus on Africa: Russia's Wagner Group leaves Mali

A South African woman, Racquel "Kelly" Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn have been given life sentences after being convicted of trafficking her missing 6-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith. The case has captivated and horrified audiences around the world. It has also highlighted the wider issue of human trafficking in South Africa. An anti-trafficking campaigner responds to the rulling and explains the extend of problem in the country. Also, Kenya and Mayotte sign a trade deal to boost economic ties. What will be traded?And a tribute to and exploration of, Kenya's literary giant Ngugi wa Thiong’o, who has died at the age of 87.Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Technical Producer: Jonathan Greer
Producers: Nyasha Michelle, Tom Kavanagh and Amie Liebowitz in London. Charles Gitonga in Nairobi
Senior Journalist: Karnie Sharp
Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard

Focus on Africa: South Africa's human trafficking problem

US embassies globally have halted student visa appointments, as social media vetting expands. How is Africa affected?Why is Zimbabwe's controversial radio tax now being implemented?  And how can AI predict and prevent child malnutrition in Kenya?Presenter: Richard Kagoe
Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya and Bella Hassan
Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: US halts international student visa applications

Russia's 13th International Security Summit in Moscow attracts over forty African leaders. How significant is it and what does it mean for the continent, especially for the Sahel? Also, Boeing seals a deal with the US Department of Justice over the fatal crashes of two 737 Max aircraft that killed hundreds of people. One family who lost their son and daughter-in-law in the 2019 Ethiopian plane crash share their reaction with us. And the impact of the temporary closure of Ghana's embassy in US over an alleged visa scandal.Presenter: Blessing Aderogba
Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Nyasha Michelle in London. Charles Gitonga in Nairobi
Technical Producer: Chris Ablakwa
Senior Journalist: Karnie Sharp
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa:  African leaders attend Russia's Security Summit

Uganda cuts military ties with Germany following diplomatic rift.Somalia's government moves to control clan militias fighting al-Shabab - after allegations of serious atrocities.And will Starlink's strategy of 'winning big by thinking small' help them cover the African continent?Presenter:  Blessing Aderogba
Producers: Bella Hassan, Tom Kavanagh and Yvette Twagiramariya.
Technical Producer Chris Ablakwa
Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Focus on Africa: Uganda suspends German military co-operation

The big stories from across the continent and the African perspective on major global stories. Africa Daily has now closed. You will get Focus on Africa episodes here this week. For future episodes, search for Focus on Africa, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Introducing: Focus on Africa

“My responsibilities as a captain became more… A player would receive a call telling him he’d lost a brother or a relative or a dear one.”After war broke out in Sudan, the football team Al Hilal Omdurman had to flee from Khartoum like many of those around them. They spent months looking for a new home, but eventually were welcomed to Mauritania where they have played competitively in the league there. They've now finished top of the league with two games to play. In this final episode of Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja looks at how footballers and athletes have continued to compete at the highest levels – despite facing tragedy and loss.GUESTS: 
Al Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman
Al Hilal Executive secretary Yasir Hassan,
Sudan’s National Olympics Committee President Ahmed Hashim.From next week, you can hear stories from Africa on the Focus on Africa Podcast.

Sudan’s displaced footballers’ winning streak in Mauritania

Today, Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje sits down with Johannesburg mother Mankepe Matsoakeletse.
 
Her daughter, seven-year-old Agnes, went missing in August 1989.
 
She hasn’t stopped searching for her.
 
“I do not know if she is alive or struggling or if she is eating. That's why I cannot give up. I cannot forget because I do not know what kind of life she is living where she is, if she is still alive”, she says.
 
This conversation comes as South Africa will be commemorating Child Protection Week, between the 29th of May and June the 5th.
 
According to the police, almost 700 youngsters were reported missing between 2023 and 2024.
 
More than 470 of them were found and reunited with their families, the rest were either found dead or never accounted for at all.
 
Tragically, the trend continued the following year, with more than 200 youngsters losing their lives or vanishing without a trace.
 
Mpho will also be hearing from Bianca van Aswegeng and Brigadier Attie Lamprecht of the South African Police Service.

Why do so many children go missing in South Africa?

12 year old Mary has spent most of her life in an Internally Displaced People’s camp in north-east Nigeria.
 
Her family were driven out of their village by militants Boko Haram- a group whose exploits have left millions in the region displaced. 
 
Over 3 million people have been displaced in Nigeria and more than half of that number are children. This have also contributed to the north’s reputation for having the highest number of children out of school. 
 
But over the last year a very different world has opened up for Mary, and it’s all because of chess. She’s won medals and competed in tournaments in the United States. She was taught to play by chess coach Vivian Ibrahim, a woman who believes chess could help children in these camps to get back into education. 
 
In today’s episode Alan Kasujja speaks to Mary and her mother Hanatu about their journey. He also speaks to Vivian about the power of chess.

Can chess help children displaced by conflict to rebuild their lives?

Anyone who has spent time in hospital will know just how vital nurses are. They’re often the people we have the most contact with as they look after our comfort as well as our medical care. 
But the role of nurses is expanding. They are taking on more medical responsibilities and are becoming leaders in healthcare. 
Alan Kasujja speaks to Khadija Mohamed Juma, a Kenyan nurse who has been revolutionizing blood donation in the country. And also to Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti, a nurse from Ghana who has been leading the development of oncology nursing in Ghana.

What’s the future of nursing in Africa?

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains references to violence against children, which some listeners may find distressing.Three young girls - Ingrid Maasdorp, Rosvind Fabian and Beyoncé Kharuxas - were found dead in the Namibian town of Okahandja within weeks of each other.Their deaths, though separate, shared chilling similarities and sparked a wave of grief, protests and urgent calls for justice.What do these tragedies reveal about gender-based violence in Namibia? How are families and communities confronting their grief and demanding change?BBC Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja spoke to grieving grandmother Dollie Maasdorp, Windhoek-based journalist Frauke Jensen and former teacher and activist Jané Lowesi, who helped lead one of the first protests.

What do the deaths of three young girls reveal about gender based violence in Namibia?

It’s more than six years since Joseph Kabila stepped down as President of the Democratic Republic of Congo…handing over power to Felix Tshisekedi.
And yet Mr Kabila’s presence still looms large over politics in the country.
On Thursday the Senate in the DRC began to examine an indictment request against Mr Kabila.
On today’s episode, a senior member of Mr Kabila’s party responds to the prospect of him losing immunity. And helps us get to the bottom of reports that he has returned to the country.
Francine Muyumba is a member of Mr Kabila’s People’s Party for the Reconstruction and Democracy, a lawyer and former Senator herself.

Is Joseph Kabila about to lose his immunity from prosecution?

This week the first group of Afrikaners arrived in the United States, as part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to resettle them in his country.
 
President Trump alleges that this ethnic group is being targeted.
 
“It’s a genocide that’s taking place that you people don’t want to write about. But it’s a terrible thing that’s taking place, and white farmers are being brutally killed and their land is being confiscated in South Africa. And the newspapers and the media, television media doesn’t even talk about it”, he recently told reporters.
 
But his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa hit back.
 
“We are the only country on the continent where the colonizers came to stay and we have never driven them out of our country”.
 
The latest developments come as the two heads of state are preparing to meet in the coming days, to discuss their political fallout.
 
In this episode, Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja attempts to find out if Afrikaners are really being persecuted in South Africa.
 
Guests: AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel, AgriSA CEO Johann Kotze and political commentator Advocate Dwight Snyman

Are white Afrikaner minorities really being targeted in South Africa?

“Even the patients, their relatives had to carry them on make-shift stretchers trying to escape. We had 38 cholera patients and they all fled. Which means they spread the disease in other areas, and some of them might have died in the bush.”
 
Tensions have escalated in South Sudan in recent weeks after the Vice President was put under house arrest and his key allies were detained.
 
In Upper Nile and Jonglei states, violence between a militia allied to the VP and forces loyal to the President forced patients to flee from hospitals that came under attack.
 
So, how did hospitals become a target? And is there any hope in sight?
 
Alan Kasujja speaks to Zakaria Mwatia - MSF’s Head of Mission in South Sudan - and Dr Abraham Kuol Nyoun, professor of Political Science at the University of Juba.

Why are hospitals under attack in South Sudan?

The number of African countries now allowing Elon Musk’s company Starlink to provide internet services has been growing rapidly - six have granted permission in 2025 alone. And there are reports that Uganda might be next. 
Starlink can be cheaper than some traditional internet providers and has been seen as a way to provide internet access to communities that are hard to reach. 
But does it come at a cost to governments who might have less control over internet access? And what does it mean for local economies if a big, international company has access to the market?
Alan Kasujja speaks to Temidayo Oniosun; a Nigerian space scientist, and Juliet Nanfuka, a digital rights activist and member of the African Digital Rights Network.

Why are so many countries saying yes to Starlink?

“90% of Somali people don’t know the value of art. That is the problem.”Maslah Abdi Dahir has been threatened by the Islamist insurgent group Al Shabaab who believe portraiture is ‘haram’ or forbidden under Islam. Other Somalis have told him art is a waste of time with so many people out of work.But the Prime Minister spotted and praised his work and he has 250K followers on TikTok. So what drives the 28 year old founder of Mogadishu’s art centre and school?For today’s Africa Daily, Peter Musembi speaks with Maslah Abdi Dahir – and one of his students Anisa Abdulahi Farah.Produced by Mohamed Gabobe in Mogadishu.

Can you make a living as an artist in Somalia?

The government of Zimbabwe is pressing ahead with compensating white citizens who lost their farms due to the country’s land reform programme. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube recently told the media that the time has come. “We struck an agreement a few years back and we have now begun to honour that agreement”The controversial law, which was introduced in the year 2000, led to at least 4,000 white citizens being kicked out of their farms to make way for their black counterparts. The then president Robert Mugabe argued that he was addressing historical injustices. During the colonial era, much of the country's best and arable land was reserved for the white population. Black farmers were forced onto marginal areas.
But some farmers are rejecting the offer made by president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje finds out why this is such a complex matter.Guests: Ish Mafundikwa, Harry Orphanides, Ben Freeth, Professor Mandivamba Rukuni and Taruvinga Magwiroto

Why is Zimbabwe’s government determined to compensate white farmers?

“Immediately you say I am menopausal or I’m approaching 40 years, in our culture they will brand you as an old person.” Do you know what the menopause and perimenopause are? It can mean hot flushes, sore limbs, brain fog and depression – but the symptoms are almost as varied as women are. All women will go through it – but many people don’t know anything about it. Two women on the continent who are determined to change that are Irene Ngadire, head of Menopause Initiative Uganda, and Nigerian Sherry Nwadike, who’s going through the menopause herself. PRESENTER: Mimi Fawaz @mimosafawaz 
GUESTS: Irene Ngadire and Sherry Nwadike

Does Africa need to talk more about the Menopause?

Cardinals from around the world are meeting at the Vatican to elect the next head of the catholic church in a secret conclave. There are thought to have been three popes from Africa in the past, but the last of those was more than 1,500 years ago. So, could the new pope come from Africa? And what is at stake for the continent as the catholic church chooses its next leader?
Alan Kasujja speaks to Reverend Professor Paulinus Odozor, a Professor of Theology and African Studies at Notre Dame University.

Could the next pope come from Africa?

‘’When the bush is on fire, the chameleon must abandon the walking styles of its ancestors.’’Save the Children Fund says international aid cuts have significantly impacted school feeding programs in Africa, affecting millions of children who rely on these meals. Across the continent 86 million children benefit from subsidised programmes which make sure that even those below the poverty line can get at least one nutritious meal a day. In this episode of Africa Daily podcast Peter Musembi explores new research which suggests ways countries can fund their own programmes – and become more resilient.He speaks to Betty Kibaara who works on school feeding programmes at the Rockefeller Foundation - which also co-produced the report.

Can Africa afford school meal programmes?

Aano Qabiil - or Clan Vengeance - is a short film which explores the vendettas between clans which have led to many senseless deaths in Somalia. One of the actors in the film is veteran poet and songwriter, Guudey Mohamed Geedi. He plays a man who tries to intervene to stop the owner of the teashop from being killed by a rival clan. After filming finished, Guudey Mohamed Geedi went to his village outside Warsheikh, in the Middle Shabelle region, to see his family. He was shot dead outside his home by armed men. Africa Daily’s Peter Musembi has been speaking to BBC Somali journalist Abdinasir Ali about how the tragedy has started a discussion about clan revenge killings.

What does the death of a Somali actor tell us about clan killings?

“This was on another level, but a typical Nigerian wedding is usually big, bold, and rich in tradition and culture - it's a show of our heritage.”When Tanzanian music star Juma Jux married Nigerian influencer Priscilla Ojo, the hashtag #JP2025 took over social media feeds across Africa and beyond. Their lavish Lagos wedding had flamboyant fashion, a 15-foot cake entrance, and a celebrity-filled guestlist. It became one of the continent's most talked-about weddings.But in times of economic hardship for many, it also raises deeper questions: What do these extravagant weddings reveal about culture, class, and celebration in Africa today?Mpho Lakaje speaks to Nigerian content creator Anyanwu Chioma, known online as AnChi Vibes, and Tanzanian journalist Meenah Ally, who were both at the wedding.

Why has everyone been talking about the #JP2025 wedding?

In January 2024, protests erupted across Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa as Kenyans demanded justice for women killed in a wave of femicides. The government promised action, launching a 90 day task force to deliver recommendations to President William Ruto. But that deadline has long passed and there’s still no clear plan. 
 
BBC Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje speaks to feminist activist Editar Ochieng and policy expert Kavinya Makau to explore why progress has stalled, what’s happening behind the scenes and their thoughts on whether Kenya is truly committed to ending femicide.

Is Kenya tackling its problem with femicide?

”It has been a week and a half since we heard that Joseph Kabila was leaving South Africa for DRC. Since then, however, we haven’t heard much more about whether he arrived in Goma” - Goma resident. Last week the news that former President Joseph Kabila had returned to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo grabbed the attention of the world’s media. But why has his presence in that part of the country been such a hot topic, even against the backdrop of a potential, imminent deal between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda? Today on the podcast, Alan Kasujja speaks to the BBC’s Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa, Erik Kennes, a senior research fellow for the Africa Programme, while our reporter Ikaba Koyi gets opinions from residents in Goma.

DRC: Why are people talking about Kabila's return?

“I can see that president Trump is trying to play some kind of a chess [game] to put the other nations in the context of a prisoner’s dilemma to say, okay, if I do this, what happens? If I do that, what happens?” - Professor Gowokani Chijere Chirwa, University of Malawi
 
This week, American president Donald Trump will mark 100 days in office. His second tenure at the White House has been marred by controversial Executive Orders and heated exchanges with foreign governments.
 
Some of his decisions, particularly the withdrawal of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have been devastating to many African countries. These funding cuts left millions of HIV and TB patients in limbo.
 
But it was his reciprocal tariffs that truly rattled the world. Even smaller countries like Lesotho who were slapped with a 50% hike and Madagascar who received 47%, were not spared. So, today, Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje finds out what lessons African governments should be taking from the unexpected import tax hikes.
 
Guests: Professor Gowokani Chijere Chirwa and Prosper Chitambara

As President Trump marks 100 days in office, what’s Africa learning from his tariff hikes?

“This generation of storytellers are ageing. Our elders are ageing. I am the one who needs to start this preservation process — at least in my family,” says Hana Baba, a Sudanese-American journalist and podcaster.
 
Her new podcast, Folktales from Sudan, brings ancient Arabic fables to life in English for the first time. It’s aimed at young people in the diaspora who may not speak the language or have lost their connection to Sudanese traditions.
 
As conflict continues to devastate Sudan and displace millions, Hana believes there’s an urgent need to preserve the stories, humour, and wisdom of her culture, and pass it on to the next generation.

Can storytelling help reconnect diaspora children to their culture?

The relationship between Algeria and France - often sensitive, sometimes strained, but usually restrained - has soured horribly in recent weeks. 
 
With tit-for-tat expulsions, diplomatic recalls and lingering resentment over France’s stance on Western Sahara, some observers are calling this crisis unprecedented. 
 
So, have Algeria and France reached a point of no return? 
 
BBC Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja speaks to BBC Arabic’s Ahmed Rouaba to unpack what’s fuelling the latest fallout between the two countries.

What’s fuelling the deepening rift between Algeria and France?

“South Africa is known for championing human rights using diplomacy to bring all parties together. But it’s not as simple as that” - Thelela Ngcetane-Vika of the Wits School of Governance in Johannesburg.South African president Cyril Ramaphosa is meeting his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital Pretoria today.The two are expected to discuss the on-going war in Europe, trade and several other issues.This comes a few days after Ramaphosa had a telephone conversation with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin about the conflict.Today, Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja attempts to understand if the southern African nation has what it takes to help end the conflict which started in February 2022.Some political observers argue that it will be a tricky assignment for Ramaphosa, considering his close proximity to Putin.Relations between Russia and South Africa date back to the years of apartheid, when the then Soviet Union threw its weight behind black liberation movements.

Why is Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in South Africa?

“Our goal is to... silence the guns.”
 
One of the stated aims of the African Union is to 'promote peace, security, and stability on the continent'. With that in mind, the organisation co-hosted a conference aimed at finding an end to Sudan’s war last week in London. 
 
But even as discussions continued in London, thousands of civilians in Northern Darfur were fleeing for their lives under military bombardment. 
 
And in other parts of the continent there are other equally bloody and apparently unresolvable conflicts – including in neighbouring South Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Sahel region where Islamist jihadist groups are active.
 
So how much impact can such meetings, and the organisation, actually have?
 
For today’s Africa Daily, Peter Musembi speaks to the AU’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Ambassador Bankole Adeoye.

Can the Africa Union help end the war in Sudan?

“We’ve had a pope who was able to grasp and understand the problems in third world countries.”In 2023 Pope Francis showed his commitment to Africa by visiting two countries riven by conflict: the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out to celebrate him in Kinshasa. But his decision was not a surprising choice – given that he’d made social justice and the rights of the poor and suffering central to his papacy.So when the news of his death was announced yesterday, it was greeted by African Catholics with both sadness, but also prayers of thanks for his life.For today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja hears from two Congolese people who met the pope as students, Mpongo Simon and Christine Mwanini, and speaks to Father Desmond Nair, a Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of Durban, South Africa.

How will Pope Francis be remembered in Africa?

Think about your favourite foods… the dishes you eat to make you happy. Are they traditional African foods - like vegetables, fresh fruits, roots, tubers, nuts, beans, and staple whole grains? Foods like Pap, Fufu or Ugali? Or are you thinking about a burger or deep fried chicken and chips from your favourite fast food shop? A new small-scale study found that when participants switched from a western diet to the traditional Kilimanjaro diet, their health markers improved in as little as two weeks. The researchers say they believe traditional foods from throughout the continent could have a similar impact.So could the ‘African Heritage Diet’ be the new Mediterranean diet which helps us all get healthier?Today on the podcast, Mpho Lakaje speaks with the team from Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College which conducted the research: Dr Godfrey Temba, an expert in nutrition, and members of his research team, Dr. Mary Mosha and Dr Vesla Kullaya.

Is the ‘African Heritage Diet’ more healthy for you?

“We must, as Africans, begin to solve some of our problems ourselves, because we have more local context, the nuances. It’s our people, it’s our community.”AI is transforming everything - from how we search information online to how we access healthcare. It’s also an industry that is projected to generate nearly $3 trillion for the African continent by 2030.But without African data, languages and culture, the risks are high, some experts warn, of a new kind of colonisation - led by algorithms.Chido Dzinotyiwei’s ‘Vambo AI’ is building African language models, while Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson’s ‘Healthtracka’ is using AI to expand healthcare access in Nigeria.BBC Africa Daily’s Peter Musembi spoke to the two innovators to explore how their work is shaping a future that reflects Africa’s needs.

How are Africa’s innovators shaping the future of AI?

For decades, wealthy Nigerian families have looked to the UK for elite education - drawn to what they see as prestige, global connections, and academic rigour. But that journey overseas may no longer be necessary. Top British boarding schools like Charterhouse and Rugby are now opening campuses in Nigeria, with others - including Harrow and Millfield - exploring similar moves. But what’s behind this growing trend - and is it being embraced or viewed with caution by parents? Mpho Lakaje speaks with parent Lucy Onoriode Okeke, as well as Dr Joy Isa from Rugby School Nigeria, to find out what’s driving this shift and what it could mean for the country’s education system.

Why are elite British boarding schools opening up in Lagos?

Bobi Wine says to be an opposition politician in Uganda is to be labelled and treated as a terrorist. He’s been beaten, teargassed, arrested and shot at. So why does he want he want to be a presidential candidate in elections scheduled to take place in 2026? He was in London recently and came to our studio to talk to Africa Daily’s Victoria Uwonkunda about why he wants to change Uganda, corruption and his online spat with the chief of the country’s armed forces. We also hear from Ugandan government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo.

Why has Ugandan politician Bobi Wine decided to stand in Uganda’s 2026 election?

“Right now we’re receiving hundreds of patients and victims from ZamZam camp. You can hear the sounds of children… they do not belong to any military.”Today marks two years since war first broke out in Sudan, and in the second of two podcasts on the state of the war, we turn our attention to Darfur.Over the last few days, attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on the Zamzam camp, near the city of El Fasher in North Darfur, have intensified, and the RSF say they have taken control. Over 700,000 people already displaced by the fighting have been taking shelter there. The UN says more than 100 civilians have died in these attacks - including at least 20 children. The aid group Relief International, said its entire staff of 9 hospital employees - including the head doctor – were shot dead by paramilitaries after they broke into the main camp.In today’s pod we hear from a member of the Masalit community of El Geneina which faced similar attacks earlier in the war.

What’s the situation in Darfur two years after Sudan’s war broke out?

The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, April 15th 2023. Families who’d gathered to celebrate Eid together woke up to gunfire and explosions as a power struggle erupted between two factions of the military led government. There were clashes at the presidential palace, at the airport and at the TV station. Both sides hoped for a quick win, but it quickly became a war of attrition, and in the two years since, the Sudanese people have suffered sexual violence, hunger, displacement and the loss of everything they hold dear. The UNHCR says nearly 13 million people have been displaced by the conflict.In the first of a series of two podcasts to mark the anniversary, Mpho Lakaje talks to Sudan’s former deputy intelligence chief, analyst Dr Majak D’Agoot, and asks if we are now in a stalemate, and what the aims of the two sides are.

Sudan: What’s changed after two years of war?

“We want to change the narrative, so we as Africans can stop being portrayed only as the poacher, the ranger, the guide, or are people who sing for you when you jump off your safari vehicle.
 
From the presenters to the camera teams to the scientific experts, Africa’s wildlife stories have been mainly told by western documentary teams from large international broadcasters like the BBC and Netflix. However this is starting to change, as African filmmakers are gaining the skills and expertise to make nature documentaries from an African perspective. Alan Kasujja speaks to a South African couple who have been spear-heading this change, Pragna and Noel Kok, and also a marine scientist from Tanzania, Nancy Iraba, about her journey into filmmaking.

Why aren’t there more African wildlife filmmakers?

“We’ve heard that there’s a possibility that our firms might shut down. This has to do with what Mr Trump said. Should it happen, it will be devastating to us because there isn’t much work in Lesotho. We rely on these firms" - Mamonts'eng LephalloAccording to White House figures, in 2024 the United States exported just $2.8 million worth of goods to Lesotho.The southern African country on the other hand sent products worth nearly $240 million to President Donald Trump's country.They include diamonds and clothing. But now, Lesotho has been slapped with a whopping 50% tariff on goods entering the US. With factory workers and others extremely concerned about possible job losses, Lesotho is now sending a high level government delegation to the United States. Presenter: Mpho Lakaje Guests: Mamonts’eng Lephallo, Marapelang Khabele and Marafaele Mohloboli

How is Lesotho responding to President Donald Trump's 50% tariff?

The ownership of land is central to our food production, our financial security, and our sense of identity.But in Africa most women do not inherit or own land, despite laws that often provide for their right to do so. Alan Kasujja finds out what is stopping women from inheriting land with the help of Esther Mwaura-Muiru, the Global Advocacy Director for the ‘Stand For Her Land’ Campaign, and Bankolay Theodore Turay, a researcher on women’s land rights in Sierra Leone.

What is stopping women in Africa from inheriting land?

“What I’d like to see is when these girls go back into society, they don’t end up back in prison. It's about using football for positive social change. Football is more than just a game on the pitch and this is an example of that.” The “Football for Reform” programme kicked off in Sierra Leone last November, taking place over 8 days. Run by Caf – the Confederation of African Football – it involved female prisoners being taught football coaching skills. The hope with the project is for some of the women to find jobs in the field in the future. Alan Kasujja speaks with Isha Johansen, former President of the Sierra Leone FA and Mercy Tagoe Quarcoo, former Ghana national team women’s coach. He also hears the thoughts of two women prisoners.

Can football help women prisoners get back on their feet?

“A lot of people in our communities don’t view them as pirates. I think they are defenders of the sea.”In 2011, Somali piracy peaked. Crews were attacked at gunpoint and many held as hostages for months. The World Bank says there were 243 incidents that year. After a crackdown involving international navies, attacks plummeted to almost zero.But since last year there’s been an uptick in incidents. Houthi attacks on shipping using the Suez Canal - in support of the Palestinians in Gaza – drew global attention, and firepower, away from the Somali coastline. And the root causes of the problem – poverty and lack of infrastructure for local fishing communities, and illegal fishing by foreign trawlers – were never addressed.So could piracy return to the levels of 15 years ago?Alan @kasujja speaks with a local fisherman from the affected town of Eyl, and to fisheries expert Abdirahman Mohamed.

Is Somali piracy on the comeback?

“The question that I’ve been grappling with is, are we not punching above our weight as a country given the fact that we are not one of the biggest economies?” – Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast, Nelson Mandela University in South Africa
 
Tensions between South Africa and the United States appear to be intensifying.
 
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s party, the African National Congress recently said, it won’t be dropping its genocide case against Israel to appease America.
 
South Africa took Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s country to the International Court of Justice in 2024, arguing that it was committing genocide.
 
This relates to the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
 
These developments come weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration took a hostile stance towards South Africa, including cutting off funding.
 
In today’s episode, Alan Kasujja tries to understand how far South Africa is prepared to go for the cause of Palestine, amid America’s pressure.

How much is South Africa willing to sacrifice for Palestinians?

“It has made nearly every person, every mother, to have their child contaminated, because the lead levels are so rampant,” says Cornelius Katiti, a father from Kabwe, Zambia, whose three children are affected by lead poisoning. 
 
For decades, the town has struggled with remediating 6.4 million tonnes of toxic lead waste left behind by a former mine. A Human Rights Watch report shows 95% of children in affected areas of Kabwe have dangerously high lead levels. Cornelius, along with many others in the community, is left asking: who is responsible for the clean-up? In today's episode, Alan Kasujja explores the ongoing environmental and health impacts of mining with Cornelius, an environmental chemist , and an environmental consultant.

How is Zambia dealing with lead contamination?

Africa’s cities are expanding at an unprecedented rate.A new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Sahel and West Africa Club says the urban population will double to 1.4 billion by 2050.But are these cities prepared to handle the growing demand for housing, transport and services? And as urban areas evolve, who truly stands to benefit from this transformation?BBC Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja explores this with Patrick Analo Akivaga, Chief Officer for Urban Development in Nairobi as well as Kenyan photographer Mutua Matheka, who documents Nairobi’s changing cityscapes and comedian Ty Ngachira, who shares his experience of moving to the capital.

What does Africa’s urban population boom mean for its major cities?

Lupus is a condition where someone’s immune system attacks their own body, including healthy tissue and cells, leaving them with debilitating conditions like exhaustion, extreme weight gain, organ failure and pain. It can lead to death. 
 
It disproportionately affects black women but very little is known about the condition in Africa and statistics are hard to come by. 
 
In today's episode, Alan Kasujja speaks to two women in South Africa who are determined to change this. 
 
 
GUESTS: Palesa Ramakatsa and Una Van Rhyn is the founder of the Andreas Gift Foundation

Why don’t we know more about Lupus and autoimmune diseases?

Have you noticed how southern Africa tends to be hit by deadly cyclones that leave a trail of destruction?
 
Right now the people of Mozambique are trying to piece their lives together after Cyclone Jude battered the country this month.
 
Before it, two others, Chido and Dikeledi, hit the same part of southern Africa in quick succession.
 
All three claimed dozens of lives, leaving schools, homes and other buildings severely damaged.
 
Today Alan Kasujja sits down with Lehlohonolo Thobela of the South African Weather Service in Pretoria.
 
“If you speak about Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa, those are usually the areas that usually experience tropical cyclones. Geographically, the Indian Ocean is in the eastern parts. The Indian Ocean itself is where cyclones are born. Why? Because they need warmth”, Lehlohonolo says.
 
Alan also hears from Mary Louise Eagleton of UNICEF, who is in Maputo. She’s been to the most affected areas and shares what she's seen.

Why does southern Africa experience so many devastating cyclones?

“A lot is expected of her. A lot of eyes are going to be on her.” A moment of sporting history. That’s how many sports fans around the world will remember it. 
 
Africa’s most decorated Olympian, swimming champion, Kirsty Coventry will become the next President of the International Olympic Committee. The first time for a woman, an African and the governing body's youngest president. 
 
In today’s Africa Daily Alan Kasujja hears reaction from Zimbabwe and speaks to two female Olympians on what this means for Africa.
 
Guests: Zimbabwean sports journalist Steve Vickers, two-time Olympic medallist Nigeria's Mary Onyali Omagbemi, and Kenya’s Sinaida Aura who took part in the Tokyo Olympics for Kenya’s rugby Lionesses

What will Kirsty Coventry’s win mean for Africa?

“You cannot feel that you’re fasting when you’re playing. No water, no food, but it’s still very exciting to finish and to score"
 
Ramadan is a time for prayer and reflection worldwide. But in Egypt they mark it using one of their nationwide passions: football.
 
Since the 1960s street football tournaments have spread to every town – involving everyone from professional footballers to children and old men. A woman’s tournament is in its infancy.
 
Some footballers have even been slapped with heavy fines by their clubs for taking part – but many remain undeterred, as it’s such a part of Ramadan tradition and culture.
 PRESENTER: Alan @Kasujja GUESTS: 70 year old Elsayed Mohamed and his son, football journalist, Mohamed Kutbah, and Hamada Elalfy, one of the organisers of the Mit Rumi tournament.

Why are street football tournaments a Ramadan tradition in Egypt?

As Morocco faces one of its worst droughts in decades, soaring meat prices and dwindling livestock have made Eid al-Adha sacrifices difficult. In response King Mohammed VI has urged Moroccans to forgo the tradition, echoing a similar appeal by his father in 1966.Could changing weather patterns reshape how Eid is observed? 
 
BBC Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja spoke to Moroccan journalist Basma El Atti to explore how Moroccans are adapting and what this means for the future of Eid traditions.This episode has been edited since it was originally published

Is Morocco’s drought changing Eid traditions?

"It was hell. The worst seven months of my life. I was beaten, humiliated, electrocuted."Jalil Muyeke thought he was travelling to Thailand for a dream job. Instead, he was trafficked to Myanmar, imprisoned in a scam centre, and forced to commit online fraud under the threat of violence. An estimated 100,000 people fell victim to these operations run by Chinese crime groups. Jalil endured seven months of beatings and abuse before finally finding a way out. He eventually had to pay for his own flight back home and was fined 1,500 Thai Baht for overstaying his visa, which is approximately 44 dollars - a small price to pay to be swiftly reunited with his family in Uganda. But thousands are still stuck in Myanmar today, with many African governments unwilling to pay to bring their citizens home. Alan Kasujja speaks to Jalil, who survived the ordeal, to find out how he was tricked, what life was like inside, and how he made it out.

How did the promise of work lead Africans into scam centres in Myanmar?

“For someone seeing a light bulb for the first time, it is like a magic show from heaven. They are so happy, they are singing. That moment, it never gets old.”Six hundred million people in Africa don’t have access to electricity – meaning that for many living on a continent with a median age of 19, the future is anything but bright.But it’s a challenge that the winner of this year’s Commonwealth Young Person of the Year prize is determined to overcome. Nigeria’s Stanley Anigbogu was honoured for his innovations in transforming plastic waste into solar innovations and providing clean energy to thousands of people including refugees. For today’s Africa Daily, he speaks to Peter Musembi about his goals and inspirations – including Marvel’s Iron Man!

The man bringing light to remote communities - while tackling plastic waste

“The emphasis now is not on Netumbo the person, the emphasis is on a woman… If anything happens, like it can happen in any administration under men, there are also those that won’t talk about Netumbo, but rather say: “look at women!””Today sees the inauguration of Namibia’s first-ever female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
 
The 72-year-old is a former freedom fighter and veteran of the ruling South West Africa People's Organization – better known as SWAPO.In a special interview recorded in Windhoek, she speaks to Mpho Lakaje about land reform, the challenges of being a woman politician, and how she still likes to go back to the village and to play with her grandchildren.

What are the challenges facing Namibia’s first female president?

“It could not by itself stop the advance of M23 without a strong Congolese army. And my sense is that it was not SADC that failed, but the Congolese army that failed.”
 
Since December 2023, troops from SADC - the Southern African Development Community - have been taking part in a mission in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo tasked with supporting the Congolese army and protecting civilians and infrastructure. They included soldiers from Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa.But then in January, rebels from the M23 group made lightning advances across the region – taking key towns including the capital Goma. A number of SADC troops were killed in the fighting. And last week, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa announced a ‘phased withdrawal’.So is this a sign that the mission has failed? And what will it mean for the government and people of the DRC? Presenter: Alan @kasujja
Guests: Rear Admiral (JG) Prince Tshabalala, Thierry Bashala (businessman) and Dr. Claude Kabemba, the CEO of Southern Africa Resource Watch.

Why is SADC withdrawing its troops from the DRC?

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan says Nigeria’s senate President began to sexually harass her in December 2023 and that there were multiple incidents of this nature. She’s been speaking publicly about what she says happened and filed a petition to the senate. But earlier this month Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan received a six month suspension from her job over what was described as a “breach of the rules of the Senate”. There are only four women in the senate and 109 men, so the allegations have got lots of people talking and sparked protests. What does this all say about how sexual harassment allegations are treated in Nigeria? In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja hears more about the story from the BBC’s Azeezat Olaoluwa in Lagos. He also speaks to Nigerian lawyer and civil rights activist Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi and Omowumi Ogunrotimi, the founder and executive director of Gender Mobile Initiative.

How's Nigeria reacted to a Senator's allegations that she's been sexually harassed?

The dispute over Western Sahara is one of Africa’s longest running wars – starting in 1975. It pits Morocco against the Polisario Front- an Algerian backed political movement.
 
But while the international community has focussed on finding a diplomatic solution – the plight of the indigenous Sahrawi people, who used to live on the disputed land, is often forgotten.
 
They have been living in difficult-to-access refugee camps in Algeria for the past 50 years, amidst allegations that they’re being used as pawns in a wider struggle. 
 
So what is their life like? And is there any hope that this long running conflict can be resolved?
 
GUESTS: Moroccan politician and activist, Lahcen Haddad, and the BBC’s Sally Nabil who’s visited the camps.

Western Sahara: what is life like for the Sahrawi refugees?

“This is a payment of debt. Definitely we are trying our best to show our gratitude and also to stand by our brothers and the nation of Sudan.”After three decades of civil war in Somalia, the healthcare system in the country was a mess and many people had to travel to neighbouring countries for treatment - if they could afford it. And so, in 2014, a group of Somali businessmen founded the Somali-Sudanese Hospital in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, to respond to the challenge. It followed years of Somali medical students going to Sudan for training – and the hospital became a place for them to use their expertise on their return. But then in 2022 war broke out in Sudan – and the hospital became a refuge for Sudanese doctors fleeing the war, thanks to that long-established relationship. The Sudanese medics are also offering crucial specialist services the hospital could not provide before. In this episode of Africa Daily, Peter Musembi talks to Prof Helmi Daoud who was the first doctor to flee to Somalia with his whole family three months after the start of the war.He also hears from Dr Abdilqadir Yusuf, the hospital’s Research and Development manager on how the arrival of the Sudanese doctors has transformed services there.NOTE: This pod was updated at 0709 GMT on 17/3/25 to correct the year war broke out in Sudan.

Why has Mogadishu become a safe haven for many Sudanese doctors?

Black Economic Empowerment was initially introduced by former South African president Nelson Mandela in the 1990s, as one of his government’s policies. 
But in 2003, it was revised and changed to BBBEE: Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment. It's aim is to facilitate the much broader participation of black South Africans in the economy, thus addressing inequality. This section of the population was excluded during the years of white minority rule, leading to high levels of poverty. But some sections of the white population, including American businessman Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, have been critical of this policy. So today Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje finds out why this law is so polarizing. Guests: Tshepo Mokoena, Kganki Matabane and Sandile Swana

Why is South Africa’s black economic empowerment policy so polarizing?

For African immigrants in the US, the threat of mass deportation is a constant fear. Many have built lives, found stability, and raised families but now over a million non-US citizens face the reality of potential deportation. The Trump administration now plans to create a national register for undocumented migrants over the age of 14, with those failing to sign up risking criminal prosecution. Deportees like Anwar Mohamed, sent back to Somalia in 2018 after being convicted of a felony, recall the shock of being forced to leave the country they had come to see as home. Alan Kasujja speaks with Anwar and Muktar Ahmed about their deportation experiences, as well as Ghanaian immigration attorney Akua Aboagye, who helps families navigate the complex US immigration system.Producer: Mohamad Gabobe

How are US mass deportations impacting African immigrants?

River blindness – or onchocerciasis – is a tropical disease which causes itchiness, skin damage, and eventually blindness. It affects millions of people across Africa. 
 
In Niger a staggering 70 percent of the population was once infected. But now, after a gruelling 45 year health campaign, it’s become the first African country to eliminate the disease. 
 
Alan Kasujja speaks Dr Paulin Basinga, head of the Gates Foundation in Africa who has who has played a key role in the fight against river blindness in western Africa.

How did Niger eliminate river blindness?

“We didn’t harvest anything at all” – Zimbabwean resident Hlengiwe Moyo Today, Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje focuses on Zimbabwe, one of several southern African countries recently hit by a prolonged drought. Seven million people are now desperate for food assistance. The World Food Programme, along with several nations, partnered to donate bags of maize, pulses and cooking oil. Other countries that were hardest hit include Zambia and Malawi. Namibia even resorted to slaughtering wild animals such as hippos, elephants and zebras, to feed its people. The situation became so bad that Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a national disaster to tackle the prolonged drought crisis. Guests: Ish Mafundikwa, Regina Vurayayi and Hlengiwe Moyo

How is Zimbabwe responding to persistent drought-related hunger?

Autism remains one of the most misunderstood conditions in many African countries, often leading to stigma, misdiagnosis and a lack of support.Why do so many children in Africa go undiagnosed, and what impact does this have on their futures?BBC Africa Daily’s Peter Musembi speaks with Cameroonian author Delly Singah, whose personal journey as a mother of an autistic child has shaped her advocacy. Through her book ‘Diary of a Special Mum – Kicking Autism to the Curb’, Delly challenges misconceptions and highlights the struggles families face in getting 
 a proper diagnosis and help.

Why is autism still misunderstood in Africa?

“South Sudan is on the brink of a return to full-scale civil war - and this civil war could be on a much larger scale than we’ve seen in the past.”What’s going on in South Sudan? This week alarm bells have been ringing after leading allies of the Vice President, Riek Machar, were arrested – and Machar’s own home in Juba was surrounded temporarily by troops.It follows clashes between a militia called the ‘White Army’ which fought alongside Machar during the civil war, with government troops in Upper Nile state, close to the Ethiopian border.The relationship between Machar and President Salva Kiir has always been fractious and in 2013 a bloody civil war broke out after their political differences spiralled. 400,000 people were killed and 2 and a half million were displaced.So is the peace deal which ended that war in 2018 now under threat?Presenter: @Mpholakaje
Guest: Daniel Akech Thiong of the Crisis Group.

Could South Sudan return to civil war?

“I believe that when I sing things will change and we shall have a bright future. We are going to be the ambassadors of change for our country South Sudan."
 
War and displacement leave scars that go beyond the physical. In Bidibidi, one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, many struggle with trauma, substance abuse, and uncertainty. Bidibidi is home to over 250,000 refugees but a performing arts centre is helping refugees find healing, and hope for a better future, through music, dance, and theatre.
 
Alan Kasujja speaks to Victor Aluonzi, who helped bring the project to life, as well as South Sudanese refugees Moses Modi and Mary Nadia, who find comfort in the arts.

How is Uganda’s largest refugee camp changing lives through performing arts?

Schools in South Sudan could remain closed for another four weeks as a severe heat wave continues in the country. 
 
Last week the government ordered schools across the country to close for two weeks as temperatures rose above 42°C, with reports indicating that an average of 12 students had been collapsing daily due to the soaring heat. 
 
It is the second consecutive year schools have been shut down during the hottest months, disrupting the academic calendar. 
 
Floods have in the past contributed to the instability of the education system in South Sudan, making it one of the countries with the highest rates of out-of-school children because of climate change. 
 
For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja has been speaking to two students - Naomi and Maxwell. 
 
He also hears from school teacher Akot Aliel, about life in the classroom during the heat wave.(Audio updated: 0658 6/3/25)

How can schools prepare for extreme weather conditions?

The bacteria in our stomachs – known collectively as the microbiome - are increasingly seen by scientists as playing an important role in our overall health. According to research, it can show markers of disease as well as affect everything from digestion to mental health. Everyone has a different microbiome depending on where you live, your lifestyle, and various external factors. But data in Africa has been lacking. Now a new study of four different countries on the continent – Burkina Faso, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana - is starting to fill that gap. Alan Kasujja talks to two of the researchers involved.
 
GUESTS: Dr Luicer Olubayo and Dr Ovokeraye Oduaran

Why does the African microbiome matter?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world - from healthcare to finance, agriculture to education. But in Africa, the stakes are different. How do we make sure AI isn’t just another import but is something built for Africans, by Africans?
 
With so many languages, infrastructure gaps, and the need to protect our own data, building a truly African AI comes with big challenges, but also huge opportunities.
 
Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja speaks to Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology, to unpack what it will take to own our digital future—tackling everything from data sovereignty to local innovation.

Can Africa build its own AI ecosystem?

“Lacking respect for Mohamed Salah and lacking respect for Egypt and for African football.”That’s how three-time Afcon winner Wael Goma sums up Jamie Carragher’s comment that the Africa Cup of Nations is ‘not a major tournament’. The former England and Liverpool defender was taking part in a TV discussion about Mohamed Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’or after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday. He said because Salah hadn’t won a ‘major’ tournament like the World Cup, Euros or Copa America so he didn’t have much chance of winning the coveted award for the best player in the world. But Africa’s top footballing guns have come out angrily to defend the importance of Afcon. PRESENTER: Alan @Kasujja 
 
GUESTS: 
Ivory Coast’s Wilfried Bony who won Afcon in 2015
Egypt’s Wael Goma who won Afcon in 2006, 2008, and 2010
Football Journalist, Oluwashina Okeleji.

Why are some people dismissive of Afcon?

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently told journalists that he has no interest in extending his term of office.
 
“These terms are very definite, and I’m so democratic. When they come to an end, I will step aside and my party will elect my successor”, he said.
 
But will the head of state really hand over the baton to someone else?
 
Towards the end of last year, Mnangagwa’s party, Zanu PF passed a resolution to extend his term when it ends in 2028.
 
Some in Zimbabwe believe the president is in fact playing politics and that he intends to consolidate his power.
 
At the same time, a group of Zanu PF war veterans are pushing for Mnangagwa to immediately vacate his office, accusing him of failing to improve the country.
 
So, what does the future hold for the southern African nation?
 
Presenter: Alan Kasujja
 
Guests: Shingai Nyoka and Dr. Gideon Chitanga

Is Zimbabwe's president Emmerson Mnangagwa set for a third term?

Millions of people in Sudan are facing hunger and possible famine due to the war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces militia, which has been going on for almost two years. The country has the ability to feed itself if farmers could use the most fertile land, between the White and the Blue Nile rivers in El Gezira state. Although a massive irrigation scheme has been in place there for a century, the past choice of cash crops, along with mismanagement by the government have meant Sudan has not been able to benefit from the potential of this agricultural heartland, even before the current war saw most of the farming community flee.Guest: Professor Nisrin Elamin.

Can Sudan feed itself in the future?

Warning: this pod contains description of violence from the beginning.
 
“They died in the hands of the state. And to die in the hands of the state – that’s something we can’t just let pass… Without their rights they cannot rest in peace.”
 
Nearly a month ago, M23 rebels captured the regional capital Goma in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the time, one of the worst reported atrocities of the conflict took place – when more than 150 women prisoners and their children were killed in Munzenze Prison - after an intense fire broke out. The UN says most of the women were probably subjected to sexual violence before they died. 
 
The horror of it all has left family members trying desperately to find the remains of their loved ones.
 
In this episode, Alan Kasujja speaks to Mwamisyo, an activist who was a prisoner at the time of the fire, and to Lumumba, whose aunt was one of the women who died.

DRC Conflict: What happened during Goma’s prison break?

Being online has become a huge part of our lives. Everywhere you look, you see people on their phones in homes, schools, work and markets.These devices are not just almost glued to our hands for fun, they are also crucial to people’s businesses and livelihoods.So earlier this year when Nigerian telecommunication companies announced they would be raising their prices, with some services increased by 50 percent, it got many Nigerians talking.These companies say they are doing this because they have to meet their costs as a result of economic factors such as inflation. So what is the price of being online and how are Nigerians being affected?Host: Alan Kasujja
Guests: BBC reporter in Lagos, Yusuf Akinpelu and Taofeek Adeshina, photographer based in Lagos.

How has the hike in data and mobile phone call prices affected Nigerians?

Muhsin Hendricks, the world's first openly gay imam, was shot dead in South Africa on Saturday, leaving many in mourning. The 57-year-old was a trailblazer, known for his advocacy and for creating safe spaces for queer Muslims. From founding The Inner Circle, a support group for queer Muslims, to leading an inclusive mosque, his work gave many a sense of belonging. Alan Kasujja speaks to those who knew and were inspired by him—including activists and religious leaders—to explore the impact of his life and tragic death. Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Nicole McCain, Rev. Sharon Cox and SimSim.

How is Muhsin Hendricks’ murder affecting queer Muslim communities across Africa?

“Our minerals, yes, are important for the advancement of the world, but they are also important for the progress of our people. We could share these minerals with the world, but our people must come first” - Shanty Tshiela Byart-Mutombo, DRC company owner
 
On Friday, the 14th of February, the M23 rebels started entering Bukavu, having already captured another strategic city, Goma.
 
The Rwandan-backed militants' progress comes despite international calls for a ceasefire and a resumption of talks aimed at ending the conflict in the DRC.
 
For more than three decades, armed groups have competed with the central government for power and control of the mineral-rich country.
 
The conflict has claimed countless lives over the years, with hundreds of thousands of people being displaced in the last few weeks alone.
 
Its impact is being felt by citizens and businesses countrywide.
 
Today Alan Kasujja sits down with local entrepreneur Shanty Tshiela Byart-Mutombo, to find out what it’s like to run a company during such a difficult time.

Is it possible to run a successful business in the war-torn DRCongo?

Midwife or mid-husband? That’s a common question on social media posts highlighting the work of the very few men who help women to deliver babies. Midwifery is a profession that has traditionally been dominated by women. Less than 1% of people registered as midwives globally are men. According to research conducted by the University of Northampton in the UK, 19 countries have no men registered as midwives and five countries legally prohibit men from being midwives.In today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja speaks to 63-year-old Robert Aule, a man who has helped to deliver more than 500 babies over the last four decades in one of the most remote regions in Kenya. Could the recruitment of men help to deal with the shortage of midwives?

Should more men train to be midwives?

“The writers of our time who used to criticise the government are no longer there.”Today on the podcast, Alan has the pleasure and privilege of speaking to one of Africa’s great writers: the South Sudanese author Taban Lo Liyong.In the 1960s he rubbed shoulders with independence politicians like Jomo Kenyatta and Kwame Nkrumah and with giants of African literature like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. He was taken to Uganda as a young child and spent his formative years there – but now lives in his native South Sudan. On today’s podcast he discusses language, the impact of HIV Aids, and why he’s not ready to stop work at the age of 93 years. He says he still has two more books in him…

Why is writer Taban Lo Liyong not ready to stop working?

“This is the new reality that we are going to have to face and it is a fantastic opportunity for us to redefine our position away from the US trying to tell us who we can or cannot be, because they really don’t care about us” - Ugandan coffee farmer Robert Kabushenga
 
In the year 2000, the United States government set up the African Growth and Opportunity Act also known as AGOA.
 
It's aim was to give qualifying sub-Saharan African countries access to the US market, without paying import taxes, thus promoting economic growth in Africa.
 
But there’s no certainty that president Donald Trump will renew the deal when it expires later this year, especially considering many of the moves he's made in recent weeks. 
 
His administration cut off financial aid to countries like South Africa and many others around the world.
 
So, what lies ahead for trade relations between Africa and the United States?
 
Presenter: Alan Kasujja
 
Guests: Ugandan coffee farmer Robert Kabushenga, Eswatini economics lecturer Sanele Sibiya and South African exporter Nhlanhla Dlamini

Is Africa’s trade relationship with the United States under threat?

Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is experiencing rising temperatures, with extreme heat becoming a major challenge for residents, especially those in crowded neighbourhoods and open-air markets. With limited access to cooling infrastructure, the heat affects daily life, health, food security and the economy.In response, the city recently hosted an ‘Urban Heat Hackathon’, where teams developed innovative solutions to tackle the problem.In today's Africa Daily Alan Kasujja speaks to two of the hackathon winners, Tommy Charles and Glory Aminata Turay, to explore how technology and urban greening are helping residents adapt to and mitigate extreme heat.

Can technology and urban greening cool Sierra Leone’s scorching heat?

Earlier this year, South African lawmakers passed the Expropriation Without Compensation Act.
 
This is part of their country’s effort to address the injustices of the past.
 
During the years of white minority rule, black South Africans were dispossessed of their land, some even forcibly relocated to areas far from business districts.
 
But years before the current land act was passed, a pressure group called AfriForum, composed of white Afrikaners, travelled to the United States to lobby conservative politicians.
 
They strongly argued that the land law would leave them at a disadvantage, even though the South African government reassured them this wouldn’t be the case.
 
This culminated in US president Donald Trump issuing an Executive Order, suspending financial aid to South Africa.
 
Presenter: Alan Kasujja
 
Guests: ANC Deputy Secretary General Nomvula Mokonyane and political analyst Melanie Verwoerd.

Are South Africa and the United States reaching the end of their relationship?

The growth of women’s football in Morocco has seen more girls taking up the sport. The evidence of this can be seen in how many young girls play the beautiful game in their neighbourhoods, in the streets. It’s something which would not have happened 20 years ago. The success of women’s football there has also been reflected in the packed stadiums and the rising number of people watching the women’s national team- the Atlas Lionesses- on television. They are also the first North African and Arab squad to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. So what’s behind the growth in women’s football in Morocco? In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to 15 year old Imane on why she decided to play football, Atlas Lioness forward Rosella Ayane and Meskerem Tadesse Goshime, the Confederation of African Football’s head of women’s football.

What's fuelling the success of women's football Morocco?

It’s now two weeks since the rebel M23 group took over Goma in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – so what has the experience been like for the city’s inhabitants? 
 
For today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to two people who live in Goma: one woman who has stayed and says finding food is almost impossible, and an activist who has fled the city after receiving threats of abduction and death from the M23.

How have Goma’s residents reacted to M23 takeover?

One person living with HIV has described how these cut would change their life and said "please tell the American government that this is a death trap for us. If I don’t get my tablets next month and the following month, how much longer will I have to live?”USAID—the United States Agency for International Development—has funded life-saving aid across Africa for decades. Programmes assisting with famine, disease control, and poverty are now at-risk following President Trump's decision to cut its budget and merge the agency with the State Department. From HIV patients fearing a “death sentence”, to food aid programmes coming to a sudden stop, the effects are already being felt across Africa. Alan Kasujja speaks to Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, about the consequences of these cuts and whether African governments can step up in the face of an uncertain future for global aid.

What’s at stake for Africa if Trump shuts down USAID?

South Sudan is facing another deadly cholera outbreak, with over 24,500 suspected cases and nearly 500 deaths, according to charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Overcrowding, poor sanitation and a lack of clean water are fuelling the crisis, while political instability and logistical challenges hinder the response.
With a history of recurring outbreaks and 9 million people in need of aid, experts warn the situation could worsen. 
 
Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja speaks to Juba-based journalist Nichola Mandil and Dr. Harriet Akello Pasquale from South Sudan’s Ministry of Health.

Can South Sudan break the cycle of cholera outbreaks?

This year it will be 30 years since Nigerian author and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed by the Nigerian military government for leading protests against environmental pollution caused by oil exploration. He remains an icon of resistance against environmental degradation beyond Nigeria. The campaigns he led saw the exploration of crude oil stopped in Ogoniland, in the country’s Niger Delta region, after it became clear oil spills had extensively polluted rivers and farmland, destroying the livelihoods of farmers and fishers. A report published by the United Nations Environmental Programme in 2011 said cleaning pollution in Ogoniland could take up to 30 years. Yet president Bola Tinubu recently announced that his government would begin negotiations to resume oil production in Ogoniland. This sparked protests from environmental rights groups who warned that the region was yet to heal from the damage wrought by decades of oil exploration. In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja has been speaking to lawyer and leading environmental activist Celestine Akpobari and Niger-Delta-based journalist Ndume Green. Producer: Peter Musembi

What do plans to resume drilling for oil in Ogoniland mean for people there?

“What is the problem if South African investors invest in Congo? Why should it be Rwanda complaining, not the Congolese?” – Retired SANDF Lieutenant General Maomela Motau
 
On Sunday the 26th of January 2025, the M23 rebel group took over the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
 
It followed intense fighting with the country’s main army.
 
Since then, more than 700 people have been killed, with thousands more forced to seek refuge elsewhere.
 
This comes as South Africa and Rwanda have been engaged in a war of words over their interests in the DRC conflict.
 
South Africa says it’s part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission.
 
Rwanda, however, rejects this and accuses President Cyril Ramaphosa’s nation of getting involved purely to benefit from the mineral-rich country.
 
But Rwanda’s own involvement in the DRC has raised eyebrows.
 
Presenter: Alan Kasujja
 
Guests: Retired SANDF Lieutenant General Maomela Motau and Ugandan journalist and international relations expert Raymond Mujuni

Why are so many countries involved in the DR Congo conflict?

“Growing up in Ogaden, I was surrounded by war - there was massacres and abuses. At a young age, I recall seeing looting and dead bodies everywhere. At the age of 12, I was arrested by government troops and imprisoned along with my whole family.”Ogaden, or the Somali region, is a remote area of Ethiopia – little known by much of the world.
 
But in 1970s, Ethiopia and Somalia fought a war over it, and at the start of this century a conflict was waged between rebels from the Ogaden National Liberation Front and the central government . A peace agreement was finally reached in 2018 with the ONLF agreeing to give up their arms and the government pledging to allow them pursue their aims politically.
 
But the ONLF now says it’s reassessing the peace agreement, because the government hasn’t fulfilled its side of the bargain. 
 
Today on Africa Daily, Alan gets the thoughts of a former rebel who set up a support group for her fellow female fighters, and from an academic who lays out why this dispute has proved so difficult to resolve. Producer: Mohamed Gabobe.