Across Africa

South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in an interview with FRANCE 24's Georja Calvin-Smith, denied President Donald Trump's claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa. Responding to Trump's scheme to welcome white South Africans to the US as refugees, Mashatile said, “If they want to be refugees, it's their business. But they can't bad-mouth the country.” Pretoria is also looking to expand its diplomatic ties with Paris. Mashatile said that while relations with the US are positive and valued, Africa's powerhouse isn't putting all its eggs in one basket. 

If you can measure it, you can manage it. One of Kenya's metrology heavyweights speaks to Georja Calvin-Smith about how there is might in monitoring. There were no African signatories when 17 countries came together 150 years ago to set measurement standards for time, distance and weight, but as the continent's development has picked up pace, so has its contribution to global metrology. 

The US says that it's in talks with several African countries that might agree to take in migrants expelled by Washington. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson speaks to the State Department about those plans and progress on the Washington-brokered DR Congo peace plans.

Join Georja Calvin-Smith for a weekly look at stories from across the continent. This week she's joined by journalist, Michaela Wrong to discuss some of the historical relationships between DR Congo and its neighbours that have fed into the current scramble to respond to wins by the M23 insurgency.   

In this week's Across Africa: At least 11 people are killed and dozens injured in explosions at a rally called by M23 rebels in the captured eastern Congolese city of Bukavu. Also, Ghana's defence capabilities are being boosted by a €50 million EU military package. Plus, people working for Cameroon's largest sugar producer are accusing it of labour abuse and unfairly low wages.

In this week's Across Africa: Tech innovators tailoring Artificial Intelligence to the continent's context head to Paris for a global summit on the tech's next steps. A parallel event spotlights the regional push to develop AI in Africa's own image. Dr Shikoh Gitau of digital transformation lab Qhala joins Georja for a breakdown of the exciting, divisive and daunting potential.

In this week's Across Africa: Vodun believers in Benin marry traditional faith with contemporary creativity to spread their heritage. Also, the African manatee has come under pressure over the decades from poaching and shrinking habitats, but one Cameroonian biologist has been working to improve the chances of the shy freshwater mammal. Plus, Senegal is moving ahead with plans to put more of its own identity into key streets and has begun changing the name of landmarks named after French colonial figures. 

Clarisse Fortuné brings you a round-up of society, culture and hot topics from across the continent. This week on Across Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia are running on empty as drought dries up their shared hydroelectric dam. Now they must grapple with how to ensure their energy futures. On the other side of the continent, Sierra Leone is turning to natural defences to preserve its threatened coastline and the communities that live along it. Plus, Kenya's Ice Lions roar on the rink.

In this week's Across Africa, Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Sudanese businessman Mo Ibrahim about the 2024 Ibrahim Index of African Governance and his immense sadness at the international community's failure to do more to protect Sudanese civilians caught up in one of the world's worst wars. 

FRANCE 24's Georja Calvin-Smith brings you a round-up of society, culture and hot topics from the continent. This week sees a big step for DR Congo's digital sovereignty as it inaugurates its first-ever data centre. Plus, an oil refinery in Nigeria could be a game changer for the continent's biggest oil producer as it finally starts supplying fuel to petrol-starved local markets.

FRANCE 24's Georja Calvin-Smith brings you a round-up of society, culture and hot topics from the continent. This week, the race to rebuild the Libyan city of Derna continues, and South Africa is in a spin over the potential professionalisation of previously outlawed motorsports.

Africa's sporting elite have been showcasing their prowess at The Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. But sport is about more than performance and can have a huge social impact. For the first Across Africa after the summer break, Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Remy Rioux, head of France's Development Agency (AFD), about how big league investment in sport can help kick Africa's transformation up a notch.

In an interview with FRANCE 24 in Geneva, the head of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, speaks to Georja Calvin-Smith about her take on the vital components of Africa's trade and development roadmap.

Since a fragile 2022 peace deal ended Ethiopia's two-year war between Tigrayan fighters and federal forces, there are signs of recovery in the capital of Tigray. Also, Zanzibar commemorates the abolition of slavery. The island was a key stopping-off point for Arab slavers across East Africa for hundreds of years.

Benin encourages members of the African diaspora to call its shores home by offering citizenship to descendants of those who left the continent far in the past. Also, the Olympic flame symbolises the light of spirit, knowledge and life. Oumar Diemé, a Senegalese Olympic torch bearer and a former infantryman, has all of these qualities in abundance. The 90-year-old fought for France during both world wars. 

This week, a new law paving the way for the introduction of universal healthcare in South Africa both excites and divides. Also, ed tech has the potential to close education gaps in DR Congo. One digital learning portal is going down well with kids, but is struggling to attract the investment it needs to scale up. 

Northern Nigerian communities who have lost faith in the struggling security forces' ability to protect them are increasingly setting up vigilante groups to battle insurgents themselves. Also, rap is gaining ground in Egypt and although the scene is still overwhelmingly dominated by men, women are increasingly picking up the mic. And Kenya's birds of prey are falling prey to encroaching human activity. Some conservationists fear it may be too late to roll back the damage.

Motorists in Nigeria face huge queues at petrol stations across major cities as frustration grows over the multi-headed crises dragging on the country's economy. Also, known locally as the Mendzang, the xylophone has a small but dedicated following in Cameroon. And we head out on the road with the roaming chef and former Kenyan rugby star, Dennis Ombachi. 

We bring you a week of political and social events from across the African continent. This week, Uganda's constitutional court threw out a challenge to the homophobic law adopted last May. Also, Congolese wordsmiths the Tetra collective use slam poetry to explore their deep love of Congolese and French literature. And many women farmers in Senegal struggle to secure access to land in the rural communities where they are sidelined from ownership.

There is increased focus on education at the COP28 climate talks amidst growing acknowledgement of the importance of the sector in responding to the uncertainty and displacement caused by climate change. FRANCE 24's Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Yasmine Sherif, the head of the Education Cannot Wait fund, as she sets out the stakes from the crucial talks in Dubai. 

Students are among the victims of Nigeria's rampant inflation, as they face tuition fee hikes of over 300 percent. Also, the clock is ticking down towards DR Congo's general elections, in which President Felix Tshisekedi is running for a second term. Plus, Nairobi hosts international talks on the reduction of plastic pollution. 

Benin's forests have long been seen as places of hope for believers of the voodoo religion, but urbanisation threatens the green spaces. Also, Ivory Coast's ghost children are invisible to the state. The number of babies whose births are undeclared are on the rise. 

As Africa's cultural heavyweights gather in Lagos for its 13th iconic Fashion Week, we speak to the event's founder about a unique UN study that lines the continent up as a major influence on the future of fashion. Also, the march of progress in Dakar tramples over the Senegalese capital's green spaces in a building boom. And as the numbers of Africa's penguins continue to plummet, scientists are warning that in little over a decade there may not be enough left to survive in the wild.

The conflict between warring factions in Sudan has left thousands dead and millions have been forced to flee. Half a year on since the outbreak of the fighting, the humanitarian situation is worse than ever, with many refugees in Chad on the brink of famine. Also in this edition: what the gradual lifting of the state of seige in North Kivu and Ituri province means for DR Congo. And finally: Kibera Fashion Week celebrates the talents of local designers.

Increasing numbers of would-be Senegalese migrants are heading to Central America in the hopes of making it to the United States. But the journey is often fraught, expensive and uncertain. Also, in Kenya, the rising cost of living has added to the mental health struggles of many who are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet. Plus, the rising water levels of Kenya's largest freshwater lake have led to an explosion in the crocodile population that's now threatening communities' lives, limbs and livelihoods. 

Every few years, Malagasy communities hold joyful ceremonies where the remains of lost loved ones are exhumed, cared for and introduced to the newest members of the community. Also, although Tunisia was decades ahead of many other countries in giving women the right to choose whether to go ahead with pregnancies, taboos remain. Finally, we meet some hearing-impaired Beninese children thriving in specially adapted classrooms. 

Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe is a scientific icon in DR Congo. He's also an inspiration for the next generation of Congolese biologists. Also in this edition of Across Africa, more than 30 percent of harvests are lost to pests and disease. A team of Ghanaian engineers are coming up with new ways to identify risks early. And we see how Gambian rising star Maryama Cham is carving out a path for herself in a music industry largely dominated by men.

There's a special reason to celebrate in Senegal as millions of Mouride pilgrims come together for the Grand Magal. This year also features an exhibition of rare photos of the order's founder. Also, relatives of the 73 Gambian children killed by toxic cough syrups sue Indian drugmaker Maiden Pharmaceuticals. Finally, Beninese students expanding their tech horizons wow judges with their creations. 

World Suicide Prevention Day was marked on September 10. Six of the 10 countries in the world with the highest suicide rates are African, with Lesotho the worst affected. Also in this edition: Kenya tackles wastage in the agricultural sector and Rwanda celebrates its latest mountain gorilla births. 

This week in Across Africa, Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Namibian President Hage Geingob ahead of his arrival in New York for the UN General Assembly. He shares his perspective on governance, the impact of Africa's first climate change summit and the role of the African Union in responding to regional upheaval. 

Podcasts are on the rise in Africa. The huge sector has been dominated by voices from outside the continent, but more African producers are now turning to the mic to tell their stories. Also the European Court of Human Rights finds that South African Olympic champion Caster Semenya was discriminated against by World Athletics with rules requiring her to artificially lower her testosterone levels. Finally, one of the world's top choirs – Ghana's Harmonious Chorale – pops in whilst on tour.  

In this edition: Niger's private sector has stepped up to fertilise failing plans for Africa's Great Green Wall. Also, people from Ethiopia's town of Lalibela help restore some of the iconic rock-hewn churches unique to their community. Plus, Malian children from riverside communities take to the waters to head out to a specially built island school. 

Last week, a quartet of African leaders headed out to Russia and Ukraine on a peace mission aimed at helping resolve the war between the countries that began last February with Russia's invasion of its neighbour. South Africa's International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor speaks to Georja Calvin-Smith about the mission's impact and limitations.  

In Kenya, some industrial fishing techniques are banned in a bid to counteract damage suffered by coastal communities that have seen their fish stocks plummet. Also, as Africa continues to wrangle with the dilemma of how to keep economic growth on track whilst tackling the climate emergency, we hear from the president of the African Development Bank about the choices ahead. And in Uganda, efforts to roll back the production of charcoal are met with resistance.

The movie measures of men spotlights the first genocide of the 20th century in which tens of thousands of indigenous Nama and Herero were slaughtered by german soldiers. The film bids to confront viewers with the harsh realities of colonial violence. Also, in Morocco fans of sand hockey are trying to raise awareness of the game's cultural heft. And a Beninese Tiktok comedian hits the right note. Axel Merryl switches genres from comedy to croonery.  

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced by Sudan's conflict. But some civilians have also had to stay in Khartoum as war rages around them, even saying they have no choice but to still head into work. Also, Congolese communities in the country's east say that successes claimed by the East African force sent in to reign in M23 rebels have been overblown. And dozens of Beninese craftsmen brush up on the skills needed to restore the royal palaces of the former kingdom of Dahomey.

Kenyan LGBT campaigners have been fielding a surge in hate speech since a rights group supporting their cause was given the green light to register as an NGO. Also a deal between Uganda and Saudi Arabia to make it easier for African workers to head out to the Middle East has resumed, despite longstanding concerns about the treatment of some domestic staff. Finally, the "We Are Enough" exhibition in Paris unleashes the best of African contemporary creativity.

Over 95 percent of malaria cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. There's a worldwide push to completely wipe out the disease by 2030. Also, two years after the the town of Palma in northern Mozambique was captured by extremists, the energy giant Total is thinking about returning to a multi-billion-dollar gas project that was put on hold. And we find out why TikTok is being sued by Senegalese tech firms. 

In Rwanda, 29 years after the genocide that cost at least 800,000 lives, the psychological toll on those who lived through the bloodshed continues to weigh heavily. Also we hear from some of the young visionaries in the Seychelles coming up with ways to keep their traditional ways of life afloat. And Kenya becomes the first country on the continent to make coding an integral part of the school curriculum.

In Ivory Coast, support workers head out into rural communities to offer more support to families living with autism. Also we unwrap the mystery of Egypt's longest-serving pharaoh, Ramses II, as his sarcophagus makes a stop in Paris on its world tour. Finally, Nigerian kids race to learn traditional Yoruba percussion before the drums fall silent.

Thousands have been displaced by ongoing clashes between soldiers and M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo. Delegates from the UN Security Council have been to meet some of them at the Bushagara camp in Goma. Also, a new exhibition in Senegal bears witness to the suffering of Gambians during the 22-year rule of former president Yahya Jammeh. Finally, we sample the diversity of Cameroonian cuisine. 

Togo is trying to turn the page on putting French writers first. A growing movement is demanding that the country's rich heritage be better reflected in classes, with more focus on works by local authors. Also, for the first time, Paris gets to host the phenomenal work of Senegalese photographer Adama Sylla. His decades of snapshots capture shifting eras in his hometown of Saint-Louis.