The Latest Breaking News from Africa

Freemasons, homosexuals and corrupt elites in Cameroon – inside an African conspiracy theory

An unusual and fascinating new book has been written by two anthropologists, called Conspiracy Narratives from Postcolonial Africa: Freemasonry, Homosexuality, and Illicit Enrichment. It explores an ongoing conspiracy theory in Cameroon and neighbouring Gabon that corrupt elites spread homosexuality through their connections to secret orders like the Freemasons. They trace…

The Conversation · Dec 12, 2024

Counting Uganda’s lions: we found that wildlife rangers do a better job than machines

Lions are a symbol of Africa’s last wild places. It’s a species central to many of the continent’s cultures and religions. But lion populations have reportedly declined over the past 50 years, especially in parts of west and east Africa.

The Conversation · Dec 12, 2024

15% of global population lives within a few miles of a coast − and the number is growing rapidly

Coastal populations are expanding quickly around the world. The rise is evident in burgeoning waterfront cities and in the increasing damage from powerful storms and rising sea levels. Yet, reliable, detailed data on the scale of that population change has been hard to pin down, until now.

The Conversation · Dec 12, 2024

Chad’s break with France: why it happened and what it means for power dynamics in the Sahel region

For over six decades, Chad was a crucial ally to French and US forces in their counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel. But both lost influence because of repeated mistakes.

The Conversation · Dec 11, 2024

The Long Wave: The Lamar v Drake beef has gone legal – what does it say about today’s hip-hop industry?

In this week’s newsletter: Lawyers are now involved in the most explosive rap feud of the century. A look at the potential cultural and commercial impact, and how hip-hop became big business

The Guardian - UK · Dec 11, 2024

Walking Dead actor Danai Gurira inspires African playwrights with Zimbabwe workshops

Television and film star, who wrote first play to premiere on Broadway with all female and black cast and creatives, hopes writers’ conference will bring on new talent

The Guardian - UK · Dec 11, 2024

Global trade in wild animals is soaring – South Africa’s laws aren’t doing enough to prevent harm

The quantity and complexity of commercial wildlife trade laws has grown globally over the past century. A new study examines wildlife trade laws in 11 countries and finds that a country’s Global Biodiversity Index does not correlate with the extent of its legislation that addresses the trade in wildlife. The…

The Conversation · Dec 11, 2024

Humpback whale makes record journey of more than 13,000km from South America to Africa

Research done with the help of citizen science shows male humpback completed almost twice the typical migration distance

The Guardian - AU · Dec 11, 2024

Ghana to Botswana: Why African voters are throwing out ruling parties

Several countries recorded total electoral power transfers while opposition groups made significant wins in others.

Al Jazeera · Dec 11, 2024

'What should I do?' Unpredictable school fees bar many children in Africa from an education

The daily struggle to pay often unpredictable and unregulated school fees is a crushing issue for many across sub-Saharan Africa, where the lack of a few hundred dollars can determine a child’s future

The Independent UK · Dec 11, 2024