Afrika in Focus Special: Review of 2025 Feat. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Kenya

Send us Fan MailThe past year across Africa delivered sharp turns in politics, conflict, and economic strategy, challenging easy narratives and forcing a rethink of power and priorities. Tanzania’s election controversy reignited debates about democratic backsliding, as opposition figures were sidelined and protests met force. Kenya’s public anger over living costs swelled into nationwide demonstrations, putting President Ruto’s agenda under relentless pressure. Rwanda remained efficient and orderly yet authoritarian, prompting questions about what a post-Kagame era could look like. These stories are not isolated; they feed into a broader reckoning over legitimacy, accountability, and how governance aligns with the aspirations of young, restless populations who expect both stability and voice.Amid these political shifts, two overlooked wars escalated with devastating human tolls. Sudan’s civil war morphed into one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing millions while drawing scant sustained coverage. In eastern DRC, more than a hundred militias tangled across mineral-rich provinces, where coltan, cobalt, and gold make the region vital to smartphones, batteries, and clean-energy supply chains. This fusion of conflict and commerce highlights a central paradox of globalisation: high-tech progress is often underwritten by insecurity at the source. Southern Africa faced its own reckoning around land and legacy. More than three decades after apartheid, land ownership in South Africa still skews heavily toward a white minority, fuelling a renewed push for expropriation with limited compensation in specific cases like abandoned land. The policy debate drew international heat, sanctions, and polarised rhetoric, but it also rekindled essential questions: what does just redress look like, how do you avoid market collapse, and how can land reform promote productivity, not merely symbolism?The most consequential geopolitical move came from the Sahel—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—where the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) signalled a decisive break from external reliance. With a joint command, shared doctrine, and overt security alignment, the bloc framed sovereignty as both message and method. Critics see risky militarisation; supporters call it overdue autonomy after years of interventions that didn’t deliver security. What gives the AES heft is not only posture but policy: Niger’s oil-led surge, Mali’s lithium opening, and Burkina Faso’s push to refine gold at home point to a development model aimed at retaining value.2026 promises to be a fascinating year with key elections taking place , Tanzania and Kenya at serious crossroads and will THE AES survive another year or will external forces destroy it!! Support the showDonate/Support the show:    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1793098/supportWe offer a consultation session for those who wish to relocate to Ghana , do business in Ghana , buy land, buying a property or even starting  business in Ghana.  We offer professional support tailored on your needs and wants. We provide valuable information that can assist you in your relocation like the Ghana card how/where to register your business.We can also signpost you to other agencies that can help in your relocation as well as business and investment opportunities.We charge a rate of US$30 for an hour's consultation or US$20 for a 30 minute consultation briefing. To book your consultation please email [email protected] on Youtube - just look for the Ghana/Afrika in Focus podcast on Youtube and click the notification bell so that every time I upload a new podcast it automatically comes to your feed. Tell your family and friends.