Africa Daily
by BBC World Service
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.
Episodes
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Tanzanian elections: What issues are young people concerned about?
As Tanzania gears up for elections on 29 October, we hear from two young people about the issues that matter to them and whether youth concerns have been featured in the electoral campaigns. How a young Senegalese footballer's dream of joining a professional club ended in tragedy after he was...
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Focus on Africa: Hundreds of stolen social media identities used to spread propaganda
A BBC investigation uncovers dozens of social accounts using stolen identities of Somali and Muslim influencers and posting political propaganda content. We hear more about what was uncovered and who might be behind this widespread operation. Chad’s parliament has overwhelmingly approved a...
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Focus on Africa Can DRC be declared ebola free?
The last ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released from a treatment centre in Kasai province. Can the country now be declared free of this latest outbreak? What is behind the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over control of the Red Sea? And we hear…
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Focus on Africa: What led to the downfall of Madagascar's president
An elite military unit says it has seized power in Madagascar from President Andry Rajoelina following weeks of youth-led protests. Where did it all go wrong for the entrepreneur and former DJ, who first became president in 2009 when he was just 34. Being a park ranger in Africa can be one of the...
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Focus on Africa: Militants' blockade paralyses Mali-Senegal trade corridor
Mali's military government is reportedly engaged in talks with the militant group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) amid an ongoing blockade which has paralysed a key trade route for fuel, food, and essential goods. Could the crisis also threaten Mali’s stability and governance? A BBC...
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Focus on Africa: Can Botswana continue to depend on its diamond industry?
In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Waihiga Mwaura, Botswana's President Duma Boko, outlines his plan to reduce his country's reliance on the diamond industry amid falling global demand, and how he is pushing for a 0% tariff deal with the US. Guinea is showing signs of economic progress…
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Focus on Africa: Who is Uganda's Joseph Kony?
The International Criminal Court concludes hearings into war crime charges against the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony and will decide whether he should face trial. But who is Joseph Kony and what are the charges against him? How some South African schools are fighting childhood obesity. And as...
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Focus on Africa: Ethiopia opens huge dam despite outside opposition
Ethiopia opens Africa's largest hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile river deepening a rift with Egypt and Sudan. Authorities in the US have arrested two suspected leaders of the Cameroon separatists' military wing. We find out more about the charges against the two men, and why Cameroon has been...
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Focus on Africa: Is the jailing of a former Zambian minister a watershed moment?
Zambia's former Foreign Minister Joseph Malanji has been sentenced to four years in prison with hard labour after being convicted, along with a co-accused of corruption. President Hakainde Hichilema promised to root out corruption when he swept to power four years ago, is he now delivering on…
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Focus on Africa: Sudan landslide: Race to find survivors
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…
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Focus on Africa: South Africa building fire: What happened to survivors?
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…
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Focus on Africa: Mauritania accused of widespread abuses against migrants
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...
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Focus on Africa: Kenya's starvation cult: New bodies found
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…
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Focus on Africa: Exploring Africa-Japan trade ties
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...
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Focus on Africa: Increased concerns over missing Ethiopia journalists
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...
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Focus on Africa: Nigeria negotiates $346m arms deal with US
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,...
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Focus on Africa: Activists block foreigners from South African hospitals
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...
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Focus on Africa: What is fuelling Angola's fuel protests?
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...
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Focus on Africa: Who are the CAR commanders jailed for war crimes?
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...
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How has Goma changed under M23 fighters?
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...
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Focus on Africa: Why Burkina Faso discarded its Electoral Commission
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...
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Focus on Africa: Cameroon's president seeks re-election at age 92
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...
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Focus on Africa: Ghanaians lured into football job scam
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,...
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Focus on Africa: Why has polio re-emerged in Angola?
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...
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Focus on Africa: Russia's Wagner Group leaves Mali
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…
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Focus on Africa: South Africa's human trafficking problem
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…
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Focus on Africa: US halts international student visa applications
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...
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Focus on Africa: African leaders attend Russia's Security Summit
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…
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Focus on Africa: Uganda suspends German military co-operation
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:...
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Introducing: Focus on Africa
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.
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Sudan’s displaced footballers’ winning streak in Mauritania
“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…
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Why do so many children go missing in South Africa?
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…
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Can chess help children displaced by conflict to rebuild their lives?
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...
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What’s the future of nursing in Africa?
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...
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What do the deaths of three young girls reveal about gender based violence in Namibia?
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...
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Is Joseph Kabila about to lose his immunity from prosecution?
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...
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Are white Afrikaner minorities really being targeted in South Africa?
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.…
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Why are hospitals under attack in South Sudan?
“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...
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Why are so many countries saying yes to Starlink?
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…
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Can you make a living as an artist in Somalia?
“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…
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Why is Zimbabwe’s government determined to compensate white farmers?
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…
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Does Africa need to talk more about the Menopause?
“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…
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Could the next pope come from Africa?
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...
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Can Africa afford school meal programmes?
‘’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...
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What does the death of a Somali actor tell us about clan killings?
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…
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Why has everyone been talking about the #JP2025 wedding?
“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…
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Is Kenya tackling its problem with femicide?
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…
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DRC: Why are people talking about Kabila's return?
”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...
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As President Trump marks 100 days in office, what’s Africa learning from his tariff hikes?
“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...
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Can storytelling help reconnect diaspora children to their culture?
“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...
About this show
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.
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