Across Africa

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 Calvin-Smith for a breakdown of the exciting, divisive and daunting potential of the technology.

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.