Across Africa

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.