Africa Today
Africa news and analysis from the BBC's Focus on Africa. The Africa Today podcast contains the day's top stories from African news - available to download Monday to Friday from 1630 GMT.
Kenya airports: Who is Adani group?
Why are workers at Kenya's main airports objecting to a planned deal to lease the facility to India's Adani Group for 30 years? How Cameroon's simmering secessionist rebellion is affecting schooling for children And why African women need to be involved in developing Artificial Intelligence. Presenter :…
Reflections a year since floods in Derna
On the night of 10 September 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed torrential rain and fierce winds on Libya’s north-east region. Two dams burst near Derna, releasing a devastating flood wave that swept through the city centre, killing thousands of people and causing widespread destruction. A year on since the disaster -…
Is laxity behind schools fires in Kenya?
In recent years, there have been several incidents of fires at boarding schools in Kenya, causing concern about safety measures in place. Is accountability possible?Dark days ahead as Zambia plans to shut down its hydropower plant at Kariba due to droughtAnd how changing forms of payment for land are affecting…
Why Algeria's President is not a uniting figure
Algeria's incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been re-elected with almost 95% of the vote. Election officials reported that less than 6 million of the country's 24 million voters turned out to vote raising questions about Tebboune's popular support. We'll get analysis.Also, the Nigerian woman in Canada who allegedly made threats…
South Africa's ANC party denies allegations of murders.
South Africa’s ruling ANC denies allegations of harassment and killing human rights activists in the country.The Grenfell Tower fire in London report is out after seven years. 72 people, including several from Africa, were killed. Were any lessons learnt?And why has Ethiopia suspended flights to Eritrea ?Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers:…
The death of Rebecca Cheptegei
Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend. The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns following Sunday's attack. We hear a moving tribute and reaction to her death, also…
Dozens killed in DR Congo jailbreak
An attempt by inmates to break out of Makala high-security prison in Kinshasa, DR Congo, has led to the deaths of more than 100 people.How can Africa benefit from ties with China?And can traditional and modern medicine work together? We hear from someone who practices both in Uganda. Presenter :Audrey…
Have Chinese satellites benefitted Africa?
As African leaders gather in Beijing this week for the China-Africa summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping may have one thing under his belt to boast about - satellite TV rolled out in Africa. But have villagers really benefiited or not? Also, an announcement asking to free members of the Muslim…
Tensions rise between Ethiopia, Egypt and Somalia
The arrival of Egyptian military planes in Somalia ratchets up tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, raising tensions in the already fragile Horn of AfricaA dam bursts in Sudan killing at dozens of people, intensifying the suffering of a country already facing the ravages of war - we ask why dams…
Who are the victims of enforced disappearances?
Every year hundreds of thousands of people go missing or are ‘forcibly disappeared’ around the world, and Africa has one of the highest number of cases. On International Day of the Disappeared we hear the testimony of one affected family, and discuss what needs to be done to effectively deal…
Why is Spain's PM in West Africa?
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a three-day trip to west Africa. He's hoping to curb the record number of unauthorised migrants travelling by boat to Europe via the Canary Islands. But why is migration increasing?Also why is there a delay in paying the Kenyan police deployed in Haiti?…
Drought causing hunger in southern Africa
An El Nino induced drought is intensifying across southern Africa and has left almost 70 million people in urgent need of aid. Countries affected include Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia. We hear about the devastating impact it's having on a community in Northern Zimbabwe.Also the Gambian government wants to…
What is behind armed attacks in Burkina Faso?
In a rare move, Burkina Faso’s military-led government has acknowledged that a deadly attack has taken place in which at least 200 security officers and villagers were killed. Some reports say it could be one of the worst ever in the country. So who was behind the attack and why…
Why are the Maasai in Tanzania contesting relocation from a heritage site?
The Maasai community in northern Tanzania has continued to protest against what they call forcible evictions from their ancestral lands at the Ngorongoro conservation area and a UNSECO heritage site. Why are they being relocated? Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, has announced that it is out of the doldrums, and…
Wagner to Africa Corps: Have Russian operations changed?
Yevgeny Prigozhin was at one time the leader of the well known Russian mercenary group, Wagner. The group, since Prigozhin's death a year ago, has changed its name to Africa Corps. Has this altered Russia's operations on the continent? Also how is Burundi coping with the outbreak of Mpox?And is…
Why are fatal boat accidents so common in DR Congo?
At least 30 people have died and around 200 people are still missing after a boat sank in the Lukeni River in DR Congo. It's the latest fatal boat accident in the central African country, where overloading boats is often the problem. Why do these fatal accidents keep happening?Also why…
Why are African workers being prevented from leaving Lebanon?
African domestic workers trapped by their labour contracts in Lebanon as border tensions with Israel escalateA young Liberian poet in America tells us why bookshops are needed back home. And why are Mixed Martial Arts rising in popularity in Africa. Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Bella Hassan, Joseph Keen, Rob Wilson…
How a sexual assualt viral video outraged Tanzania
A video appearing to show a young woman being sexually assaulted in Tanzania went viral, prompting an outcry in the East African nation. This past weekend a police commander in the capital, Dodoma, was removed from her post following controversial comments in which she linked the victim in the video…
Why is Cape Town evicting homeless people from the city centre?
Why did a Western Cape court order that dozens of homeless people be evicted from the streets of Cape Town?We take a closer look at Nigeria's multiple exchange ratesAnd what lures African athletes to compete for other countries?Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Blessing Aderogba in Lagos. Bella Hassan and Rob Wilson…
Why does a Chinese company want to seize Nigeria's assets?
A Chinese company has initiated plans to seize Nigerian assets in in the United Kingdom, United States of America and in six other countries. What's going on? Also, can US negotiators convince General Burhan's side to attend the Sudan Peace talks in Geneva?And why was there a media blackout in…