<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is a study in diversity. Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, the region is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources. It&rsquo;s no surprise that it captured the imagination of Europe&rsquo;s earliest explorers &mdash; and that it continues to capture the imagination of current world powers eager to exploit it. And yet despite the region&rsquo;s diversity, Sub-Saharan African countries have common challenges &mdash; transnational terrorism, rapid population growth, endemic poverty and corruption &mdash; that prevent them from capitalizing on their economic potential. The coming years will be critical for the region, especially as its political institutions mature in a rapidly globalizing world.</p>

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Sudan

Angola

Benin

Botswana

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Burundi

Cameroon

Cabo Verde

Central African Republic

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

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Ethiopia

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Guinea Bissau

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Mali

Mauritania

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Niger

Nigeria

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Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

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South Africa

Sudan

Eswatini

Tanzania

Togo

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

The Politics of Pipelines

Old Leaders in a New Africa

Nigeria: Obstacles to Prosperity

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Crossing Borders

A Crude Recovery

Globalization

China in Transition

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

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Intensifying trade wars, a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, continued volatility in the Middle East and consequential elections in key countries will shape the quarter.

2025 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Global Elections

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Snapshots

The skyline of Kigali, Rwanda, is seen on March 27, 2024.

The region's population dynamics will remain favorable in the context of strong labor force growth and declining dependency ratios.

The Economic Potential of Sub-Saharan Africa's Population Growth

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (right) waves as he arrives in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 9, 2024, for the launch of new peace talks with rebel groups.

Rising political tensions risk collapsing the peace deal that ended the country's last civil war, while escalating clashes in the north risk drawing in involvement from Sudan's warring parties.

South Sudan Hurtles Toward Another Civil War

United States

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at a briefing at his African National Congress (ANC) party's headquarters in Johannesburg on May 13, 2024.

South Africa will struggle to meet Trump's demands for major foreign and domestic policy changes, which will risk exposing the country to disruptive U.S. economic retaliation, including entity-based sanctions.

Trump Turns Up the Heat on South Africa

Germany

Ukraine

Russia

Reichstag in Berlin with flags.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Russia Contacts on a Ukraine Ceasefire, a Vote on Reforming Germany’s Debt Brake

Media

Podcasts

How might U.S. President Donald Trump's economic policy affect emerging and developing markets?

Essential Geopolitics: The Outlook for Emerging Markets

How will the global risk landscape evolve over the course of the year?

Essential Geopolitics: RANE's Forecast Trends for 2025

South Korea

France

United Kingdom

The Reichstag on Jan. 22 in Berlin. The center-right alliance between the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, is widely expected to emerge as the largest bloc in the Bundestag after the Feb. 23 general election and lead the next coalition government.

The Weekly Rundown: German Elections, Macron and Starmer Meet Trump

Members of the M23 rebel group are seen in Bukavu, eastern Congo, after the takeover of the city on Feb. 20, 2025.

Burundi's reported troop withdrawal and Uganda's apparent unwillingness to intervene against the AFC/M23 rebel group will limit the immediate risk of an escalating interstate conflict, but this could change if the rebels start advancing toward central Congo.

Assessing the Risk of an Expanded Conflict in Congo

Israel

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Sri Lanka

Damage on Feb. 13 in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.

The Weekly Rundown: Mideast Ceasefires and Arab Gaza Proposals, the AU Summit

Niger announced its withdrawal from the Multinational Joint Task Force, or MNJTF, a coalition established in 2015 to combat militant groups in the Lake Chad basin, Radio France Internationale reported on March 31. 

Niger: Government Announces Withdrawal From Regional Joint Force

President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) and the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) are close to reaching a deal regarding the 2025 budget, News24 reported March 31. 

South Africa: ANC and DA Edge Closer to a Deal on Budget, Economic Reforms 

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Matatu as commander of the Zimbabwe National Army after sacking Lt. Gen. Anselem Sanyatwe from the post, the BBC reported on March 28.

Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa Names New Army Chief Amid Calls for Mass Protests 

The Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, accused Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of breaching the 2022 Pretoria agreement that ended the Tigray war after Abiy called on Tigrayans to "participate in the nomination of candidates" to replace Tigray's interim president, Getachew Reda, Addis Standard reported on March 27.

Ethiopia: TPLF Accuses Prime Minister Abiy of Breaching Tigray Peace Deal 

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, announced that the army had retaken the entirety of Khartoum state from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, Sudan Tribune reported on March 26.

Sudan: Sudanese Army Retakes Khartoum as the RSF Retreats West 

The house arrest of South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar and his wife, Interior Minister Angelina Teny, has effectively ended the 2018 peace agreement that resolved the 2013-18 civil war, according to Machar's party, BBC reported on March 27. 

South Sudan: Vice President's Party Says His Arrest Ends 2018 Peace Deal

Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani, the leader of the military junta in Niger, was sworn in as president for a five-year transition period following the country's coup in July 2023, Jeune Afrique reported on March 26.

Niger: Junta Sets Out Five-Year Transition to Constitutional Rule

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye claimed Rwanda was planning to attack Burundi by using proxy fighters, according to an interview with the BBC published on March 25. 

Burundi: President Ndayishimiye Warns Rwanda Is Planning To Attack 

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Niger: Government Announces Withdrawal From Regional Joint Force

South Africa: ANC and DA Edge Closer to a Deal on Budget, Economic Reforms

Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa Names New Army Chief Amid Calls for Mass Protests

Ethiopia: TPLF Accuses Prime Minister Abiy of Breaching Tigray Peace Deal

Sudan: Sudanese Army Retakes Khartoum as the RSF Retreats West

South Sudan: Vice President's Party Says His Arrest Ends 2018 Peace Deal

Niger: Junta Sets Out Five-Year Transition to Constitutional Rule

Burundi: President Ndayishimiye Warns Rwanda Is Planning To Attack

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