<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

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cabo Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Cote d'Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea Bissau

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

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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Military & Security

How have dynamics evolved since France and the United States withdrew from the region? 

The Decision Advantage: Jihadist Insurgency in the Sahel and West Africa

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The Geopolitics of Demographics

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Geopolitics of Demographics

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Demographic decline, driven by falling fertility rates worldwide, is likely irreversible but will also increasingly differentiate countries based on their ability to adapt through sound immigration, labor, technological and fiscal policies.

Adapting to Demographic Decline: Policy Tradeoffs and Global Divergences

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Damage at the Azadi Sport Complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 3.

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

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Taiwan's KMT Restarts China Talks

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

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As competition for natural resources and critical raw materials intensifies, companies -- not just countries -- must be more mindful of risks in their physical supply chains.

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources: An Introduction

Cyber

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The second quarter will test global resilience as lingering conflicts and energy shocks converge to heighten economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

A general view of power lines near the Lethabo power station between Vereeniging and Sasolburg, South Africa, on April 17, 2024.

Although South Africa's power sector reforms remain years from completion, their gradual advancement will still attract investment in energy projects that support the country's long-term energy security and decarbonization goals.

The Outlook for South Africa's Power Sector Reforms and Energy Security

While far from deterministic, demographics plays a key role in influencing a country's domestic and international politics, as well as its economic and financial development.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: Politics and Economics

A farmer sprinkles fertilizer over a crop of cauliflower on the outskirts of Bangalore, India, in November 2020.

The Strait of Hormuz blockade is straining global supplies of nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers, which could lead to lower crop yields, higher food prices and fiscal strain for agricultural producers if the disruptions persist.

Assessing the Iran War's Impact on Global Fertilizer Supplies

Rwandan soldiers patrol in Mocimboa da Praia, northern Mozambique, on Aug. 12, 2021. 

Rwanda is unlikely to withdraw all its troops from Cabo Delgado in the short term, but a partial drawdown is possible if the EU doesn't approve fresh funding, which would degrade Mozambique's capacity to counter jihadist militants in the gas-rich region.

Will Rwanda Withdraw Troops From Northern Mozambique?

Demographics may not be destiny, but it does play a major role in questions of national power.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: An Introduction

The federal congress of South Africa's center-right Democratic Alliance, or DA, elected Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis as the party's federal leader and Solly Msimanga as the party's federal chairperson, Daily Maverick reported on April 12.

South Africa: Democratic Alliance Elects Cape Town Mayor as Party Leader

Kenyan lawmakers approved a defense cooperation agreement with France that will grant Kenyan security forces "access to French training, technology, and expertise" and strengthen bilateral cooperation in domains that include maritime security, counterterrorism and disaster relief, the Daily Nation reported on April 12.

Kenya: Parliament Ratifies Defense Pact With France

The United States has expanded its travel advisory for Nigeria, urging citizens to reconsider travel due to worsening security conditions and authorizing the departure of nonemergency government staff and their families from its embassy in Abuja, Reuters reported on April 9. 

Nigeria, U.S.: U.S. Expands Travel Warning in Capital Amid Worsening Insecurity

The Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, said the Ethiopian government's decision to extend Tigray Chief Administrator Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede's term by one year was made unilaterally, claiming this breached the 2022 Pretoria Agreement that ended the Tigray war, Addis Standard reported on April 9.

Ethiopia: TPLF Accuses Government of Violating Peace Deal Over Extension of Tigray Administration Term

Turkey

Nigerien Defense Minister Gen. Salifou Modi and his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, signed an agreement whereby Turkey will deploy an unspecified number of military instructors to Niger to train Nigerien security forces, Jeune Afrique reported on April 8. 

Niger: Turkey To Deploy Military Instructors

Madagascar declared a two‑week nationwide state of energy emergency in response to severe fuel shortages caused by the U.S. and Israel-Iran war, BBC reported on April 8.

Madagascar: Junta Declares State of Emergency Amid Fuel Shortages Linked to Iran War

Ethiopia's federal government extended the term of the Tigray region's interim regional administration by one year, The Reporter reported on April 8. 

Ethiopia: Federal Government Extends Tigray Chief Administrator's Term by One Year

A coalition of youth movements from Nigeria's southern Rivers state has urged the country's federal government to decentralize pipeline security contracts in the Niger Delta, stressing that this is essential to creating opportunities for youths and that failing to do so would be "neither equitable nor sustainable," THISDAY reported on April 7.

Nigeria: Government Faces Conflicting Pressure Surrounding Pipeline Protection Program

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

South Africa: Democratic Alliance Elects Cape Town Mayor as Party Leader

Kenya: Parliament Ratifies Defense Pact With France

Nigeria, U.S.: U.S. Expands Travel Warning in Capital Amid Worsening Insecurity

Ethiopia: TPLF Accuses Government of Violating Peace Deal Over Extension of Tigray Administration Term

Niger: Turkey To Deploy Military Instructors

Madagascar: Junta Declares State of Emergency Amid Fuel Shortages Linked to Iran War

Ethiopia: Federal Government Extends Tigray Chief Administrator's Term by One Year

Nigeria: Government Faces Conflicting Pressure Surrounding Pipeline Protection Program

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