<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

Snapshots

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen holds a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Jan. 28, 2025.

Economics

Politics

Rising tensions between the ruling ANC and its key coalition partner over the 2025 budget are raising the risk of a coalition breakdown, which would threaten policy paralysis and a marked depreciation of the rand.

What the Democratic Alliance's Exit From Government Would Mean for South Africa

Assessments

United States

Israel

China

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Ukraine

A list of countries facing reciprocal tariffs on display April 2 at the White House.

Global Trade

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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 Escalating Global Trade War, South Africa's Coalition Government on the Brink

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

A photo of Khartoum, Sudan, with columns of smoke rising in the background.

The SAF's military victory in Khartoum marks a turning point in the country's civil war, but a firm resolution remains out of reach as the RSF fights to consolidate control in the west.

What Next for Sudan After the Army Retakes Khartoum?

Media

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Who are the main actors involved, and what are the primary goals influencing the conflict?

Essential Geopolitics: South Sudan's Evolving Political and Security Outlook

Egypt

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Europe

Philippe Lazzarini (C), the commissioner general for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, attends a humanitarian conference for Gaza in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 2, 2024, amid the continuing Israel-Hamas war.

Egypt's economic limitations will continue to restrain its assertiveness in foreign policy, constraining its ability to project power in the region.

Egypt's Economic Priorities Sideline Assertive Foreign Policy

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Cyber

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

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

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

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

Russia

Reichstag in Berlin with flags.

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

An Ivorian court effectively barred the leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire, or PDCI, Tidjane Thiam, from running in the country's Oct. 25 presidential election after ruling that he had lost his Ivorian nationality, Reuters reported on April 22.

Cote d’Ivoire: Court Bars Opposition Leader Tidjane Thiam From Running in Presidential Election

The South Sudanese government recaptured the town of Nasir from the Nuer-led White Army militia, Reuters reported on April 21.

South Sudan: Government Recaptures Strategic Town of Nasir 

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced the suspension of former President Joseph Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy, or PPRD, Reuters reported on April 20.

Congo: Government Suspends Former President Kabila's Party, Opens High Treason Case 

Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi publicly criticized Sivuyile Bam, the acting head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), labeling him a "threat to Somalia's development and security" and accusing him of sympathizing with the militant group al Shabaab, Garowe Online reported on April 18. 

Somalia: Minister Accuses AU Mission Head of Bias Amid Escalating al Shabaab Threat

The Africa Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, Massad Boulos, called on Rwanda to halt all military support to the M23 rebel group and withdraw its troops from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, adding that the United States was considering "all economic and diplomatic means to promote peace" in the region, Bloomberg reported on April 17. 

Congo, Rwanda: U.S. Hints at Further Pressure on Rwanda as M23 Shows Signs of Weakness

Kenya's prime Cabinet secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, said the government was looking to secure a new support program from the International Monetary Fund by November, Bloomberg reported on April 16.

Kenya: Ruto Government Aims To Reach New IMF Deal by November

Thousands of suspected members of Jama'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihad, more commonly known by the acronym JAS or as Boko Haram, were reportedly arrested in Nigeria's Lagos state over an unspecified period, according to Kumar Sanda, former commander of the country's civilian joint task force, Sahara Reporters reported on April 17. 

Nigeria: 'Thousands' of Suspected JAS Militants Arrested in Lagos

Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, announced on April 15 the formation of a rival administration called the Government of Peace and Unity, AP reported the following day.

Sudan: Paramilitary Group Declares Formation of New Rival Government

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Cote d’Ivoire: Court Bars Opposition Leader Tidjane Thiam From Running in Presidential Election

South Sudan: Government Recaptures Strategic Town of Nasir

Congo: Government Suspends Former President Kabila's Party, Opens High Treason Case

Somalia: Minister Accuses AU Mission Head of Bias Amid Escalating al Shabaab Threat

Congo, Rwanda: U.S. Hints at Further Pressure on Rwanda as M23 Shows Signs of Weakness

Kenya: Ruto Government Aims To Reach New IMF Deal by November

Nigeria: 'Thousands' of Suspected JAS Militants Arrested in Lagos

Sudan: Paramilitary Group Declares Formation of New Rival Government

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