Old Leaders in a New Africa

If the country's October 2020 presidential election opens old wounds, it could usher in instability that militants would be eager to exploit.

State utilities giant Eskom has demanded that mining companies reduce their electricity consumption as part of its biggest-ever forced power cuts, bringing South Africa's lucrative platinum, gold and diamond operations into a screeching halt.

With an increasingly cash-strapped and hungry citizenry, the survival of Zimbabwe's current government will hinge heavily on keeping its security forces paid and happy. Though doing so will be no easy feat given the country's depleted reserves.

For the West African country's aging president, pulling off his third-term dream will depend on the size and fervor of opposition efforts -- and whether his Russian allies help counter them.

While the Africa summit in Sochi could yield more pragmatic arms and infrastructure agreements, Moscow's tight budget will limit its ability to woo African countries with money alone.

Mounting evidence of foul play in the country's Oct. 15 election could be the straw that finally breaks Maputo's back by stoking security threats and alienating the country's fastest-growing electorate.

Central Africa's biggest country finally has a new government, but it looks a lot like the old one.

Russia has been popping up around Africa in recent years. In its most recent foray, it's sent military forces to Mozambique -- a land of energy promise and militant peril.

The agreement marks a step, albeit a tentative one, toward the formation of a new government in the political crisis that has followed the ouster of longtime President Omar al Bashir.