Claim OwnershipAcross Africa
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Join Georja Calvin-Smith for a round up of the week's cultural and current affairs stories from across the African continent: exclusive reports and analysis. Every Thursday at 3:45pm Paris time.
132 Episodes
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We bring you a week of political and social events from across the African continent. This week, Uganda's constitutional court threw out a challenge to the homophobic law adopted last May. Also, Congolese wordsmiths the Tetra collective use slam poetry to explore their deep love of Congolese and French literature. And many women farmers in Senegal struggle to secure access to land in the rural communities where they are sidelined from ownership.
There is increased focus on education at the COP28 climate talks amidst growing acknowledgement of the importance of the sector in responding to the uncertainty and displacement caused by climate change. FRANCE 24's Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Yasmine Sherif, the head of the Education Cannot Wait fund, as she sets out the stakes from the crucial talks in Dubai.
Students are among the victims of Nigeria's rampant inflation, as they face tuition fee hikes of over 300 percent. Also, the clock is ticking down towards DR Congo's general elections, in which President Felix Tshisekedi is running for a second term. Plus, Nairobi hosts international talks on the reduction of plastic pollution.
Benin's forests have long been seen as places of hope for believers of the voodoo religion, but urbanisation threatens the green spaces. Also, Ivory Coast's ghost children are invisible to the state. The number of babies whose births are undeclared are on the rise.
As Africa's cultural heavyweights gather in Lagos for its 13th iconic Fashion Week, we speak to the event's founder about a unique UN study that lines the continent up as a major influence on the future of fashion. Also, the march of progress in Dakar tramples over the Senegalese capital's green spaces in a building boom. And as the numbers of Africa's penguins continue to plummet, scientists are warning that in little over a decade there may not be enough left to survive in the wild.
The conflict between warring factions in Sudan has left thousands dead and millions have been forced to flee. Half a year on since the outbreak of the fighting, the humanitarian situation is worse than ever, with many refugees in Chad on the brink of famine. Also in this edition: what the gradual lifting of the state of siege in North Kivu and Ituri province means for DR Congo. Finally, Kibera Fashion Week celebrates the talents of local designers.
Increasing numbers of would-be Senegalese migrants are heading to Central America in the hopes of making it to the United States. But the journey is often fraught, expensive and uncertain. Also, in Kenya, the rising cost of living has added to the mental health struggles of many who are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet. Plus, the rising water levels of Kenya's largest freshwater lake have led to an explosion in the crocodile population that's now threatening communities' lives, limbs and livelihoods.
Every few years, Malagasy communities hold joyful ceremonies where the remains of lost loved ones are exhumed, cared for and introduced to the newest members of the community. Also, although Tunisia was decades ahead of many other countries in giving women the right to choose whether to go ahead with pregnancies, taboos remain. Finally, we meet some hearing-impaired Beninese children thriving in specially adapted classrooms.
Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe is a scientific icon in DR Congo. He's also an inspiration for the next generation of Congolese biologists. Also in this edition of Across Africa, more than 30 percent of harvests are lost to pests and disease. A team of Ghanaian engineers are coming up with new ways to identify risks early. And we see how Gambian rising star Maryama Cham is carving out a path for herself in a music industry largely dominated by men.
There's a special reason to celebrate in Senegal as millions of Mouride pilgrims come together for the Grand Magal. This year also features an exhibition of rare photos of the order's founder. Also, relatives of the 73 Gambian children killed by toxic cough syrups sue Indian drugmaker Maiden Pharmaceuticals. Finally, Beninese students expanding their tech horizons wow judges with their creations.
World Suicide Prevention Day was marked on September 10. Six of the 10 countries in the world with the highest suicide rates are African, with Lesotho the worst affected. Also in this edition: Kenya tackles wastage in the agricultural sector and Rwanda celebrates its latest mountain gorilla births.
This week in Across Africa, Georja Calvin-Smith speaks to Namibian President Hage Geingob ahead of his arrival in New York for the UN General Assembly. He shares his perspective on governance, the impact of Africa's first climate change summit and the role of the African Union in responding to regional upheaval.
Podcasts are on the rise in Africa. The huge sector has been dominated by voices from outside the continent, but more African producers are now turning to the mic to tell their stories. Also the European Court of Human Rights finds that South African Olympic champion Caster Semenya was discriminated against by World Athletics with rules requiring her to artificially lower her testosterone levels. Finally, one of the world's top choirs – Ghana's Harmonious Chorale – pops in whilst on tour.
In this edition: Niger's private sector has stepped up to fertilise failing plans for Africa's Great Green Wall. Also, people from Ethiopia's town of Lalibela help restore some of the iconic rock-hewn churches unique to their community. Plus, Malian children from riverside communities take to the waters to head out to a specially built island school.
Last week, a quartet of African leaders headed out to Russia and Ukraine on a peace mission aimed at helping resolve the war between the countries that began last February with Russia's invasion of its neighbour. South Africa's International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor speaks to Georja Calvin-Smith about the mission's impact and limitations.
In Kenya, some industrial fishing techniques are banned in a bid to counteract damage suffered by coastal communities that have seen their fish stocks plummet. Also, as Africa continues to wrangle with the dilemma of how to keep economic growth on track whilst tackling the climate emergency, we hear from the president of the African Development Bank about the choices ahead. And in Uganda, efforts to roll back the production of charcoal are met with resistance.
The movie measures of men spotlights the first genocide of the 20th century in which tens of thousands of indigenous Nama and Herero were slaughtered by german soldiers. The film bids to confront viewers with the harsh realities of colonial violence. Also, in Morocco fans of sand hockey are trying to raise awareness of the game's cultural heft. And a Beninese Tiktok comedian hits the right note. Axel Merryl switches genres from comedy to croonery.
Hundreds of thousands have been displaced by Sudan's conflict. But some civilians have also had to stay in Khartoum as war rages around them, even saying they have no choice but to still head into work. Also, Congolese communities in the country's east say that successes claimed by the East African force sent in to reign in M23 rebels have been overblown. And dozens of Beninese craftsmen brush up on the skills needed to restore the royal palaces of the former kingdom of Dahomey.
Kenyan LGBT campaigners have been fielding a surge in hate speech since a rights group supporting their cause was given the green light to register as an NGO. Also a deal between Uganda and Saudi Arabia to make it easier for African workers to head out to the Middle East has resumed, despite longstanding concerns about the treatment of some domestic staff. Finally, the "We Are Enough" exhibition in Paris unleashes the best of African contemporary creativity.
Over 95 percent of malaria cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. There's a worldwide push to completely wipe out the disease by 2030. Also, two years after the the town of Palma in northern Mozambique was captured by extremists, the energy giant Total is thinking about returning to a multi-billion-dollar gas project that was put on hold. And we find out why TikTok is being sued by Senegalese tech firms.
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