Three sisters braved lions, crocodiles, poachers, raging rivers and other dangers on a 1,300-mile transnational effort to forge a new dynasty.
Tag Archives: africa
On Inflation and the Food Crisis, the World Can Work Together or Fall Apart
No single country can solve the problem of rising food and fuel costs.
A Book Has Women in Africa Talking About Sex
“The Sex Lives of African Women” explores women’s experiences, in their own words, helping foster “a sexual revolution that’s happening across our continent.”
Monkeypox Is Spreading in New York, Making Education Urgent
Be aware but don’t panic, say health officials and advocates as cases of the disease tick upward in New York and around the country.
In Dakar, African Art Speaks in All Its Voices
In its first pandemic-era edition, the Dakar Biennale, Africa’s biggest art gathering, is uneven, hectic — and full of possibility.
‘We Buried Him and Kept Walking’: Children Die as Somalis Flee Hunger
The worst drought in four decades, and a sharp rise in food prices caused by the war in Ukraine, have left almost half of Somalia’s people facing acute food shortages.
Russia Seeks Buyers for Plundered Ukraine Grain, U.S. Warns
American diplomats have alerted 14 countries, most in Africa, that Russian ships filled with stolen Ukrainian grain could be headed their way, posing a dilemma to countries facing dire food shortages.
‘From Russia With Love’: A Putin Ally Mines Gold and Plays Favorites in Sudan
Backed by the Kremlin, the shadowy network known as the Wagner Group is getting rich in Sudan while helping the military to crush a democracy movement.
How Russia’s Wagner Group Is Expanding in Africa
Best known for its mercenaries, the Wagner Group also mines diamonds, spreads disinformation and props up autocrats in an effort to grow Russia’s footprint.
Economic Headwinds Mount as Leaders Weigh Costs of Confronting Russia
Top economic officials are gathering this week to discuss how to keep pressure on Vladimir V. Putin without sinking their economies.
Poor Countries Face a Mounting Catastrophe Fueled by Inflation and Debt
Russia’s war in Ukraine is combining with a global tightening of credit and an economic slowdown in China to sow misery in low- and middle-income countries.
With Us or With Them? In a New Cold War, How About Neither.
Old geopolitical foes are facing off after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but much of the world is refusing to take sides.
Drones have transformed blood delivery in Rwanda

Enlarge (credit: Zipline International)
Six years ago, Rwanda had a blood delivery problem. More than 12 million people live in the small East African country, and like those in other nations, sometimes they get into car accidents. New mothers hemorrhage. Anemic children need urgent transfusions. You can’t predict these emergencies. They just happen. And when they do, the red stuff stored in Place A has to find its way to a patient in Place B—fast.
That’s not a huge problem if you live in a city. In the United States and the United Kingdom, 80 percent of the population clusters around urban hubs with high-traffic hospitals and blood banks. In African nations like Libya, Djibouti, and Gabon, about 80 to 90 percent of the populations live in cities, too. But in Rwanda, that number flips: 83 percent of Rwandans live in rural areas. So, traditionally, when remote hospitals needed blood, it came by road.
That’s not ideal. The country is mountainous. Roads can be hot, long, and bumpy. If kept cool, donated blood can be stored for just a month or so, but some components that hospitals isolate for transfusions—like platelets—will spoil in days. A turbulent drive is not a perfect match for such finicky cargo.
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The Drive to Vaccinate the World Against Covid Is Losing Steam
Rates are stalling in most low-income countries well short of the W.H.O.’s goal to immunize 70 percent of people in every nation. Some public health experts believe the momentum is gone forever.
Housing Crisis Propels High Death Toll in South Africa Floods
The catastrophe underscored an overlooked reality in the fight against extreme weather: Protecting people is as much about tackling social issues as environmental ones.
A Door-to-Door Effort to Find Out Who Died Helps Low-Income Countries Aid the Living
Many developing countries don’t keep official death records. A novel effort uses “electronic autopsies” to count deaths, and record their cause.
Simone Leigh Holds Court at the U.S. Pavilion in the Venice Biennale
The acclaimed sculptor holds court at the U.S. Pavilion in the Venice Biennale, where she explores the burden of colonial histories and the promise of Black feminism. She begins by thatching the roof.
Former French Colonies in Africa Demand a Reset
Decades after independence, many African countries are increasingly troubled by the ongoing influence of their former colonial power.
Heavy Floods and Mudslides Leave at Least 45 Dead in South Africa
Torrential rain left a trail of destruction in the coastal city of Durban — the latest disaster in a season of storms that some scientists say has been intensified by climate change.
A ‘New Era of Air Pollution’ in the Tropics Could Have a Huge Toll
Increasingly bad air in big cities is expected to kill hundreds of thousands in coming years if stronger controls are not put in place.
The Oil Pipeline East Africa Doesn’t Need
Africa isn’t just a victim of the climate crisis; it’s also a place where infrastructure decisions will shape how it unfolds.
A Covid Mystery in Africa
Why coronavirus case and death rates have been so low in much of sub-Saharan Africa compared with the rest of the world.
Putin’s War Has Started a Global Food Crisis
These are the countries that will be most affected by rising food prices.
Africa C.D.C. Director on How Africa Can Fight Covid Now
Now that vaccine supply is not the primary challenge, Africa must focus on better delivery.
Trying to Solve a Covid Mystery: Africa’s Low Death Rates
The coronavirus was expected to devastate the continent, but higher-income and better-prepared countries appear to have fared far worse.
‘They Keep Killing Us’: Violence Rages in Sudan’s Darfur Two Decades On
The resurgence of ethnically motivated attacks in the country’s restive western region has led to enormous displacement and a growing humanitarian crisis.
Pritzker Prize Goes to Architect From West Africa
Using indigenous materials and local symbols, Francis Kéré makes buildings that serve the community he came from.
In Africa, a Mix of Shots Drives an Uncertain Covid Vaccination Push
Supplies are more plentiful now but they are unpredictable and often a jumble of brands. Many places can’t meet the W.H.O.’s recommended dosing schedules.
Assassinated in His Prime, an Iconic African Leader Haunts a Trial and His Country
Thirty-five years after the killing of President Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, his supporters hope for justice. But the full truth about the murder, including any foreign role, is elusive.
Shunned by Others, Russia Finds Friends in Africa
Africa’s largest arms dealer, Russia has ties to the continent that stretch back to the Cold War and helped Mr. Putin win rare support over the invasion of Ukraine.
Africans Say Ukrainian Authorities Hindered Them From Fleeing
Africans and other foreigners in Ukraine say border guards made them endure long waits and even beat them, while letting Ukrainians through quickly. Ukraine denied discriminating.
Climate change is expected to hit heritage sites across Africa

Enlarge / Tipasa, a Roman site in Algeria, faces a high risk from sea-level rise. (credit: Ethel Davies)
Climate change is poised to impact not just our present but our history as well. According to the IUCN, climate change has now become “the most prevalent threat” to heritage sites around the world. Many wealthy countries like the United States have data about what’s likely to be impacted, but other parts of the world are facing a dearth of information on this issue.
New work performed by an international team of 11 researchers across various disciplines aims to address this lack of data for the continent of Africa. The team identified hundreds of sites with cultural importance and compared their locations to where future sea-level rise flooding and erosion is expected to occur in the future. “If you have erosion, you’re more likely to have flooding, and vice versa,” Joanne Clarke, a professor of archaeology at the University of East Anglia and one of the authors, told Ars.
Clarke noted that this information could be used to help protect the sites and better understand which parts of the continent need more protection. Further, she argued that the ways in which we look at the issue of climate change and heritage sites is skewed toward wealthier parts of the world, which are better able to manage the worst of the world’s shifting climate.
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5 Takeaways From the U.N. Report on Climate Hazards
Global warming is affecting every part of the planet. Humans should have started preparing yesterday.
Ukraine War Strains North Africa Economies
Egypt imports most of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and is looking for alternative suppliers. And Tunisia was struggling to pay for grain imports even before the conflict.
African Countries Gaining Control of Covid Vaccine Supplies
Since January, the countries have been able to request the Covid vaccines they need from the W.H.O. directly, and in what quantity and when.
Climate Change Could Increase Risk of Wildfires 50% by Century’s End
Worsening heat and dryness could lead to a 50 percent rise in off-the-charts fires, according to a United Nations report.
African and European Leaders Meet Against Backdrop of Enduring Problems
A top-level meeting of all E.U. leaders and 40 African counterparts aims to reset the relationship as a partnership of equals. But migration and vaccine equity remain obstacles.
Amid Coups and Covid, Africa Focuses on What’s Most Important: Soccer
Many countries competing in the Africa Cup of Nations are enduring security, economic and political crises, but the tournament offers visions of unity, solidarity and joy.
Africa Cup of Nations: Soccer Tournament Offers Joy Amid Coups and Covid
Many countries competing in the Africa Cup of Nations are enduring security, economic and political crises, but the tournament offers visions of unity, solidarity and joy.
Rescuers in Morocco Race to Save 5-Year-Old Stuck in Well for Days
People in the region were glued to the rescue effort on television and online, eager for some good news at a time when many have been buffeted by Covid pandemic gloom.
Food Prices Hit Two-Decade High, Threatening the World’s Poor
The prices have climbed to their highest level since 2011, according to a U.N. index. It could cause social unrest “on a widespread scale,” one expert said.
Gunfire in Guinea-Bissau Prompts Fears of Another Coup in Africa
The small coastal country in West Africa has experienced four coups and at least a dozen attempted takeovers since it gained independence from Portugal nearly 50 years ago.
‘Everyone’s Looking for Plastic.’ As Waste Rises, So Does Recycling.
Plagued by plastic pollution, Senegal wants to replace pickers at the garbage dump with a formal recycling system that takes advantage of the new market for plastics.
Burkina Faso and 5 Other Coups in Africa, Explained
Burkina Faso this week joined a list of countries that have recently experienced military takeovers — most plagued by insecurity, poor governance and frustrated youth. But there’s no one-size-fits-all explanation.
Slavery Was a Terror Beyond Measure
Data science is unlocking new insights about the slave system in the United States. But is there a danger in trying to quantify evil?
Rich Countries Lure Health Workers From Low-Income Nations to Fight Shortages
Huge pay incentives and immigration fast-tracks are leading many to leave countries whose health systems urgently need their expertise.
Gunfire Rattles Burkina Faso’s Capital as Soldiers Revolt
The government denied rumors of a coup, but soldiers who want changes to the campaign against Islamists appear to have taken control of several military bases.
The Africa Cup of Nations Reveals Glimpses of a Better Continent
The Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament shows glimpses of a different vision for the continent.
How the Site of a Bronx Fire Became a Haven for Gambians
Abdoulie Touray is believed to have been the first Gambian to move into 333 E. 181st Street. He drew scores of compatriots to the building where 17 died in a fire.
On Day Biden Calls Ethiopia’s Leader to Urge Peace, a Drone Strike Kills 17
The attack came days after over 50 people were killed in a strike on a refugee camp, highlighting the growing role of armed drones in a destructive war.