<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

Assessments

United States

Egypt

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

A column of Tanzanian soldiers drives past electoral posters of incumbent Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi in Stone Town on Oct. 30, 2025. 

The Tanzanian government's harsh repression of opposition voices will maintain risks of civil unrest and siphon security forces away from outer regions, creating power vacuums in the south for jihadists to exploit.

Ongoing Repression in Tanzania Shows No Signs of Letting Up

Colombia

Cuba

Mexico

Venezuela

Greenland

Iran

China

Taiwan

Europe

Norway

Ukraine

Russia

India

Pakistan

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Trade

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Canada

Denmark

The Greenlandic flag on Jan. 8, 2026, on the roof of Tivoli Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ukraine security talks and a Gaza peace plan will be in the spotlight at Davos.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Uganda and Benin, Canada's Carney Goes to China

Supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate and opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, gather to attend a campaign rally in Kampala, on Nov. 24, 2025. 

President Museveni's expected reelection is set to trigger opposition protests, but a heavy-handed crackdown will likely restore order within weeks, enabling him to resume focus on infrastructure projects and mitigating intra-elite tensions.

Previewing Uganda's General Elections

Saudi-backed forces are seen on the outskirts of Yemen's Hadramawt province, where the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) recently launched an offensive, on Jan. 3, 2026. 

The Gulf nations' growing battle for influence is straining bilateral ties and fueling proxy conflicts in places like Yemen and Sudan, though both sides will likely avoid any escalation that could harm their economies.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Pursue Divergent Paths in a Multipolar World

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Energy

Israel-Hamas Conflict

As elections reshape political incentives worldwide, 2026 will see major powers recalibrate diplomacy and conflict, raising the risk of fragile deals, regional instability and sudden escalation.

2026 Annual Geopolitical Forecast: An Excerpt

Columns

On Geopolitics

A NASA satellite image shows the city lights of Europe. 

In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our hits and misses in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

Grading Our 2025 Annual Forecast

Paraguay

Lebanon

Morocco

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Australia

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Japan

Mongolia

Myanmar

Philippines

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

Bulgaria

Afghanistan

Nepal

Flight routes.

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Snapshots

Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025. 

Israel establishing military facilities in Somaliland would invite Houthi attacks against the territory and raise the likelihood of renewed disruptions to Red Sea shipping.


Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Raises the Stakes Along the Red Sea Corridor 

Pro-government forces reentered the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern city of Uvira after the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group began withdrawing its remaining forces from the area on Jan. 17, Reuters reported on Jan. 20.

Congo: Pro-Government Militias Reenter Uvira Following Reported M23 Withdrawal

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilem said Ethiopia should pay Egypt compensation due to its management of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, claiming that the dam had reduced Egypt's use of Nile waters from its allocated 55 billion cubic meters to 38 billion cubic meters, Addis Standard reported on Jan. 20. 

Egypt, Ethiopia: Cairo Demands Compensation Over GERD Following Trump Mediation Proposal

Provisional results from Benin's Jan. 11 parliamentary elections show that the ruling coalition won all 109 seats, leaving no opposition party represented in the next National Assembly, RFI reported on Jan. 19.

Benin: Opposition Loses All Parliamentary Seats, Reducing Checks on Executive Power

Uganda's main opposition leader Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine, reportedly in hiding, has claimed that around 100 of his supporters have been killed, alleging a postelection campaign of violence and intimidation by state forces, BBC reported on Jan. 20. 

Uganda: Opposition Leader in Hiding Claims 100 Supporters Killed Following Museveni's Seventh-Term Win

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Somalia are in advanced talks to seal a military partnership, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 16.

Red Sea: Saudi Arabia in Talks To Finalize Military Partnership With Egypt, Somalia 

In the northern town of Weldiya, Ethiopia's federal police seized a freight truck with 57,000 rounds of ammunition, which authorities claimed were destined for Fano insurgents in the country's Amhara region, Reuters reported on Jan. 15. 

Ethiopia: Police Seize Ammunition Convoys Allegedly Destined for Fano, Blames Eritrea, TPLF

Mozambican President Daniel Chapo said his government could secure a new support program with the International Monetary Fund following an IMF staff visit to the country scheduled for March, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 15.

Mozambique: President Chapo Hints at IMF Deal by March, Eyes Debt Restructuring Thereafter

The United States has reportedly delivered critical military equipment to Nigeria to support its fight against multiple security threats across the country, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 13.

Nigeria: U.S. Delivers Military Equipment To Strengthen Nigeria's Security Capabilities

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Congo: Pro-Government Militias Reenter Uvira Following Reported M23 Withdrawal

Egypt, Ethiopia: Cairo Demands Compensation Over GERD Following Trump Mediation Proposal

Benin: Opposition Loses All Parliamentary Seats, Reducing Checks on Executive Power

Uganda: Opposition Leader in Hiding Claims 100 Supporters Killed Following Museveni's Seventh-Term Win

Red Sea: Saudi Arabia in Talks To Finalize Military Partnership With Egypt, Somalia

Ethiopia: Police Seize Ammunition Convoys Allegedly Destined for Fano, Blames Eritrea, TPLF

Mozambique: President Chapo Hints at IMF Deal by March, Eyes Debt Restructuring Thereafter

Nigeria: U.S. Delivers Military Equipment To Strengthen Nigeria's Security Capabilities

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support