<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

A Rwandan policeman (R) and a Rwandan soldier (L) guard TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG project in Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, on Sept. 29, 2022.

Economics

Energy

Military & Security

Mozambique's LNG projects will likely progress in 2026 amid a safer security environment, but the economic windfall remains years away.

Mozambique's LNG Sector Turns a Corner Amid Megaproject Reboot

United States

Structures destroyed in U.S. strikes on jihadist targets in Offa, Nigeria, are seen on Dec. 27, 2025.

New U.S. military action would most likely target jihadist groups, especially in West Africa, but limited strikes in Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo to force belligerents there to de-escalate also cannot be ruled out.

The Outlook for New U.S. Strikes in Africa

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. 

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

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

Zimbabwe's opposition accused the government of attempting a "constitutional coup" after the Cabinet approved draft amendments that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term until 2030, IOL reported Feb. 11.

Zimbabwe: Opposition Claims Constitutional Coup After Cabinet Approves Plan To Extend Presidential Terms

The United States plans to deploy roughly 200 troops to Nigeria to assist the Nigerian military in its fight against Islamist groups, The Washington Post reported on Feb. 10. 

Nigeria, U.S.: Washington To Deploy 200 Troops to Nigeria

Ethiopia is hosting a major training and logistics camp of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the border with Sudan in its western Benishangul-Gumuz region, Reuters reported on Feb. 10, with eight sources stating that the United Arab Emirates had financed the camp's construction.

Ethiopia, Sudan: Ethiopia Harboring UAE-Financed RSF Training Camp in the West

Saudi Arabia's and Somalia's defense ministers signed a new defense agreement on the sidelines of the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Feb. 9, the two governments said.

Saudi Arabia, Somalia: Defense Agreement Will Bolster Somalia's Capabilities

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, aged 70, declared his intention to run for a third term in office in the June 2026 general election, Garowe Online reported on Feb. 8.

Somalia: President Confirms Bid for Controversial Third Term

Ethiopia accused Eritrean security forces of making "further" incursions into northeastern Ethiopia and conducting "joint military manoeuvres" with unnamed rebel groups in northwestern Ethiopia, labelling both moves as "acts of outright aggression," Addis Standard reported on Feb. 8.

Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Accuses Eritrea of 'Further' Military Incursion, Urges Immediate Withdrawal

South African Minister for Trade and Industry Parks Tau signed a framework agreement with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, that paves the way for South African exports to gain duty-free access to the Chinese market, Reuters reported Feb. 6.

South Africa: Framework Agreement for Duty-Free Access With China Signed

U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, Deutsche Welle reported Feb. 4.

U.S., Africa: Trump Authorizes One-Year Extension to African Growth and Opportunity Act

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Zimbabwe: Opposition Claims Constitutional Coup After Cabinet Approves Plan To Extend Presidential Terms

Nigeria, U.S.: Washington To Deploy 200 Troops to Nigeria

Ethiopia, Sudan: Ethiopia Harboring UAE-Financed RSF Training Camp in the West

Saudi Arabia, Somalia: Defense Agreement Will Bolster Somalia's Capabilities

Somalia: President Confirms Bid for Controversial Third Term

Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Accuses Eritrea of 'Further' Military Incursion, Urges Immediate Withdrawal

South Africa: Framework Agreement for Duty-Free Access With China Signed

U.S., Africa: Trump Authorizes One-Year Extension to African Growth and Opportunity Act

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

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