<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

Americas

Asia-Pacific

South Asia

A thermometer reading a high temperature is shown over an image of Earth.

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

The compounding effects of the weather event and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are set to drive global inflation and strain agricultural output well into next year.


How the 2026 El Nino Climate Event Will Affect the Global Economy and Security

Protesters march outside Parliament to honor victims of the June 25, 2024, protest on June 25, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Politics

Despite declining public approval, President William Ruto remains well-positioned to leverage state resources and exploit opposition divisions to secure his standing ahead of next year's general election.


Kenyan Opposition Struggles To Unite Against Ruto Ahead of 2027 Elections

Snapshots

United States

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Sudan's de facto leader and army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, waves to spectators after attending a soccer match at Kober Stadium in Khartoum on May 15, 2026.

The outbreak of the Iran war has redirected Western and Arab diplomatic attention away from Sudan, worsening the country's long-running civil war.

Humanitarian Disaster Looms in Sudan as RSF Prepares New Offensive

Middle East and North Africa

Europe

Eurasia

Cyber

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

A fragile truce in the Middle East, persistent energy-driven inflation, shifting U.S. trade policy and escalating regional pressures from Europe to Africa will collectively shape geopolitical risk in the third quarter.

2026 Third-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Colombia

Iran

Russia

Vessels at anchorage June 18 in Bandar Abbas, Iran, along the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed June 17 is highly likely to remain in effect over the coming week, and negotiations toward a final deal will begin.

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Iranian Talks, Colombia's Presidential Runoff

U.S.-Iran Relations

Red Cross volunteers wearing personal protective equipment lower the body of an Ebola victim into a casket at a health center in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 8, 2026.

The escalating outbreak will likely persist for several more months, likely disrupting regional supply chains, mining investments in Congo and potentially Uganda's start of oil production.

Ebola Makes Deadly Comeback in Congo

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Control over critical natural resources is increasingly strengthening armed groups' durability and geographic reach, heightening their physical threats and their ability to create political instability.

Natural Resource Exploitation as an Engine for Insurgency in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed delivers remarks during the official inauguration ceremony of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Guba on Sept. 9, 2025.

Prime Minister Abiy will likely be reelected without sustained unrest, but escalating tensions in Tigray could still fuel a worsening security crisis in the Amhara and/or Oromia regions in a less-likely, higher-impact scenario.

Previewing Ethiopia's General Elections

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers a speech on April 18, 2026.

Ramaphosa will likely attempt to delay his upcoming impeachment process to facilitate the rise of a reformist ANC successor, though he still may preemptively resign, which would likely result in the collapse of South Africa's coalition government.

South Africa's Top Court Shows Ramaphosa the End of the Road

Israel

Lebanon

China

France

United Kingdom

Boats on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions between the United States and Iran will remain elevated, especially around the strait, following the May 7 U.S.-Iran exchange of attacks and Iranian attacks against the United Arab Emirates.

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, France Convenes an Africa Summit

U.S.-China Relations

The United States is making progress in securing an agreement for a 90-day ceasefire between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, followed by political negotiations, even though both sides are still seeking amendments to U.S. proposals, Ayin Network reported on July 13 based on conversations with unnamed diplomatic sources.

Sudan: U.S. Proposal for 90-Day Ceasefire Makes Progress, but SAF-RSF Disagreements Persist

Nigeria's military announced on July 10 that it had rescued all 44 students and teachers abducted on May 15 from three schools in Osiire district, Oyo state, Al Jazeera reported on July 12.

Nigeria: Military Rescues 44 School Kidnaping Victims in Southwest Oyo State

The University of Oxford's Oxford Vaccine Group launched Phase I clinical trials for its ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus, which is responsible for an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Reuters reported on July 13.

Congo: University of Oxford Launches Vaccine Trials for Bundibugyo Virus

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's deadline to submit its final report from Aug. 31 to Nov. 16, the South African Presidency said in a July 9 statement.

South Africa: Ramaphosa Delays Madlanga Report Deadline to November

Malian security forces, Russia's paramilitary Africa Corps and pro-government Tuareg militias regained control of the northern town of Anefis after a military convoy arrived, which resulted in severe clashes with al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, Radio France Internationale reported on July 9.

Mali: Pro-government Forces Retake Anefis Following Arrival of Resupply Convoy

Turkey

Togo is reportedly undertaking a major overhaul of its counterinsurgency strategy to combat the growing threat posed by al Qaeda-affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, along its border with Burkina Faso, including the construction of trenches stretching for several hundred kilometers across vulnerable sections of the northern border, the establishment of new forward operating bases, and reinforced military deployments in the Savanes region, Jeune Afrique reported on July 9.

Togo: Government Strengthens Counterterrorism Strategy, Deepens Security Cooperation With Turkey

The Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, recaptured the strategic town of Kurmuk, located in the southeastern Blue Nile state along the border with Ethiopia, from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, or SPLM-N, Sudan Tribune reported on July 8.

Sudan: SAF Recaptures Strategic Town Along Ethiopian Border

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Russia's commitment to strengthening the defense capabilities of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso following a meeting with his counterparts from all three countries in Niger's capital, Niamey, Le Monde reported on July 9.

West Africa: Lavrov Reiterates Commitment To Deepening Defense Cooperation With Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Sudan: U.S. Proposal for 90-Day Ceasefire Makes Progress, but SAF-RSF Disagreements Persist

Nigeria: Military Rescues 44 School Kidnaping Victims in Southwest Oyo State

Congo: University of Oxford Launches Vaccine Trials for Bundibugyo Virus

South Africa: Ramaphosa Delays Madlanga Report Deadline to November

Mali: Pro-government Forces Retake Anefis Following Arrival of Resupply Convoy

Togo: Government Strengthens Counterterrorism Strategy, Deepens Security Cooperation With Turkey

Sudan: SAF Recaptures Strategic Town Along Ethiopian Border

West Africa: Lavrov Reiterates Commitment To Deepening Defense Cooperation With Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support