<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

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Sudan

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Uganda

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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

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Which Sub-Saharan countries face the highest risk of protests and unrest in the coming months?

The Decision Advantage: The Outlook for Security in Sub-Saharan Africa

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

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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.

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

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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

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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

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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

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

The Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo validated a law establishing the framework for a potential referendum on constitutional reforms, removing a legal obstacle to President Felix Tshisekedi's administration pursuing changes to the country's constitutional framework, Jeune Afrique reported on July 28.

Congo: Constitutional Court Validates Referendum Law, Fueling Debate Over Term Limits

Uganda's Nation Media Group, which owns the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, KFM and Dembe FM, resumed operations on July 28 after nearly a month-long shutdown ordered by army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni, Reuters reported on July 28.

Uganda: Media Group Resumes Operations Following Government-Ordered Closure

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party is demanding that Kenyan President William Ruto select his running mate from within ODM in exchange for supporting his reelection bid in August 2027, with ODM figures backing either Cooperatives Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya or Mining Secretary Ali Joho Hassan for the role, Nation reported July 29.

Kenya: ODM Pressing Ruto for Running Mate Position as DP Kindiki Faces Mounting Pressure

China

Chinese investment announcements in Africa under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative rose to $33.5 billion in the first half of 2026, an increase of more than 250% when compared to the first half of 2025, Semafort reported on July 27 based on a July 26 report from the University of Queensland's Asia Pacific Center for Industry Transitions and the China-based Green Finance & Development Center.

Africa: Chinese Investments in Africa More Than Triple in First Half of 2026, Report Finds

The Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, captured the town of Bara from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, as well as the neighboring localities of Um Gurfa and Jabrat al-Sheikh, Sudan Tribune reported on July 25. 

Sudan: SAF Captures Strategic Kordofan Town, Opens New Supply Route to El Obeid

The Western Cape High Court issued a ruling temporarily interdicting the South African parliament from pressing ahead with its impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa's actions surrounding the Phala Phala scandal, Daily Maverick reported on July 24.

South Africa: Ramaphosa Wins Impeachment Interdictment Bid in Phala Phala Scandal

A large convoy of Russian military vehicles arriving from the Togolese port of Lome has crossed the Mali-Burkina Faso border and is headed to Bamako, Jeune Afrique reported on July 23.

West Africa: Russia's Africa Corps Secures First Military Shipment to Mali Through Togo

The United States is considering taking military action in Mali against al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, The Washington Post reported on July 22, citing statements from current and former officials of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. 

Mali: Trump Administration Eyes Military Action Against JNIM

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Congo: Constitutional Court Validates Referendum Law, Fueling Debate Over Term Limits

Uganda: Media Group Resumes Operations Following Government-Ordered Closure

Kenya: ODM Pressing Ruto for Running Mate Position as DP Kindiki Faces Mounting Pressure

Africa: Chinese Investments in Africa More Than Triple in First Half of 2026, Report Finds

Sudan: SAF Captures Strategic Kordofan Town, Opens New Supply Route to El Obeid

South Africa: Ramaphosa Wins Impeachment Interdictment Bid in Phala Phala Scandal

West Africa: Russia's Africa Corps Secures First Military Shipment to Mali Through Togo

Mali: Trump Administration Eyes Military Action Against JNIM

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