<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 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. 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

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

United States

Venezuela

Greenland

Iran

Israel

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.

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 Arabia

Syria

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

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

Egypt

Lebanon

Morocco

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Turkey

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 

Cyprus

Kosovo

The Bulgarian flag and the European flag waving in the wind.

The Weekly Rundown: Bulgaria Adopts the Euro, U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Persist

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

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu unveiled plans to mobilize $2 billion for the country's National Climate Change Fund and $500 million for climate-resilient infrastructure at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week summit, Reuters reported on Jan. 13.

Nigeria: President Tinubu Unveils $2B Climate Fund, Economic Partnership With Abu Dhabi

Somalia's federal government cancelled all port, security and commercial agreements with the United Arab Emirates on the basis that actions by the Emirati government were undermining the country's unity and territorial integrity, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 12. 

UAE, Somalia: Somaliland, Puntland, Jubaland Reject Mogadishu's Rupture of Ties With Abu Dhabi

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki accused Ethiopia of declaring war on Eritrea in an interview aired on Eritrean state television, Addis Standard reported on Jan. 13. 

Eritrea: President Isaias Accuses Ethiopia of Declaring War on Eritrea

Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi called on Arab nations under the leadership of Saudi Arabia to take action against Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, drawing parallels between Somaliland and Yemen's now-dissolved Southern Transitional Council, Garowe Online reported on Jan. 12. 

Somalia: Defense Minister Calls Arab Nations To Take Action Against Somaliland

Sudan's military-led government has officially returned to the capital, Khartoum, after nearly three years of operating from its wartime base in Port Sudan, BBC reported on Jan. 11. 

Sudan: Army Announces Return to Capital as Government Headquarters

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

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

Nigeria: President Tinubu Unveils $2B Climate Fund, Economic Partnership With Abu Dhabi

UAE, Somalia: Somaliland, Puntland, Jubaland Reject Mogadishu's Rupture of Ties With Abu Dhabi

Eritrea: President Isaias Accuses Ethiopia of Declaring War on Eritrea

Somalia: Defense Minister Calls Arab Nations To Take Action Against Somaliland

Sudan: Army Announces Return to Capital as Government Headquarters

Forecasts

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