<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

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Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

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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

Argentina

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Netherlands

Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

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

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

U.S.-China Relations

Kenyan forces stand next to the coffin of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during a funeral mass at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology on October 19, 2025 in Bondo, Kenya.

Social Issues

The death of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga creates a significant power vacuum, fundamentally altering the political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.


What Raila Odinga's Death Means for Kenyan Politics

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party reacts on stage during a rally in Dar es Salaam on Aug. 28, 2025, to officially launch the CCM's campaign ahead of the Tanzanian general election. 

Energy

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is highly likely to be reelected in the Oct. 29 ballot, which is unlikely to turn violent but could portend wider governance challenges in the medium term.

Previewing Tanzania's General Elections

Global Elections

Snapshots

Protesters face police from a distance near burning barricades in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Oct. 9, 2025. 

President Andry Rajoelina's removal on the back of widespread, youth-led protests will likely deescalate tensions in Madagascar in the next few weeks, but it could inspire similar protest movements elsewhere in Africa and potentially beyond.

Africa Sees Its First Gen Z-Driven Coup in Madagascar

Israel

Palestinian Territories

France

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Persistent conflict and armed group control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will sustain significant legal, financial and reputational pressures on companies sourcing critical minerals from the region for the foreseeable future.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Due Diligence and Congo's Critical Minerals

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Forecast Webcast

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast Webcast

The fourth quarter will bring shifting trade tactics, evolving wars, and pivotal elections and flashpoints worldwide that will test governments’ stability and market confidence.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Algeria

Anti-riot police officers on April 8 in front of the Algerian Embassy in Bamako, Mali. While a full-scale military conflict remains very unlikely, Mali's legal challenge against Algeria ensures that diplomatic and security friction will define the relationship for the foreseeable future.

While a full-scale military conflict remains very unlikely, Mali's legal challenge against Algeria ensures that diplomatic and security friction will define the relationship for the foreseeable future.

Mali's ICJ Case Against Algeria Will Deepen Diplomatic Standoff in the Sahel

Nigerian soldiers from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) drive in pick-ups during training at the Sector 3 MNJTF military base headquarters in Monguno, Borno state, Nigeria, on July 5, 2025. 

War, Insurgency & Terrorism

Armed groups will continue to expand across Nigeria as the government struggles with domestic constraints and limits on regional security cooperation.

In Nigeria, Security Forces Struggle To Address Growing Militancy

The United States is hosting indirect talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in Washington with the goal of establishing a humanitarian truce between the two sides and returning to the Jeddah peace negotiating framework, Sudan Tribune reported on Oct. 23 based on talks with several sources. 

Sudan: Several Outlets Report Start of Indirect SAF-RSF Talks, SAF Denies

The Ethiopia-based and anti-Eritrean government Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization, or RSDAO, announced the graduation of new fighters after three months of military training, Addis Standard reported on Oct. 23.

Ethiopia: Anti-Eritrean Government Rebels Announce Graduation of New Fighters in Ethiopia

The Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, removed South Africa from its anti-money laundering and terrorism financing "grey list" after assessing that it had met all the necessary actions proposed in a 2023 plan, News24 reported on Oct. 24.

Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mozambique Removed From FATF 'Grey List'

Malian junta leader Gen. Assimi Goita dismissed several senior military officers for underperformance amid an economic blockade imposed by al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has caused a severe fuel shortage, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 23.

Mali: Worsening Jihadist Insurgency Exposes Divisions in Junta, Leading to Dismissal of Senior Officers

According to an exclusive report, Cameroon's incumbent President Paul Biya reportedly offered the position of prime minister to his main political rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former long-term ally, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 21.

Cameroon: Longtime President Reportedly Offers Opposition Leader Premiership

Cameroon's National Vote Counting Commission released provisional results for the country's Oct. 12 presidential election that show President Paul Biya receiving 53.66% of votes, against 35.66% of votes for opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 21.

Cameroon: Provisional Results Show President Biya Reelected for Eighth Term

U.S. President Donald Trump's Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, was "moving positively in the right direction," the news outlet reported on Oct. 20.

U.S., Africa: Trump Administration Hints at Decision by Congress To Revive AGOA by Year-End

South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment informed an oil major that appeals lodged against its Environmental Authorisation, a necessary approval to conduct oil exploration works, would be temporarily "held in abeyance," News24 reported on Oct. 17.

South Africa: Government Effectively Freezes Issuance of New Oil Permits Pending Supreme Court Ruling 

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Sudan: Several Outlets Report Start of Indirect SAF-RSF Talks, SAF Denies

Ethiopia: Anti-Eritrean Government Rebels Announce Graduation of New Fighters in Ethiopia

Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mozambique Removed From FATF 'Grey List'

Mali: Worsening Jihadist Insurgency Exposes Divisions in Junta, Leading to Dismissal of Senior Officers

Cameroon: Longtime President Reportedly Offers Opposition Leader Premiership

Cameroon: Provisional Results Show President Biya Reelected for Eighth Term

U.S., Africa: Trump Administration Hints at Decision by Congress To Revive AGOA by Year-End

South Africa: Government Effectively Freezes Issuance of New Oil Permits Pending Supreme Court Ruling

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