<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

Media

Iran

Podcasts

Economics

Politics

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

U.S.-Iran Relations

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Americas

Asia-Pacific

South Asia

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

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.

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

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

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 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

Egypt

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty accused Ethiopia of causing a reduction in downstream water levels on the Blue Nile in Sudan due to its unilateral operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Anadolu reported on July 22.

Nile Basin: Egypt, Sudan Slam Ethiopia Over Renaissance Dam's Unilateral Water Retention

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's opposition coalition C64 announced that it was postponing its planned July 22 demonstration in Kinshasa amid reports of talks with the government, RFI reported on July 20.

Congo: Opposition Coalition Postpones Protest Amid Dialogue Consultations

Algeria

Morocco

The heads of state of members of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, signed an intergovernmental agreement backing the $25 billion African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, or AAGP, according to a July 19 joint statement from Morocco's state-owned National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines, or ONHYM, and Nigeria's state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Co., or NNPC.

Morocco, West Africa: ECOWAS Signs Agreement for $25B African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project

Sammy Waweru of the Democracy for the Citizens Party, or DCP, decisively won the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, delivering former Deputy President and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua a significant political boost in the strategically important Mt. Kenya region ahead of the 2027 general election, Daily Nation reported on July 17.

Kenya: By-Election Underscores Intensifying Contest for Mt. Kenya

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Olayemi Cardoso said the country's net foreign exchange reserves had risen from $3 billion to $40 billion since he took office in 2023, owing to economic and monetary reforms, adding that gross external reserves had reached close to $52 billion, BusinessDay reported on July 16.

Nigeria: Net Foreign Exchange Reserves Reach $40B, Central Bank Governor Says

Ghana's Cabinet approved amendments to the 2006 Minerals and Mining Act for submission to Parliament as part of efforts to strengthen oversight of the mining sector, increase state revenues, expand local participation and curb illegal mining, Reuters reported on July 15.

Ghana: Government Moves To Tighten Mining Oversight and Increase State Control

China

Travel restrictions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo linked to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country's northeastern region are disrupting critical minerals cooperation between the United States and Congo, Reuters reported on July 15, based on conversations with one diplomatic and two consulting sources.

Congo: Reuters Reports Ebola Outbreak Disrupting U.S.-Congo Mineral Cooperation, Dealmaking

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Mali: Trump Administration Eyes Military Action Against JNIM

Nile Basin: Egypt, Sudan Slam Ethiopia Over Renaissance Dam's Unilateral Water Retention

Congo: Opposition Coalition Postpones Protest Amid Dialogue Consultations

Morocco, West Africa: ECOWAS Signs Agreement for $25B African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project

Kenya: By-Election Underscores Intensifying Contest for Mt. Kenya

Nigeria: Net Foreign Exchange Reserves Reach $40B, Central Bank Governor Says

Ghana: Government Moves To Tighten Mining Oversight and Increase State Control

Congo: Reuters Reports Ebola Outbreak Disrupting U.S.-Congo Mineral Cooperation, Dealmaking

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