<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

Columns

On Geopolitics

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

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The Geopolitics of Demographics

Economics

Geopolitics of Demographics

Politics

Social Issues

Demographic decline, driven by falling fertility rates worldwide, is likely irreversible but will also increasingly differentiate countries based on their ability to adapt through sound immigration, labor, technological and fiscal policies.

Adapting to Demographic Decline: Policy Tradeoffs and Global Divergences

Assessments

United States

Iran

Israel

China

Taiwan

Vietnam

Damage at the Azadi Sport Complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 3.

Military & Security

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

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Taiwan's KMT Restarts China Talks

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

As competition for natural resources and critical raw materials intensifies, companies -- not just countries -- must be more mindful of risks in their physical supply chains.

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources: An Introduction

Cyber

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The second quarter will test global resilience as lingering conflicts and energy shocks converge to heighten economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

A general view of power lines near the Lethabo power station between Vereeniging and Sasolburg, South Africa, on April 17, 2024.

Although South Africa's power sector reforms remain years from completion, their gradual advancement will still attract investment in energy projects that support the country's long-term energy security and decarbonization goals.

The Outlook for South Africa's Power Sector Reforms and Energy Security

While far from deterministic, demographics plays a key role in influencing a country's domestic and international politics, as well as its economic and financial development.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: Politics and Economics

A farmer sprinkles fertilizer over a crop of cauliflower on the outskirts of Bangalore, India, in November 2020.

The Strait of Hormuz blockade is straining global supplies of nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers, which could lead to lower crop yields, higher food prices and fiscal strain for agricultural producers if the disruptions persist.

Assessing the Iran War's Impact on Global Fertilizer Supplies

Rwandan soldiers patrol in Mocimboa da Praia, northern Mozambique, on Aug. 12, 2021. 

Rwanda is unlikely to withdraw all its troops from Cabo Delgado in the short term, but a partial drawdown is possible if the EU doesn't approve fresh funding, which would degrade Mozambique's capacity to counter jihadist militants in the gas-rich region.

Will Rwanda Withdraw Troops From Northern Mozambique?

Demographics may not be destiny, but it does play a major role in questions of national power.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: An Introduction

Senior members of Ethiopia's armed forces attend a ceremony in Guba on Sept. 9, 2025.

The Ethiopian government's military buildup near Tigray suggests that fresh clashes with the TPLF are likely in the coming months, which could quickly morph into a major, protracted conflict that draws in neighboring Eritrea.

Assessing the Risk of Conflict in Northern Ethiopia: Short-Term Scenarios

Madagascar declared a two‑week nationwide state of energy emergency in response to severe fuel shortages caused by the U.S. and Israel-Iran war, BBC reported on April 8.

Madagascar: Junta Declares State of Emergency Amid Fuel Shortages Linked to Iran War

Ethiopia's federal government extended the term of the Tigray region's interim regional administration by one year, The Reporter reported on April 8. 

Ethiopia: Federal Government Extends Tigray Chief Administrator's Term by One Year

A coalition of youth movements from Nigeria's southern Rivers state has urged the country's federal government to decentralize pipeline security contracts in the Niger Delta, stressing that this is essential to creating opportunities for youths and that failing to do so would be "neither equitable nor sustainable," THISDAY reported on April 7.

Nigeria: Government Faces Conflicting Pressure Surrounding Pipeline Protection Program

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Satellite imagery shows that major construction work has been underway at Somaliland's Berbera airport since October 2025, including the digging of underground hangars for ammunition and fuel storage, Le Monde reported on April 6.

Somaliland: UAE Reportedly Leading Military Upgrade of Berbera Airport 

Lawmakers from Cameroon's Senate and National Assembly approved constitutional amendments establishing the position of vice president, Radio France Internationale reported on April 4.

Cameroon: Lawmakers Approve Constitutional Reform Establishing Vice Presidential Office

Russia

On April 6, OPEC+ agreed to increase oil production quotas for the month of May by 206,000 barrels per day, effectively agreeing to increase production once oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz return to normal levels.

Global: OPEC+ Agrees to Symbolic Production Hike as It Warns About Damage to Assets

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Mines Ali Hassan Joho said Kenyan authorities would prioritize bidders that give "Kenya the best deal on beneficiation" in allocating the tender to develop the country's Mrima Hill mining project, the Financial Times reported on April 3.

Kenya: Government To Prioritize Local Processing in Tender for Major Critical Mineral Project

Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused the Congolese military of maintaining an "intense" collaboration with the extremist Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, in a March 26 interview published by Jeune Afrique on April 3.

Rwanda: Kagame Lambasts Congo Over Collaboration With FDLR, Pouring Cold Water on 2025 Peace Deal

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Madagascar: Junta Declares State of Emergency Amid Fuel Shortages Linked to Iran War

Ethiopia: Federal Government Extends Tigray Chief Administrator's Term by One Year

Nigeria: Government Faces Conflicting Pressure Surrounding Pipeline Protection Program

Somaliland: UAE Reportedly Leading Military Upgrade of Berbera Airport

Cameroon: Lawmakers Approve Constitutional Reform Establishing Vice Presidential Office

Global: OPEC+ Agrees to Symbolic Production Hike as It Warns About Damage to Assets

Kenya: Government To Prioritize Local Processing in Tender for Major Critical Mineral Project

Rwanda: Kagame Lambasts Congo Over Collaboration With FDLR, Pouring Cold Water on 2025 Peace Deal

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