Spotlight on Africa

RFI English

An in-depth look at an important story affecting the African continent today.

  1. 2D AGO

    The Kenyan landlords helping fight gender-based violence

    In Kenya, charities are working with landlords to fight gender-based violence – in particular the domestic violence experienced by women living in overcrowded, impoverished areas. In Kibera, one of the largest informal settlements in Africa, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, the NGO CFK Africa has begun helping landlords to spot and respond to domestic violence and sexual assault.   Siama Yusuf, senior programme officer for girls empowerment at CFK Africa, told RFI: "Kibera faces a persistent high level of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse." And this reflects broader national trends, she adds, with the situation intensified by poverty and overcrowding in informal settlements such as Kibera. "Violence often happens behind closed doors and goes unreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, lack of trust in institutions and the belief that such issues are private family matters," she explained.  Little by little, however, thanks to the way the charity is supporting landlords, some parts of Kenya are becoming safer places for women, as awareness on how to address the violence grows. Stigma and sisterhood: how one Kenyan woman knitted a healthcare revolution Lessons for improvement In 2025, landlords working with the charity made 92 referrals to the authorities, helping survivors of violence with life-saving support services. While landlords might once have dismissed signs of domestic violence in the homes of their tenants as a private matter, CFK Africa's training teaches them how to intervene.  One owner said that after this training, he knew that he was entitled to go and investigate upon hearing cries from inside one of his properties – where he found a father sexually assaulting his four-year-old daughter. Thanks to the landlord’s intervention, she survived. Childcare solution springs up for Nairobi's market trader mothers Geoffrey Wesonga is a landlord in Kibera who is involved in the training. "When I first heard of the programme, I was really happy because handling gender-based violence cases in Kibera was becoming something very hard to do, because we didn't have anywhere to report them," he told RFI. "The police tend to tell the perpetrator who reported the matter to them," Wesonga continues. "So, when I heard of the programme CFK was rolling out, I felt that in my capacity as a landlord, I would help many households." Kenya: The accidental librarian keeping Kibera's kids in books CFK Africa says its programme could be replicated around the globe. It quotes the work of researcher Meg Warren from Western Washington University in the United States, who conducted a study in 2024 with academics in the Democratic Republic of Congo that suggested the most powerful allies often aren't outsiders, but local leaders. It also showed male allyship was key to lasting changes. "In the past, most landlords didn't know the power they hold in preventing and reporting cases of gender-based violence," said Yusuf. "But, because the landlords usually live within or near the compounds they oversee, they frequently hear or see warning signs before anyone else, so positioning them as critical gatekeepers in prevention and response is crucial." Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

    29 min

  2. MAR 17

    Spotlight on Africa: Africa faces security worries as Iran conflict spreads

    US and Israeli attacks on Iran are raising concerns across Africa, from security risks in the Horn of Africa to economic pressures and fears for migrant workers in the Gulf. They also come as West African countries step up cooperation against spreading jihadist violence. In this week’s Spotlight on Africa podcast, we speak to Nigeria’s presidential adviser Sunday Dare and Africa analyst Heni Nsaibia about the risks. As the conflict spreads across West Asia, the Gulf and the Red Sea, worries are growing about how it could affect the African continent. American military bases in Djibouti and Somalia lie within range of Iranian-aligned groups, while US deployments in Nigeria and Kenya further extend potential exposure. Israel also maintains military assets in Eritrea, vulnerable to missile attacks launched across the Red Sea. Such attacks could also threaten Egypt if missiles pass through its airspace. Some African countries fear security risks from the United States, Israel, Iran or Houthi forces in Yemen. Others are already suffering from rising oil prices, related food insecurity and concerns for migrant workers. More than 700,000 African workers remain in Gulf states as missile strikes continue in the region. Fearful African migrants warily work on through Gulf missile strikes Ladd Serwat, an analyst on Africa at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED – a conflict data organisation), writes regular analyses on Iran’s regional reach and the security implications of the war for Africa. He said direct military action by Israel or the United States against Iranian allies in Africa remains unlikely, but cannot be ruled out. Nigeria and jihadist insecurity Meanwhile, West Africa is facing a rise in jihadist attacks in the Sahel. Violence has increasingly spread south to coastal countries such as Benin, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, prompting governments to seek stronger cross-border cooperation. Authorities in Benin and Nigeria announced this week plans for a joint security operation along their shared border. The move aims to combat militant groups operating in the area. In the podcast, Sunday Dare, senior adviser to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, discusses security challenges facing the country, including the Islamist insurgency and the need for regional and international cooperation. And Heni Nsaibia, ACLED’s West Africa senior analyst, who's done extensive research on jihadism, explores the relevance of this partnership.   Episode mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

    31 min

  3. MAR 3

    Spotlight on Africa: Reflections on the future of the African Union

    African Heads of State convened for the 2026 African Union Summit last month at a critical time for the continent, amid escalating conflicts and democratic backsliding. This episode examines the AU's relationship with the United Nations, the European Union and the United States, and its place within a fractured global order. At the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and home to the headquarters of the organisation, leaders held debates on conflicts, institutional reform, financial sovereignty, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and Africa’s place in the emerging new geopolitical order. Giorgia Meloni was a guest of honour, invited to co-host the second Italy-Africa Summit and to consider a strategy to tackle the root causes of migration. United Nations secretary-general António Guterres was also in attendance, and called again for two permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council. The rotational chair passed from Angola to Burundi, putting leadership of the AU for 2026 with the latter's President Évariste Ndayishimiye. Outgoing chair João Lourenço, president of Angola, parted with the warning that: "Normalising coup-makers who retake power through elections cannot become standard practice." With 10 military coups having taken place on the continent since 2020 and elections held in a climate of repression, plus wars in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and insurgency in the Sahel region, observers agree that Africa needs stronger institutions and leadership. We spoke with Liesl Louw-Vaudran, senior advisor for the AU at the International Crisis Group (ICG), and Désiré Assogbavi, an international development strategist with more than two decades of experience in policy analysis. African Union summit opens, as continent faces conflict and climate extremes Imprints of violence Also in this episode, we meet South African photographer Jo Ractliffe, whose images focus on the residues of violence left by apartheid, regional conflict and population displacement. South African photographer Jo Ractliffe captures imprints of violence   RFI's Isabelle Martinetti met her in Paris, where her latest exhibition "Out of Place" is showing at the Jeu de Paume, displaying work from the past four decades. With photographs taken in South Africa and Angola, several of which are being shown in France for the first time, the exhibition explores places marked by history and trauma. Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English service.

    30 min

  4. FEB 17

    Spotlight on Africa: the race for Africa's critical minerals

    In this episode of Spotlight on Africa, we're looking at the race for critical minerals on the continent. In the first week of February, around forty African delegations were invited to Washington DC for a summit dedicated to the issue. The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo appear keen to sign deals, but much of the rest of Africa has been calling for better proposals and more robust mechanisms to ensure accountability. So what is happening? The African continent is rich in resources that are critical to the energy transition, as well as to the electronics and high-tech industries. Africa holds vast reserves of coltan, gallium, cobalt, tantalum, lithium, nickel, and many other strategic minerals that sit at the heart of this global competition. The Trump administration is seeking to counter China's growing dominance over the continent's metals and mining sectors. DR Congo weighs price of security in minerals deal with US   For the moment, Trump is focused on a  US - DRC agreement, which would prioritise American interests in the central African country's supply chain. The DRC sits on vast mineral wealth and is currently engaged in a peace process with Rwanda, brokered by the United States. DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped? To help us analyse the context of these deals, we are joined today by three guests. First, Clionadh Raleigh, head of ACLED - the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. We also have Akin Adegoke, Chief Digital Officer at Lotus Bank, who brings experience in driving technology-led, inclusive banking. And finally, Frédéric Mousseau, Policy Director at the California-based Oakland Institute, who argues that, that under the guise of peace and development, the US–DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement rewrote Congo's laws to favour American mining interests." Delegates also gathered at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for the 32nd edition of the African Mining Indaba, the continent's largest conference on the sector. You'll also hear reactions from people on the ground in the DRC, as well as from leaders in South Africa and Zambia, on what has already been dubbed the new scramble for Africa. Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

    29 min

  5. FEB 3

    Spotlight on Africa: US strikes in Nigeria and fear among the African diaspora

    In the episode, we examine recent US strikes in northern Nigeria and explore the experiences of the US African diaspora in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nigeria has endured years of violence from extremist groups such as Boko Haram, but there is growing debate over whether a US intervention is the appropriate response. Meanwhile, in the US, many immigrants say they feel under threat as enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensify. This week, we discuss recent US airstrikes in northern Nigeria and the fact that many people of  African descent feel threatened by the recent enforcement actions by ICE in many US cities.  The United States launched airstrikes in northern Nigeria in late December, saying it had targeted Islamic State jihadists - at Abuja’s request - to halt the killing of Christians. However, experts have challenged Washington’s claims that Christians are being massacred in Nigeria, arguing that the narrative, promoted by sections of the American right, oversimplifies far more complex conflicts. US strikes on Nigeria set 'deeply troubling precedent' for African governance First, we talk to Isa Sanusi, from Amnesty International Nigeria, to discuss the aftermath of the US strikes and of US President Donald Trump's invasive strategy to fight jihadism in West Africa. US to increase cooperation with Nigeria to pursue Islamic State militants US African diaspora in Minneapolis Meanwhile, within the United States, anti-immigration policies have intensified since the Trump administration took office a year ago, affecting even some people who are living in the country legally. In Minneapolis in January 2026, two people were killed in shootings involving US federal immigration agents. On 7 January, 37‑year‑old Renée Nicole Macklin Good, an American woman, was fatally shot by an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a federal enforcement operation. Then, on 24 January, 37‑year‑old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a United States citizen and intensive care unit nurse, was shot and killed by officers from United States Customs and Border Protection in a separate incident in Minneapolis. US immigration agent's fatal shooting of woman leaves Minneapolis in shock Others were killed without making the headlines. Human rights lawyers have cited at least nine such cases, and possibly more, including Keith Porter, Parady La, Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, Víctor Manuel Díaz, Luis Beltrán Yáñez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, and Geraldo Lunas Campos. Anti-immigration policies have particularly targeted Somali migrants and Somali Americans, among other immigrant communities. Minneapolis is also the city where George Floyd, a Black American man, was killed by police in 2020, an event that sparked the global Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Dr Rashad Shabazz joins us from the United States. He is a historical geographer specialising in race, culture and the built environment at Arizona State University. He has recently published a series of studies on the diversity of Minneapolis, undertaken while working on a new book about one of the city’s most famous residents, the musician and singer Prince. Music from us Finally you'll also hear music from the Cameroonian French duo, OKALI. The song Gathering celebrates gathering and sharing; Traveler explores travel and cultural exchange.   Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed by Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

    33 min

  6. JAN 20

    Spotlight on Africa: Uganda vote and Somaliland recognition roil East Africa

    In this first episode of Spotlight on Africa for 2026, we look back at a very eventful first three weeks of January. We focus on the recent general elections in Uganda, Israel's recognition of Somaliland, and how both could have implications for the entire East Africa region and beyond. Over 21 million Ugandan citizens were called to the polls last Thursday in the country's general elections. Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, 81, stood for a seventh term following 40 years in power. He faced seven challengers, including Robert Kyagulanyi, known to most as Bobi Wine, who garnered substantial support but fell short of unseating the veteran leader. Museveni was declared the winner on Saturday 17 January, securing over 76 per cent of the vote. In this edition of Spotlight on Africa, you'll hear from Bobi Wine's international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, about the formidable obstacles facing opposition candidates during the campaign. 'He represents a population desperate for change’, Bobi Wine’s lawyer tells RFI Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the think tank Vanguard Africa, joins us to examine the aftermath of these elections and the future of politics in Uganda, and more broadly across East Africa and other parts of the continent where democracy is severely undermined. Somaliland, Israel and the Horn of Africa The state of Israel recognised the independence of Somaliland from Somalia in the final days of December, prompting widespread concern and questions in an already turbulent region, and drawing largely condemnatory responses. The risky calculations behind Israel's recognition of Somaliland   Faisal Ali is a Somali British independent journalist. He looks with us at the motivations behind this move for every state involved.    Episode edited by Melissa Chemam and mixed Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

    33 min

  7. 12/10/2025

    Spotlight on Africa: Unesco's history of Africa and Sammy Baloji's Congolese history

    In this new episode of Spotlight on Africa, we explore different perspectives on African history – from Unesco, which has just released the final three volumes of its General History of Africa, and from the Congo through the insights of artist and filmmaker Sammy Baloji. For this final episode of 2025, we look back at the full sweep of the African continent’s history. Sixty years after launching its ambitious project to recover, document and narrate Africa’s past from prehistory to the present day, Unesco has announced the completion of the last three volumes of the General History of Africa. Relaunched in 2018, the project seeks to translate this body of knowledge into educational resources for teaching the continent’s history. Three new volumes - IX, X and XI - have now been published, introducing fresh material and innovative approaches. Our special guest reflects on the project and on African history more broadly: UNESCO’s assistant director-general for social and human sciences, Lidia Brito, who discusses these three new volumes. In the second part of this episode, we also welcome the Congolese artist and filmmaker Sammy Baloji, who discusses his new film The Tree of Authenticity, recently screened at Film Africa in London and now available on the website of the Franco-German television channel ARTE. Rapper and sorcerer-poet, Baloji, works his magic on new album The documentary begins in Yangambi, in the Congo, in search of the remnants of a former research centre for tropical agriculture, bearing witness to the country’s colonial past at the heart of the continent. In doing so, it highlights the links between colonisation and the climate crisis, adopting an unusual perspective: that of the “tree of authenticity”, which plays a decisive role in regulating the climate. Congolese filmmaker Baloji mixes magic with biting social commentary Episode edited and mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

    32 min

  8. 11/26/2025

    Spotlight on Africa: from Sudan’s exodus to South Africa’s G20 and the arts

    In this new episode of Spotlight on Africa, we hear from Sudanese people fleeing the atrocities in El Fasher. We also reflect on a year of South Africa’s presidency of the G20, which held its final major summit of the year this weekend in Johannesburg. And, in the final segment of the episode, we turn to the world of the arts.  In Sudan, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said last week that atrocities in Darfur – where the rebellious RSF are fiercely battling the regular army and targeting civilians – have been met with indifference and “complete impunity”. He made the remarks following a visit to the devastated Sudanese region. Chad has consequently become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict in Sudan – and as violence against civilians intensifies in Darfur, even more are crossing the border. The influx is placing severe pressure on already scarce resources in one of Africa’s poorest countries. Meanwhile, Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council, travelled to eastern Chad recently and spoke to us while on the ground visiting refugee camps. She said that the escalating humanitarian crisis urgently requires the world’s attention and that she expects more people to flee Sudan in search of safety and basic survival. As thousands flee, Sudan's war spills over into humanitarian crisis in Chad Last weekend in South Africa, the final event of the country’s G20 South African presidency - the heads of state summit  - took place in Johannesburg, aiming to secure commitments on debt relief for developing countries and to address global inequalities. World leaders signed a declaration reflecting a “renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation”, according to South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa. We have two guests reflecting on this significant year for Africa: Désiré Assogbavi, Adviser for Africa at the Open Society Foundations, a lawyer and international development expert in African institutions, policy, and politics, who took part in many of this year’s meetings in South Africa, including the Heads of State Summit in Johannesburg this weekend; Ivor Ichikowitz, founder and director of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, which has produced the comprehensive African Youth Survey G20 Briefing to better understand what young Africans expect from this moment of leadership. South Africa closes G20 year framed as ‘presidency for all of Africa’ Finally, we’ll hear from my colleague Ollia Horton, who recently met in Paris with the Ghanaian artist Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku, a civil engineer by profession and an artist at heart. A stitch in time: the Ghanaian artist sewing trash into treasure He has found an innovative way to raise awareness of the problem of textile waste in his native Ghana. His  installations are stitched together from hundreds of pieces of used clothing, collected from cities around the world as part of a project that has spanned decades. Episode mixed by Melissa Chemam and Erwan Rome. Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

    39 min
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An in-depth look at an important story affecting the African continent today.

Information

  • Creator
    RFI English
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Radio France Internationale
  • Show Website
    Spotlight on Africa

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