It’s that time of year again.

Idris and Sabrina Elba are on a mission to transform an entire West African island

Off the coast of Sierra Leone, the actor and model are fighting against tourists traps with their own vision: a tropical “eco-city” of the future. DEVIN GORDON Sherbro Island, a tropical outpost of farmers and fishermen nestled in the crook of Sierra Leone’s arcing Atlantic coastline, is about the size of Chicago, but its population […]

Russian Orthodox Church makes inroads in Africa

MARTINA SCHWIKOWSKI The Russian Orthodox Church is slowly but surely gaining a foothold in Africa. Experts say Russia is using its expansion as a form of ideological soft power. For the past three years, believers in the Central African Republic have been gathering for Russian Orthodox services at the small parish of Saint-Andre de Bimbo […]

Cocaine flowing through West Africa ‘fueling corruption and crack use’

An increase in cocaine trafficking through West Africa is fueling corruption in some countries, reaching the highest levels of government, a report published this week warns. At least 30 percent of cocaine bound for Europe now passes through the region, while growing volumes of the drug are also being consumed locally, including in the form […]

Guinea orders dissolution of 40 political parties, including three main opposition groups

The three main opposition groups in Guinea were dissolved by an overnight decree Friday (March 6) to Saturday, (March 7) less than two months after President Mamadi Doumbouya took office. Guinea has dissolved 40 political parties, including its three main opposition groups, via a late-night decree, fewer than two months after former junta leader Mamady […]

The Silent Epidemic: Why Kidney Disease is a Test of American Healthcare

World Kidney Day was March 12, and here in the U.S., the conversation must be elevated from awareness to action, because the numbers are staggering. ANDREW O. BADDOO, MD More than 37 million American adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet approximately 90 percent of them don’t know they have it. Another […]

Malawi’s Ban on Dual Practice Divides Health Sector

BOUBA JALLOH Malawi has introduced a ban on dual practice, blocking public health workers from holding private medical jobs. The government says the move tackles corruption, but doctors warn it could deepen staff shortages. Malawi’s government in February imposed a comprehensive ban on “dual practice,” prohibiting public‑sector doctors and nurses from working in private clinics, […]

US’s new scramble for Africa is biomedical imperialism

US health agreements across the continent promise funding, but demand access to sensitive data and pathogen samples with few guarantees of equitable benefit-sharing. TAFI MHAKA Late in February, Zimbabwe pulled out of a proposed $367m United States health funding agreement after objecting to provisions requiring broad American access to sensitive health data. The five-year program […]

Africa-Europe migration row deepens as Rwanda sues UK for $125 million compensation

SEGUN ADEYEMI Rwanda is demanding $125 million from the United Kingdom after the abrupt cancellation of a 2022 migrant relocation deal. The case is being heard at an international tribunal in The Hague, with both sides disputing financial obligations. Kigali argues that it incurred high costs in preparing for the scheme, while London insists that […]

Belgian court clears way for trial over 1961 killing of Congo PM Lumumba

HENRI ASTIER A Belgian court has ruled that a former diplomat can stand trial in connection with the killing in 1961 of Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first prime minister. Etienne Davignon, now 93, is accused of involvement in the unlawful detention and transfer of Lumumba and of his degrading treatment. Davignon was a trainee diplomat at […]