Africa Daily

A new government for the Democratic Republic of Congo will be sworn in at the weekend, and President Felix Tshisekedi will start his second term of office.The country faces many challenges: from conflict in the east, to poor infrastructure, to lack of investment in public services. There are also questions about how connected the political elite in the capital are with the rest of the country, the biggest in Africa south of the Sahara. So what are the expectations of the population for this new government? We discuss this with Fred Bauma, a civil society activist and leader of a social justice collective called ‘La Lutte pour le Changement’, known as LUCHA. For many years he has been a leading voice in the DRC calling for political participation and peaceful activism.

On the podcast in November last year we heard the terrible stories of South Africans who’d lost their loved ones to cholera. Then, the disease was sweeping across Southern Africa and was causing a public health crisis in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique and Cameroon. Now, just two months later – Zambia is scrambling to contain the disease with more than 9,500 people affected.Since 2023, 13 countries in the region have battled one of the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region in years and, as of 15 January 2024, more than 200,000 cases, including over 3000 deaths, have been reported.Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja discusses with BBC Africa’s Health Correspondent Dorcas Wangira why this preventable disease is proving so hard to control.

Former president Ernest Bai Koroma is due in court on Wednesday to face treason charges and other offences in connection with an attempted coup last November. More than 20 people were killed when key sites across the country were attacked, including a military barracks and a prison where more than 2,200 inmates were set free. Ernest Bai Koroma was elected in 2007 and was president for 11 years, he has denied any involvement. In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja spoke to journalist Umaru Fofana in the capital Freetown on the charges and what this case means for Sierra Leone.

For many women and girls in Africa, getting their hair is a done is an essential ritual to feel and look good. Many find the hair salon to be one of the few places where they have time for themselves, to chat, laugh, to share good news and sorrows. But what if seeing your stylist was about something much more than getting your hair done… what if that relationship could help to save your life? In today’s Africa Daily Alan Kasujja has been speaking to Marie-Alix de Putter, the founder of the ‘Heal by Hair’ initiative. She explains why she believes that hairdressers have the under valued skills that could help African women with their mental health challenges and how her hair stylist helped her at the worst moment of her life.

“When you commit to a journey, the universe conspires to help you.“ In a surprise zoom call with student Mamadou Barry, Will Smith quoted those words from Paulo Coelho’s novel 'The Alchemist'. That story is about a boy who goes on a journey across north Africa to Egypt when he dreams of gold. In a case of real life mirroring fiction, Mamadou also gave up his normal life to undertake a long journey across northern Africa. But his dream was of studying at the Al-Azhar university in Cairo, Egypt. When he realised he couldn’t raise enough money for a flight, Mamadou decided he’d simply cycle there, and so he began a journey that was to take him four months and thousands of miles through Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger and Chad. His amazing bike ride caught the attention of strangers - who helped him to his end goal - and eventually of Will Smith who sent him a bike, a laptop and flight vouchers in Egypt to help him get back home to Guinea to visit his family.In this edition of the Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi speaks to Mamadou about his journey, his motivation and the unexpected attention and support he’s received.

Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja takes a look at how Ivory Coast is preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to kick off this Saturday. The host nation will take on Guinea-Bissau in a clash that promises to set the tone for the rest of the competition. Other countries to watch include title holders Senegal, 2022 finalists Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Morocco who reached the semifinal of the FIFA World Cup two years ago. But some are weary of spoilers like Zambia who defeated Ivory Coast in 2012 and South Africa who last won it in 1996. Ivory Coast is also using this sporting event for social development, having spent over a billion dollars on stadia and other infrastructure. But many street vendors in the capital Yamoussoukro are fuming after the authorities moved them from areas closer to the stadium, to make way for the visitors. This is the reason some locals say that this event is excluding the poor.

The drama, the excitement and the big talking points – every match day. Star guests join the BBC’s John Bennett for reaction and analysis. We’ll take you from the group stage all the way to the final, with everything you need to know from one of the biggest tournaments in the global game. Search for World Football, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

On the 7th of October 2023, Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and other factions, launched a surprise attack on Israel. It led to the deaths of about 1,200 people, including foreign nationals, according to the Israeli government. More than 200 others were taken to Gaza as hostages, over a hundred have since been released. Israel retaliated with a series of air and artillery strikes in Gaza. The Hamas-led Health Ministry says more than 22,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed to date. South Africa subsequently filed a case against Israel at the United Nations’ top court alleging that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza amounts to an act of genocide. But Israel has dismissed this accusation, promising to fight back. The hearing officially kicks off at the Hague in the Netherlands today.Africa Daily's Alan Kasujja has been looking at the significance of this court case.

This week, pictures of the leader of the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, better known as Hemedti, at a genocide memorial in Rwanda and in Kenya hugging President William Ruto might have confused many. That’s because a civil war has raged in Sudan since last April.It began after Hemedti and the head of the armed forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan disagreed on the direction the country was going in and the proposed move towards civilian rule. The most contentious issue were plans to include the Rapid Support Forces’s 100,000 troops into the army. With no peace talks in sight, why is the RSF’s leader choosing to meet African leaders instead? Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been speaking to the BBC’s Africa correspondent Anne Soy and Suliman Baldo, an expert on Sudan and Executive Director of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker

Can you imagine life without plastic? It’s cheap and convenient – but makes up an estimated 400 million tonnes of waste every year, of which only 10% is recycled.It’s hoped ongoing negotiations could lead to an internationally legally binding treaty on ending plastic pollution by end of this year.But calls for a reduction in the production of plastics is being strongly opposed by the plastics industry as well as oil and petrochemical exporting countries like Saudi Arabia. They insist the best solution to plastic waste is recycling. In this episode of Africa Daily, Peter Musembi speaks to Dr Tiwonge Mzumara-Gawa from the Malawi University of Science and Technology, who is also a campaigner against plastic pollution. She says she's a conservation biologist by training; and an activist by passion.