<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

Assessments

United States

A Nigerian soldier stands guard at a checkpoint at the entrance to Monguno, Borno state, Nigeria, on July 4, 2025. 

Military & Security

Trump wants Nigeria to take action against the armed groups targeting Christians in the country, but Abuja will face challenges in sustaining such operations, which could lead to unilateral U.S. military action if there are fresh instances of intercommunal violence.

Will the United States Take Military Action in Nigeria?

Columns

On Security

Chile

Ecuador

Peru

Jordan

Lebanon

Morocco

Tunisia

Turkey

Indonesia

Philippines

Thailand

Serbia

Bangladesh

Nepal

Fire rages through the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu on Sept. 9, 2025, after youth protesters set fire to the building. 

Economics

Politics

Recent events in Nepal, Madagascar and elsewhere show how digitally coordinated, leaderless protests can succeed, but eventually face even larger challenges in sustaining the momentum for change.

Worldwide Gen Z Protesters May Be Disappointed With Their Success

Media

Podcasts

Why are certain countries and regions more susceptible to youth protests?

Essential Geopolitics: Implications of the Growing Gen Z Protests in Africa

Argentina

China

Japan

South Korea

Netherlands

Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

U.S.-China Relations

Kenyan forces stand next to the coffin of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during a funeral mass at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology on October 19, 2025 in Bondo, Kenya.

Social Issues

The death of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga creates a significant power vacuum, fundamentally altering the political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.


What Raila Odinga's Death Means for Kenyan Politics

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party reacts on stage during a rally in Dar es Salaam on Aug. 28, 2025, to officially launch the CCM's campaign ahead of the Tanzanian general election. 

Energy

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is highly likely to be reelected in the Oct. 29 ballot, which is unlikely to turn violent but could portend wider governance challenges in the medium term.

Previewing Tanzania's General Elections

Global Elections

Snapshots

Protesters face police from a distance near burning barricades in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Oct. 9, 2025. 

President Andry Rajoelina's removal on the back of widespread, youth-led protests will likely deescalate tensions in Madagascar in the next few weeks, but it could inspire similar protest movements elsewhere in Africa and potentially beyond.

Africa Sees Its First Gen Z-Driven Coup in Madagascar

Israel

Palestinian Territories

France

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Persistent conflict and armed group control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will sustain significant legal, financial and reputational pressures on companies sourcing critical minerals from the region for the foreseeable future.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Due Diligence and Congo's Critical Minerals

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Forecast Webcast

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast Webcast

Leaders of political parties part of South Africa's coalition government adopted the country's Medium-Term Development Plan, vowed to accelerate reforms and ratified the terms of reference of the government's clearinghouse mechanism to resolve intra-coalition disagreements, News24 reported on Nov. 3.

South Africa: Coalition Government Agrees on Clearinghouse Mechanism, Policy Agenda 

Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has contested incumbent candidate Paul Biya's victory in the October presidential election, has reportedly moved to Nigeria's Adamawa state, where Nigerian intelligence services are monitoring his presence and anticipating a potential request for his extradition, Africa Intelligence reported on Nov. 4.

Cameroon: Opposition Leader Tchiroma Reportedly Relocates to Nigeria

Djibouti's parliament voted unanimously to remove the constitutional presidential age limit of 75 years, Arab News reported on Nov. 2.

Djibouti: Parliament Approves Removal of Presidential Age Limit

Tanzania's main opposition party, Chadema, rejected the Oct. 29 election results as unfair, The Star reported on Nov. 2, and the Southern African Development Community concurred by stating that the vote did not meet the criteria for free and fair elections. 

Tanzania: Opposition Rejects President's Landslide Win as Shipping Lines Are Redirected to Kenya

An advisor to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu welcomed assistance from the United States against armed groups targeting Christian communities and hinted at a potential meeting between Tinubu and U.S. President Donald Trump, but stressed that such U.S. support needed to respect Nigeria's sovereignty, Reuters reported on Nov. 3. 

Nigeria: Government Signals Readiness for Cooperation With U.S. After Trump's Threats

Venezuela

Algeria

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Russia

At their Nov. 2 meeting, the eight OPEC+ countries implementing voluntary production cuts agreed to boost production by 137,000 barrels per day in December -- the third consecutive small production hike of that level -- but plan to pause production hikes from January-March 2026, Reuters reported. 

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed that he was escorted to a safe location by friendly soldiers who were now ensuring his protection, Reuters reported on Oct. 31.

Cameroon: Tchiroma Claims To Be Under Protection of Friendly Soldiers, Showcasing Rising Risk of Military Defections

Guinea Bissau Army Gen. Mamadu Ture said the military had foiled a coup attempt aimed at "disrupting" the country's Nov. 23 general election, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 31.

Guinea Bissau: Army Claims To Have Foiled Coup Attempt

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

South Africa: Coalition Government Agrees on Clearinghouse Mechanism, Policy Agenda

Cameroon: Opposition Leader Tchiroma Reportedly Relocates to Nigeria

Djibouti: Parliament Approves Removal of Presidential Age Limit

Tanzania: Opposition Rejects President's Landslide Win as Shipping Lines Are Redirected to Kenya

Nigeria: Government Signals Readiness for Cooperation With U.S. After Trump's Threats

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

Cameroon: Tchiroma Claims To Be Under Protection of Friendly Soldiers, Showcasing Rising Risk of Military Defections

Guinea Bissau: Army Claims To Have Foiled Coup Attempt

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