Top Africa Stories of the Year 2024

December 27, 2024

Dear friends of This Week in Africa:

Another year! Check out our previous years-in-review here: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. It’s been nearly a decade!

Here are our top stories of the year 2024:

1. Rising importance of the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is now the largest investor in new business projects in Africa. It has established a deep presence across east Africa. While its finances are welcomed, human rights advocates worry about the impact on human rights and the environment. The UAE have been accused of fuelling Sudan’s war. Ken Opalo thoughtfully writes on the topic.

2. The loss of incumbency advantage

More than a dozen countries held presidential elections in 2024. It was not a good year to be an incumbent. In Senegal, Macky Sall tried to delay elections but was faced with stiff resistance and a rejection by the Constitutional Court. Sall’s party lost the presidency to 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Faye comes from humble beginnings: the remote town of Ndiagania, where residents lined up in a long queue to vote. He is a former tax collector who was imprisoned for criticizing the government and spent ten months in jail.

Oge Onubogu and Ibrahim Gambari reflect on the results. Gilles Yabi and Saskia Holman document the shift from constitutional crisis to democratic restoration. Pro-democracy organizations celebrated the outcome, which gives young African hope. Chris Ogunmodede argues that viewing the situation through the lens of “youth” is misguided. Catherine Lena Kelly provides this excellent analysis.

In a shocking defeat, after nearly sixty years in office, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) lost its majority in Parliament. The PDP were brought down by a crash in the diamond market, poor economic growth and high unemployment. Citizens have become increasingly disillusioned with the governing party in recent years. Incumbent Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded peacefully. Human rights lawyer Duma Bako, leader of the opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), is the new president. The UDC worked years for this massive achievement. The world has a lot to learn from Botswana.

John Mahama is the new president of Ghana. Afolabi Adekaiyaoja argues that Ghana’s situation represents the challenges of democratization across the continent. Ernest Harsch explains the high price of power in Ghana. Chris Ogunmodede argues that Ghanaians will not miss the Akuffo-Addo era. John J. Chin explains why Ghana’s election is so important. Our election overview offered a preview of the election, while Joseph Asunka outlines the important issues that were at stake. Mahama is rethinking tax policy and wants to resume Chinese-backed infrastructure deals. Ghana’s top court paved the way for Mahama to sign the anti-LGBTQ bill—if he chooses to.

3. 30 years of democracy in South Africa

South Africa celebrated 30 years of democratic rule. There is a lot to celebrate: A free and independent press, a durable and progressive constitution, and a booming commercial life for the middle class. This is a nice retrospective of how the country has fared on the country’s ten principles of the Freedom Charter.

But there is also a lot of disappointment. Corrupt politicians continue to fill the lists of the ANC and the lack of economic redistribution illustrates the persistence of systematic inequalities. Many young South Africans are rethinking Nelson Mandela’s legacy. Chris Ogunmodede explains how the past thirty years offers important lessons in myth-making and storytelling. Evan Lieberman offers his take. This set of historians provide these excellent insights into South African democracy at 30. Check out these Conversation articles for more.

In response to the challenging economic times and political mismanagement, the ANC lost its majority in this year’s election and was forced to build a coalition government. ANC total supremacy is over. This portrait of two voters explains the logic for why some citizens moved away from the ANC, which is now a rural party. Others simply did not vote. David Pilling calls it what it is: The era of ANC dominance is over. South Africans might be disillusioned with democracy, but they went to the polls to make their voices heard. Justice Malala argues that the results signal a normalization process. Sean Jacobs’ explains the undoing: from protest to power. Race still divides the country. Lydia Polgreen explains what it all means: South Africa is not a metaphor. Dan De Kadt says it best: Everything has changed but nothing is different.

4. Ethiopia and Somaliland’s port deal

Ethiopia struck a port deal with Somaliland, angering its neighbors. Somalis protested the agreement. With the agreement, Somaliland also took a stake in Ethiopian Airlines. Despite these aggressive geopolitical moves, Ethiopia’s economy is struggling after defaulting on its sovereign debt. Mehari Taddele Marue argues that the port deal might be a move to divert attention away from its problems, while it provides a step toward recognition for Somaliland.

Somalia is furious about Ethiopia’s recent port deal with Somaliland. Somalia’s president warns that he will “use all necessary measures” to stop the plan. Ken Opalo provides the best explainer on the situation. Learn more about the Horn’s crisis of sovereignty. Somalia and Ethiopia are working to settle their dispute.

Somaliland eyes Ethiopia’s recognition. Scott Pegg explains the Somaliland-Ethiopia Memorandum of Understanding that could reshape geopolitics in the region. With Trump elected in the US, there is an opportunity for the US to deepen ties to Somaliland, and perhaps pave the way for state recognition.

5. Sudan’s civil war

Sudan’s war entered a dangerous new phase as fighting spread to the east. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, nicknamed Hemedti took control. The UAE plays a prominent role by funding the RSF militia. The war has gutted Khartoum’s buildings and built environment. Yousra Elbagir takes us inside the destruction of Sudan’s iconic street market. Sudan’s war is destroying its culture and heritage, and the country is now a failing state. Nesrine Malik summarizes the devastation as the UN emphasizes rape, murder, and hunger. Amel Mukhtar remembers: The Land that Time Forgot. This NY Times cover page visualizes the devastation.

Alex de Waal explains how the Sudanese civil war is a vortex of transnational conflicts. Ken Opalo provides this excellent analysis of the war. This post provides important historical context to the conflict. Sudan’s resistance committees are trying hard to keep its revolution alive. Meanwhile, meet Sudan’s artists in exile. Photographer Ala Kheir documents a fractured life in limbo.

The world has forgotten Sudan in what has been a collective failure. Two generals have wrecked the country. At least 150,000 people have died in the last year. Sudanese are forced to help themselves through war and famine. Stay up-to-date with the state of the war with Sudan War Monitor.

The country remains a conflict to watch in 2025. This is a helpful mapping of the regional actors involved in its civil war. What was old is new again in the humanitarian crisis. Could partition be in Sudan’s future?

6. Backsliding of LGBTQ rights

LGBTQ+ rights in Africa are under threat. Uganda passed an anti-LGBTQ law that risks a massive health crisis. There is a worsening climate of intolerance in the country. Kristof Titeca provides these excellent insights into the role of the international community in fuelling the sentiment. The legislation sparked a wave of anti-LGBTQ activity across the continent.

Ghana’s Parliament passed a bill making identifying as LGBTQ illegal. The bill poses serious threats to LGBTQ people in the country. The bill also penalizes those involved in LGBTQ advocacy. If signed, the law would be one of the harshest on the continent. The bill signals an “imperialism loop problem.” The bill threatens the rights of all Ghanaians. Netright issues this statement condemning the bill.

Critics worry of “continental contagion.” Anti-gay legislation is being considered in Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, and South Sudan. Philip Ayoub and Kristina Stoeckl examine the global resistance to LGBTIQ rights. Amnesty International reports that LGBTQ+ people face fear, attacks, increased oppression, and growing hostility towards their identities. Meanwhile, evangelical Christian groups from the United States continue to push for tougher laws.

7. Escalation of violence in DR Congo

Conflict escalated in eastern DR Congo. Relations between Rwanda and DR Congo deteriorated as M23 rebels advanced in Goma. Refugees sheltered in the city as they escaped the violence. This is a helpful report on M23’s activity. Learn more about the legacy of the Genocide in the conflict in neighboring DR Congo. Jason Stearns explains the forgotten war. The year ended with peace talks between Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi, but they could not agree to a political settlement.

8. The world’s green energy transition

The world’s green energy transition is fuelling a demand for minerals across the continent. Countries are rushing to Africa to extract critical minerals. African critical minerals output could reach $2 trillion by 2050. Africa holds a very high share of global critical mineral supply. Learn more about resource nationalism in the age of green industrialization. Festival Godwin Boateng and Jacqueline Klopp ask the fundamental question: Is the electric vehicle transition a blessing or a curse for improving extractive industries and mineral supply chains?

DR Congo accuses Apple of using conflict minerals. Carnegie’s Africa Program examines Africa’s natural resources in the global energy transition. Theophilus Acheampong outlines these cooperative pathways for Europe and Africa on critical minerals. USIP provides this report on critical minerals in Africa.

9. Floods in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria

El Niño rains caused heavy floods in Tanzania, killing at least 155 people. The rains severely flooded Kenya’s cities as well, affecting its poorest neighborhoods the most. This video and this video tell the story. Nanjala Nyabola says it best: “That thing where a city built on a swamp culls 4000 of the trees planted to help drain the swamp and builds apartment complexes with no green spaces and roads with no drainage instead.” Wow. And wow. And wow.

Sean Avery explains why the floods have been so devastating to Kenyan communities. Climate change, government mismanagement, and poor infrastructure contribute to the flooding challenge. Heavy rains leading to flooding will remain a challenge for a very long time, as I outlined in “Five Trends that will Shape Urban Africa in 2023.” East Africa continues to bear the brunt of climate change, and thousands have been displaced from their homes. What’s causing the catastrophic rainfall?

Nigeria also experienced massive flooding after a dam collapsed in the north. What caused the Maiduguri floods? Watch this documentary for more. Floods are threatening the entire continent.

10. Anti-tax protests in Kenya

Kenyans took to the streets to protest a controversial finance bill. Deemed Gen Zs, the protesters were against an increase in taxes that would raise the cost of living and cost of doing business. Rasna Warah explains that the protests are unique because of their leaderless-ness, the use of TikTok and X to mobilize support, and the lack of organized civil society involvement.

Some demonstrators stormed the Parliament building. The police responded with shooting live rounds at protesters and dousing them with teargas. Security forces killed at least 23 people. Kamau Wairuri explains how the use of excessive force is “ingrained in the culture of the Kenyan state police,” and these researchers discuss the security force that is beyond reform. These photos and videos tell the story. These are the front pages of Kenya’s newspapers. This is an iconic photo.

While William Ruto was flying all over the world, he forgot the discontent brewing at home. Peter Lockwood argues that Ruto awakened class politics during his election campaign, and now cannot control it. Ken Opalo explains the economic and political context that led to the protests. Nanjala Nyabola suggests that there was long simmering anger among the youth, leading to what Wangui Kimari calls a collective rage. Kathleen Klaus analyzes the longstanding and unresolved issues behind the protests, while Xn Iraki highlights the high cost of living that contributed to the discontent. Paul Zeleza explains that the Gen Z protests are part of a larger youth bulge happening across the continent.

11. Mozambique’s political crisis

FRELIMO’s Daniel Chapo became the new president of Mozambique this year after winning October’s election. FRELIMO also holds an absolute majority in Parliament. Mozambique faces several urgent economic and political challenges.

But Mozambique now faces a post-election political crisis as opposition supporters outlined widespread evidence of irregularities in the polls. They have taken to the streets for months in protest. Sam Jones explains these economic policies that could help Mozambique move forward. It remains a question whether the national project of unity can persist in its current form. This was a great webinar to better understand popular politics in Mozambique.

Learn more about Venâncio Mondlane, the main opposition figure in the country. Here is a helpful explainer on Mozambique’s post-election crisis. Hubris among the elites, chaos on the streets. Why is Mozambique in chaos?

12. We remember

We lost some giants this year. We remember South African photographer Peter Magubane, Kenyan activist Zarina Patel, ballerina Michaela DePrince, kora player and composer Toumani Diabaté, South African businessman and politician Tito Mboweni, and Zimbabwe’s public historian Pathisa Nyathi.

Kenyan marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum died in a car accident at the age of 24. He redefined what it takes to win marathons. His coach Garvais Hakizimana also died in the accident. South African footballer Luke Fleurs was shot dead in a hijacking incident in Johannesburg. Mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui died after attempting to climb Mount Everest without extra oxygen. Dikembe Mutombo died from brain cancer at age 58. Maasai Ujiri provides this heartfelt reflection. Ugandan runner Rebecca Cheptegie died after a horrific attack by her old boyfriend.

We remember scholars Bruce Berman, Jane Guyer, Johan Galtung, and Elleni Centime Zeleke Tizita. James Scott wrote a lot of great books (watch his oral history here). We will greatly miss Professor Nicolas van de Walle. The Africanist community lost a brilliant scholar, wonderful colleague, mentor, and friend.

13. And some fun links from daily life

What did Frantz Fanon and Ian Fleming agree on? Will African art museums change the game? What’s holding back the African fashion industry? Will Africans see themselves in the future? Sean Jacobs and Kathryn Mathers ask: Why are stories about African suffering so persistent? What did Pelumi Nubi learn on her drive from London to Lagos? Whose Bienalle is it anyway?

Learn about how Spotify helped turn Afrobeats into a global phenomenon. Read your way through Lagos and Peace Medie reads her way through Accra. The metalheads of Nairobi. Sammy Baloji’s work captures DR Congo’s vibrant arts and culture. Léonard Pongo, The Uncanny. Criticism meets optimism at the Nigeria Pavillion. Nigerian fashion, beyond the catwalk. Nigerien musician Mdou Moctar’s guitar is a siren song against colonialism. Johannesburg in a time of darkness. West African fashion designers are global leaders in producing sustainable clothing. A peculiar people. Meet Nigerian chessmaster Tunde Onakoya.

This is how Nigerian chef Ayo Balogun spends his Sundays. Chef Marcus Samuelsson opens his first restaurant in Ethiopia. What drives the Toronto Raptors’ Masai Ujuri? Sorry Kansas City, this is how you celebrate a big sports victory. Ugandan cricket! The NBA is making a big bet on Africa. France’s multiculturalism was on full display at the Olympics. South Sudan gets its first hoops win. Are the Olympics “wide open” to Africans? The ocean is liberating for some of South Africa’s best surfers. Can Burkina’s arthouse cinema survive insurgency? Bullfighting wants a place on Kenya’s tourism circuit. How a fashion editor spends a week in Dakar. African brutalism. Where in the US are the largest diasporas from different African countries?

Is Michelin finally starting to notice African cooking? Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama turns Ghana’s past into future possibility. Meet the surfer and tribal chief fighting to save a 550km South African coast. And a tour of modernist hotels in Africa.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and happy new year!!

Jeff and Phil