AFRICA

 As international demand for birdwatching grows, Africa’s protected areas are gaining greater visibility among specialist travellers. A new global ranking highlights four parks whose rich birdlife is helping reshape the continent’s wildlife tourism market.   SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Four African protected areas have been ranked among the …

  Africa’s telecom industry is moving beyond connectivity, investing in intelligent infrastructure to power the continent’s digital economy.   SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African telecom operators are increasingly deploying technologies that improve network efficiency, intelligence and performance rather than simply extending network reach. A rising demand for artificial …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For years, Uganda has quietly stood in the shadow of Africa’s most celebrated safari destinations. Travellers often rushed to Kenya for the Great Migration, Tanzania for the Serengeti, Botswana for luxury safaris, or South Africa for polished wildlife experiences. Yet, hidden in the center …

  SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Nigeria’s discovery of a major new critical minerals province reflects a broader shift as Africa’s leading oil producers invest in mining to diversify their resource economies. The strategy aims to reduce dependence on a single commodity by expanding exploration, attracting mining investment and building …

  Settlement with BB Energy restores crude-backed financing access while underscoring the need for careful management of future petroleum revenues   Juba, South Sudan | AGENCIES |  South Sudan has regained limited access to advance financing against its future crude oil exports after reaching an agreement with commodities trader BB …

ANALYSIS | As South Sudan marks 15 years of independence, millions of people continue to live with the consequences of conflict and violence. For more than 40 years, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked alongside communities across the country, helping people survive conflict, recover from injury …

  The outbreak in the DRC has led to more than 1,900 cases and more than 700 deaths, according to the latest figures from the DRC’s Ministry of Health   Berlin, Germany | AGENCIES | A second American citizen infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been …

Peace settlements have redistributed access to money, offices and external finance among elites, leaving intact the coercive revenue system and war economies that preceded them   COMMENT | MATTHEW BENSON-STROHMAYER | South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011 was meant to close the chapter on one of Africa’s longest civil wars: …

NEWS ANALYSIS | Xinhua | The first round of weekly anti-illegal immigration protests drew fewer participants than organizers had expected in Johannesburg and several other South African cities on Thursday, but analysts say the modest turnout should not be interpreted as waning public concern over immigration, unemployment and the country’s …

  New investments from technology companies suggest AI is becoming as important to Africa’s creative economy as affordable cameras and smartphones were a decade ago. Rather than focusing solely on discovering talent, companies are increasingly investing in the tools, financing and infrastructure that allow African creators to produce world-class content …