Africa

World News

Nigerian President Tells BBC War Against Boko Haram 'Technically' Won

4:18pm December 24, 2015

Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari said in an interview that the war against Boko Haram has "technically" been won. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with the BBC reporter who conducted the interview, Abdullahi Kaura Abubakar, about what this statement means.

World News

Rising From The Ocean Floor, Developers Create New City In Nigeria

4:18pm December 24, 2015

by Nick Schifrin

The number of people living in Nigeria's most populous city, Lagos, is set to double in coming years. Developers are creating a new city on what was until recently the ocean. It will cater to the super rich, which critics say will only exacerbate an already severe wealth gap.

World News

Rebels In Burundi Pledge To Oust The Country's President

5:10am December 24, 2015

by Gregory Warner

Burundi appears on the verge of coming apart.There are calls for intervention by African Union forces to calm ethnic tensions in a region still traumatized by the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda.

Queue Listen Now

In addition to the dancing devils, there's Old Man Beggar, who also parades around on Christmas. At right is a Liberian version of Santa.

Liberia's Dancing Christmas Devils Could Give Krampus A Lesson In Niceness

8:33pm December 23, 2015

by Max Bankole Jarrett

They tower on stilts, they're draped in hay, they dance like crazy and demand a holiday tip. But don't worry — they're really nice!

Onlookers come to admire the self-proclaimed

Which Burns More Kilowatt-Hours: America's Christmas Lights Or Tanzania?

5:57pm December 22, 2015

by Marc Silver

As you might have guessed, the answer is not Tanzania. So the holiday season is a good time to reflect on ... electricity.

Dr. Mosoka Fallah (center), an epidemiologist who investigates cases of Ebola, meets with residents of New Kru Town, a district in Monrovia, Liberia.

Health & Safety

Ebola Mystery: Did A Mom Who Tested Negative Infect Her Family?

4:52pm December 22, 2015

by Carielle Doe

Liberia was Ebola-free for two months. Then the virus struck three family members. But how did they get it? That's what investigators are trying to figure out.

World News

South African Protesters Call For President Zuma's Resignation

2:59pm December 22, 2015

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Near the end of a tough year for South Africa's economy, protesters are hitting the streets, railing against President Jacob Zuma. They want Zuma to resign after he fired the finance minister.

Queue Listen Now

President Paul Kagame posted his ballot in Kigali on Friday as Rwandans voted in a referendum to decide whether he should be allowed to extend his time in power.

World News

Rwanda's President Dangles The Possibility Of A Third Term

2:55pm December 22, 2015

by Gregory Warner

Paul Kagame is the only president the country has had since 2000. He's already served two terms, and voters support amending the constitution to allow him to stay in office another 17 years.

Queue Listen Now

U.S. Takes Steps To Protect Two Breeds Of African Lion

7:54pm December 21, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

The move by the Fish and Wildlife Service will mean stricter regulation of lion parts and sport-hunting trophies.

After Killing Of Cecil, White House Enacts Protections For Lions

7:49pm December 21, 2015

by Brian Naylor

Months after an American dentist shot and killed a beloved African lion named Cecil, the Obama administration moves to protect lions in Africa through the Endangered Species Act.

Queue Listen Now