Subsaharan Africa
This area stretches from the Cape Verde islands on the Atlantic to the Horn of Africa on the Indian Ocean, and north to south from the Upper Nile and the Sahara Desert to the Cape of Good Hope, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. The continent’s main assets are abundant natural resources and a young population.
Reports on Subsaharan Africa See all →
Angola’s oil comeback: Cautious optimism
After experiencing a meteoric rise following the end of the civil war in 2002, the Angolan oil industry came tumbling down with the 2008 oil price crash and never recovered. Several recent developments indicate that a partial return to health could be on the horizon – although pre-2008 production will remain unattainable in the short term.
High hopes for the African Continental Free Trade Area
The launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has come with high hopes for a boost in economic activity and development. But free trade agreements in themselves are no silver bullet for backward economies. Especially in Africa, institutional reform, infrastructure improvement and the reduction of nontariff barriers will ...
Mali and Mauritania: Instability in the Sahel
Mali and Mauritania are both politically and economically fragile. In these two countries, social divides and the state’s inability to fully control its own territory has led to the rise of radicalized armed groups. These challenges highlight the instability that threatens the entire Sahel region – a state of affairs ...
Opinion: Jihadists open a new front in West Africa
Since the mid-2010s, countries in the Gulf of Guinea have seen an increase in terrorist attacks. Lax border control allows jihadist violence to spread rapidly through preexisting criminal networks. National authorities are taking measures to counter the threat, but the issue will need to be addressed from a regional perspective ...
Dim prospects for developing countries
Developing countries are facing some favorable global conditions, with cheap financing, rising commodity prices, and foreign investors looking for opportunity. But three roadblocks will prevent improved growth in Africa and other developing economies: government involvement in the market, an outsize bureaucracy, and an undereducated labor force. The solutions now being ...
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