NPR News -Africa

June 22, 20246:40 AM ET
Bruce Onobrakpeya, a towering figure in modernism, in his home/studio in Lagos, Nigeria. At 91, he has his first Smithsonian solo show.

Manny Jefferson/for NPR

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Manny Jefferson/for NPR

Bruce Onobrakpeya’s home and studio, partly shielded by trees, sits discreetly along a frenetic side street in Mushin — a working class neighborhood of Lagos, dense with small manufacturing businesses, artisanal workshops and old detached houses.
But on a generous plot, his three-story, concrete modernist home where he’s lived since 1976 is a quiet wonder. Towering sculptures with bronze heads resting on bodies assembled from vehicle parts, loom over the gate. They depict a row of traditional monarchs, dressed with coral beads and holding copper staffs.
The compound is an museum in its own right. The concrete yard is covered in sculptures, paintings and a range of murals, some which he describes as “plastographs” ..

June 20, 20244:51 PM ET

A growing number of children in the U.S. are being targeted in sextortion schemes— a scam in which a cybercriminal obtains and then threatens to release nude or sexually compromising photos, blackmailing victims for a ransom. And sadly dozens of young victims have died by suicide in the last few years. Cybercriminals are often based abroad and it is a particular problem in Nigeria. Our correspondent in Lagos, Nigeria tells us about the issue, about the tragic case of one 17 year-old victim who took his own life, and about what the FBI is doing to combat the problem.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, please get support. In the U.S. you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

June 14, 202412:04 PM ET

More children are targeted by sextortion and dozens have died by suicide in the last few years. Many of the cybercriminals are based abroad, particularly in Nigeria.

June 16, 20247:58 AM ET

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, three Americans are among dozens of people on trial for a failed coup attempt. NPR’s Lauren Frayer talks to independent journalist Emmet Livingstone.

June 14, 202412:44 PM ET
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa raises his hand as he is sworn is as a member of Parliament ahead of an expected vote by lawmakers to decide if he is reelected as leader of the country in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday. At right is Pemmy Majodina, a lawmaker with his African National Congress party.

Jerome Delay/AP

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Jerome Delay/AP

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The African National Congress party has signed a deal to form a coalition government with the main opposition, party officials announced Friday after weeks of fevered negotiations.
Dubbed the government of national unity, this marks a seismic shift in South African politics, which has been dominated by the ANC since the end of apartheid 30 years ago. It aligns the party of the late legendary leader Nelson Mandela with its rival, the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) party. The coalition also includes the smaller Inkatha Freedom Party.
Will i..

June 13, 20247:18 AM ET
South Sudanese who fled from Sudan sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, May 16, 2023. Fighting in Sudan has displaced 10 million people, according to U.N. figures.

Sam Mednick/AP

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Sam Mednick/AP

Almost 120 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced in 2023, the 12th year in a row that figure has risen, according to a new report by the United Nations’ refugees agency.
That means 1 in 69 people on the planet have been forced from their homes, either displaced to other parts of their own country, or across an international border. Just a decade ago, that comparable ratio was just 1 in 125, meaning the proportion of the global population has almost doubled.
There are multiple factors driving these annual increases, Kelly Clements, the deputy high commissioner for the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, told NPR. “We’ve got wars and conflicts that wage on without a solution in places like Afghani..

June 5, 20245:51 PM ET

South Africa is in unchartered political territory as the ruling African National Congress look to other parties to try and shore up its majority after a historic loss of votes in last weeks election.

June 3, 20246:58 PM ET

The United Nations tribunal tasked with finding and prosecuting war criminals from the Rwandan genocide has wrapped up operations, nearly 30 years after it was created.

June 3, 20245:00 AM ET
Enlarge this imageChef Dieuveil Malonga runs the show at Meza Malonga.

Jacques Nkinzingabo for NPR

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Jacques Nkinzingabo for NPR

Chef Dieuveil Malonga runs the show at Meza Malonga.

Jacques Nkinzingabo for NPR

KIGALI, Rwanda — Chef Dieuveil Malonga gives off something of a Willy Wonka vibe. His infectious smile feels impish, mischievous.
At his restaurant Meza Malonga in Kigali, Rwanda, there’s no chocolate river, but there is an entire wall full of seeds, spices and fermented fruits in wide-mouthed glass jars. Malonga calls this his laboratory. It bursts with elements ripe for experimentation. Baobab from Tanzania. Black lemon from Egypt. “The base of the cuisine,” Malonga calls it.
He reaches for one jar and pops off the lid. It’s full of a spice called pebe. A spice which, when fermented, has the aroma of onions and garlic sizzling on a stove.
Each jar is like this. A sense memory. Vibrant and specific.
He take..

June 1, 202411:52 AM ET

A seismic moment in South African politics as the party of Mandela, the ruling African National Congress, loses its absolute majority for the first time.