Eye on Africa

24 Episodes
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By: FRANCE 24 English

Join Georja Calvin-Smith for news, voices and stories from across Africa and the Maghreb, with FRANCE 24’s correspondents and our guests on set. From Monday to Friday at 9:45pm Paris time.

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South Africans vote in key municipal elections
Yesterday at 9:26 PM

In tonight's edition, a crucial test for South Africa's  ruling ANC as millions vote to elect municipal governments. Also, Ethiopia has expelled six Sudanese diplomats amid accusations it's allowing the paramilitary RSF to launch drone strikes from its territory. And a deepening humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, where renewed fighting has displaced thousands.


South Africa braces for some job losses as AGOA ends
Last Tuesday at 9:18 PM

In tonight's edition: Rwanda and South Africa will lose their duty-free access to the US market after being excluded from the AGOA trade programme. Also, South Africans head to the polls amid water shortages and frustration with local services. Plus in DR Congo's mining capital Kolwezi, residents are taking on one of the country's largest Chinese-owned mines, accusing it of poisoning their environment. 


Uganda withdraws troops from peacekeeping mission in Somalia
Last Monday at 9:24 PM

In tonight's edition: Uganda starts drawing down troops just days after the UN ends its political mission in Somalia. Also, upcoming municipal elections in South Africa risk solidifying growing political fragmentation. Plus the drought gripping Chad could be the country's worst in more than 40 years. 


First Youth Olympic Games take place in Africa
Last Friday at 9:48 PM

In tonight's show: The Senegalese capital Dakar is hosting the first Olympic event ever held in Africa, welcoming nearly 2,700 athletes for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Also, South Africa's local elections are set for November 4, with the African National Congress facing growing pressure over its record in local government. Finally, we're joined by Muse L'Artiste, who's reconnecting to her roots with her latest EP "Heritage" bringing her father's compositions back to life.


Tunisians drawn into Russia's war in Ukraine
10/29/2026

In tonight's edition: Concern is growing in Tunisia as the families of several men who travelled to Russia for work or study are still searching for an answer about the fate of their loved ones forcibly conscripted to the war in Ukraine. Also, a year after Tanzania's controversial election, fear hasn't faded. And Dakar is ready to make history, as the first Olympic event ever held on African soil gets underway this weekend. 


Russia woos African leaders at Moscow summit
10/28/2026

In tonight's edition: A summit with nearly two dozen African leaders opens in Moscow, with the Kremlin describing their countries as natural allies against the West. Also, Nigerian investigators say that dozens of detained miners who died in a crowded jail cell screamed for help as jailors ignored their suffering. And ahead of the Youth Olympics in Senegal, Kenya is ramping up support for its female athletes.


The fall of Sudan's El-Fasher, one year on
10/26/2026

In tonight's edition: 15 military officials in Sudan are sanctioned by the UK over the brutality and abuse of civilians during the fall of El-Fasher. Also, ⁠Algeria is set to send in army units ​to ‌Niger ⁠to ‌protect energy ⁠and economic interests there. And days after a foreigner was beaten to death on the streets of Durban, the stalled asylum process has left many migrants in South Africa living in fear. 


Building collapse in Nairobi: Search for survivors under way
10/23/2026

In tonight's programme: Rescuers comb through rubble in a bid to reach trapped survivors after a multi-storey building under construction in Nairobi collapses. Also, Kenya announces a second Ebola death. Earlier this week it had logged nine cases, all traced back to its first Ebola patient who died earlier this month. Finally, with the 11th edition of the iconic contemporary art festival Also Known as Africa taking place in Paris, we speak to Cape Verdean artist Amadeo Carvalho.


South Africa gripped by anti-migrant protests as foreign national is killed
10/23/2026

Xenophobic unrest turns deadly in South Africa as a foreign national is beaten to death during a protest march in Durban, a city increasingly gripped by anti-migrant tensions. Meanwhile, as global efforts to raise awareness of lead poisoning intensify, teams in Ivory Coast go door-to-door testing homes for dangerous levels of the toxic metal. Finally, Ivorian authorities are cracking down on illegal mining over fears of pollution, but some young people say the activity remains one of their few sources of income. 


Sudan's war escalates as UN warns of wider regional crisis
10/21/2026

In tonight's edition: Sudan's brutal war continues to take a devastating regional toll, as a drone strike in Abyei reportedly kills 153 people. We speak to the UN envoy for Sudan following an emergency international meeting on the escalating crisis. Also, health authorities prepare to coordinate a response as Ebola cases emerge in Nigeria and rise in Kenya. Finally, 10 years after Cameroon’s deadliest railway disaster, families of the 79 victims are still fighting for justice, saying their pain has yet to be acknowledged.


Nigeria confirms first Ebola case
10/20/2026

In tonight's programme: Nigeria confirms its first Ebola case in the midst of an outbreak that began in DR Congo in mid-May. Also, a former top South African police officer facing sexual grooming and rape charges is denied bail. Finally, São Tomé and Príncipe's rich volcanic soils produce vanilla pods with an entrancing taste unlike those grown anywhere else.


Kenyan cult leader found guilty of murder
10/20/2026

In tonight's programme: Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie is convicted of 191 murders, 190 of which were of children. Also, a former Rwandan soldier and outspoken government critic, Robert Kabera, is found decapitated in Uganda. Plus we meet a young Ivorian music lover who travels around the country looking for old-school sounds that need a little TLC. 


Kenya confirms third Ebola case
10/16/2026

In tonight's programme: Kenya confirms a third case of Ebola, a relative of a man who died earlier this month after travelling from DR Congo. Also, Cameroonian journalist Ambe Macmillan is recovering in hospital after being shot in the legs by gunmen in Bamenda. Finally, we meet Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, who digs deep into his country's colonial and industrial past to lay new creative foundations for generations to come.


Kinshasa braces for potential conflict as Kabila joins M23
10/15/2026

In tonight's edition: As former Congolese president Joseph Kabila returns to centre stage with a new alliance with the M23 rebels, political leaders in DR Congo are having to choose sides. Also, the US is calling for restraint in Ethiopia as a rights group warns that the conflict in Tigray is already taking a toll on civilians. And as the season of art fairs returns, we take a look at the rising international visibility of African contemporary art.


Kenya reports second Ebola case
10/14/2026

In tonight's edition: Kenya confirms a second case of Ebola. Also, Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay warns that international justice is facing growing pressure. Plus millions of people in Nigeria have been without TikTok for about a month. 


DR Congo's Kabila launches new coalition with M23
10/13/2026

In tonight's edition: DR Congo's former president Joseph Kabila has been named leader of a new rebel coalition, vowing to topple the Congolese government. Also, Africa's largest ever IPO has been extended. Plus Formula ⁠1 ⁠will return to ⁠Africa in ​the early 2030s, once a new circuit is built in Rwanda. 


Ethiopian government forces enter key Tigray town near Eritrea border
10/12/2026

In tonight's edition: Ethiopian forces tighten their grip on Tigray, advancing into the key town of Adwa after rebels withdrew. Also, police arrest 30 people amid violence across South Africa. Plus we head to Tunisia, where ancient Sufi chants collide with pulsating electronic beats.


South African judge Navi Pillay awarded Nobel Peace Prize
10/09/2026

In tonight's programme: South African judge and human rights champion Navi Pillay has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Also, in Kenya, health officials in Nairobi are still racing to track dozens of people linked to the man who died from Ebola earlier this week. Finally, Moroccan-British photographer Hassan Hajjaj has built a global reputation with his vibrant portraits, and 40 of his iconic "Rock Stars" are currently taking centre stage in Paris.


Court of Arbitration for Sport hears Senegal's appeal over AFCON title
10/09/2026

Ten months after the explosive AFCON final, Senegal and Morocco are still fighting over the title, this time at sport's highest court. A verdict on Senegal's appeal against Morocco's victory by default is expected within days. Also, it's a race against time in Kenya. Health officials are tracing dozens of contacts after an Ebola patient died following a journey from DR Congo. Plus Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza wins the 2026 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story "The Blue Fighter".


Africa joins the data centre backlash
10/07/2026

In tonight's edition: Witnesses say Eritrean troops have moved into Ethiopia's Tigray region, but Asmara rejects the reports. Also, the African Union launches the Africa Credit Rating Agency, aiming to assess the financial health of African states and companies. Plus South African civil society is pushing back against the expansion of data centres that require vast amounts of electricity, water and land. 


Kenya reports its first-ever Ebola death
10/06/2026

In tonight's edition: Kenya records its first Ebola death after a man travelled there from the DR Congo via Uganda. Also, Comoros is tightening its rules on who can do business. And in South Africa, concerns are growing that xenophobia and hostility toward foreign nationals could be driving African tourists away.


Ethiopia again demands access to the Red Sea
10/05/2026

In tonight's edition: Ethiopia's leader Abiy Ahmed secures another term in office, but his country is sliding back into conflict. Also, several major cities across Senegal are battered by torrential rains. Plus some of the migrants being deported from the US fear being sent to African countries criminalising homosexuality. 


Ethiopian army pushes back Tigrayan rebels
10/02/2026

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed ties and with tensions spreading across the region, the African Union is urging all sides to show restraint. Meanwhile, Ethiopia's army is advancing toward the Tigrayan capital as fighting intensifies and new explosions rock Addis Ababa.


Ethiopia and Eritrea break diplomatic ties over conflict
10/01/2026

In tonight's edition: Ethiopia and Eritrea break diplomatic ties, accusing each other of stoking internal conflicts. Also, Nigeria rolls out a digital postcode system for every building. Plus we speak to one of the co-founders of the Rural Women's Assembly as it is recognised for its work challenging power systems.