Africa before the era of colonization was a dynamic region with extensive trade routes that connected diverse cultures and economies. When European colonizers arrived, they upended these trade networks, establishing colonial regions whose sole purpose was to export raw materials to Europe for manufacture. These extractive policies rendered African economies woefully underdeveloped when they gained their independence in the mid-20th century. In the 21st century, despite the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, tariffs and trade barriers are still stifling growth.

Senegal has served as a shining example of a successful West African democracy, as the country is the only West African nation never to suffer a coup d'etat since gaining independence in 1960 and one of the few to have peaceful transitions of power since the early 1990s. However, during this past election cycle, that tradition came dangerously close to being broken by outgoing incumbent President Macky Sall of the Alliance for the Republic Party (APR). How did this happen and how has the new administration fared?

On January 1st, 2024, Ethiopia officially joined BRICS, after being invited in August 2023. BRICS (named after its founding members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is an intergovernmental organization that can be broadly understood as a political and economic counterweight to Western-dominated organizations like the OECD, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. What does this mean for Ethiopia and how will this benefit the BRICS nations?

In 2024, the global political landscape is marked by pivotal elections, including the anticipated rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the United Kingdom's general election, and India's general election. Africa is also hosting a number of elections this year, which will likely play a seminal role in shaping regional and international politics. Let’s take a closer look at three of the most important elections happening this year on the continent: Elections in Ghana, Senegal, and South Africa.

2023 saw the near-total collapse of France's military presence in West Africa. A string of high-profile coups in the Sahel, the region straddling the transition zone between the Sahara and the Sudanian savanna, have chased the French out of their former colonial holdings. Coupled with the disastrous end of the eight year-long counterterrorism mission Operation Barkhane in November of 2022, France has departed the Sahel just as violence and instability are reaching heretofore unseen levels. The following will examine the breakdown of the French War on Terror, and what France’s departure from the region means for the future of the Sahel.