Focus on Africa

Voters in Comoros head to the polls on Sunday to elect the next president. The incumbent Azali Assoumani is seeking a fourth term, but who are his main challengers? The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks off in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, this Sunday, but next time hosts Kenya did not qualify for this year’s tournament. Former Kenyan international Musa Otieno says the game’s infrastructure in the country needs to improve. And Knives down, Gloves up, we hear from a young man with Ivorian and Guinean heritage, on the connection between good mental health and sport and why he established a boxing club after a lifechanging act of violence.

South Africa is taking Israel to the International Court of Justice over alleged genocide in Gaza. Tensions rise between Somalia and Somaliland over a seaport access deal. The future of Artificial Intelligence in Africa is explored.

Serena Williams, a sport's all-time greats, discusses her admiration for the images of young African tennis players taken by a Ghanaian photographer. The podcast also explores the confusion surrounding Kenya's new visa-free policy and the rebuilding efforts in Mozambique after Cyclone Idai.

A BBC investigation has uncovered evidence of widespread abuse by the founder of one of the world's biggest evangelical churches the late TB Joshua. Former members accuse him of rape, torture and forced abortions. As Senegalese courts deal blow to opposition leader Ousmane Sonko's presidential hopes, What does this portend for the coming elections?And why is the Nigerian government on a crackdown of fake degrees?

Troops from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), that includes Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania, have been deployed to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight the M23 and other armed groups. They have replaced the UN mission Monusco and an east African force that was deemed to be ineffective. Can Sadc succeed in reducing instability in the region?Thousands of unaccompanied children were among record numbers of irregular migrants who arrived in Spain last year. Amnesty International in Spain says the authorities there are overwhelmed.And nine months on from the outbreak of hostilities between rival military factions in Sudan, what is life like for ordinary citizens? We hear from one resident in the capital, Khartoum.

Why was Sierra Leone's ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma charged with treason ? He has denied any involvement in an attack which killed about 20 people last November.Where next for Chad after a contested constitutional referendum vote?And renowned cellist Abel Selaocoe on how South African oral traditions are connected to classical music.

Somalia has described an agreement that landlocked Ethiopia made with the self-declared republic of Somaliland over sea access as “an act of aggression”. What are the implications for the entire Horn of Africa region? A new succession battle for the Zulu throne has been triggered after a court in South Africa ruled that President Cyril Ramaphosa's official crowning of the new Zulu king last year was unlawful. And we hear why analysts are bullish about online gaming in Africa and believe the market is set to hit the billion-dollar mark by the end of this year.

As South Africa battles increased load shedding, could nuclear energy be the answer to address the crisis?And the BBC's Ian Wafula's backstory to Africa Eye's investigation into how members of the LGBT community in Nigeria are being targeted by criminal gangsAnd we talk to the award-winning Somali director Ahmed Farah on his debut feature film-Ayaalne

The new year 2024, marks significant anniversaries for two countries. It is 30 years since South Africa held its first democratic election, signalling the dismantling of centuries of violent colonial and racial domination. At the same time, Rwanda was descending into a genocide that would leave up to a million people dead. Today we look back to that time to see how Rwanda and South Africa navigated those years. And Afrobeats has always been popular among the people who made the music. But last year the milestones kept piling up. So what does 2024 have in store for the music genre? We hear from the host of the UK Afrobeats chart show Eddie Kadi, and the Nigerian superstar nicknamed the Queen of Afrobeats, Yemi Alade.

The fighting that erupted in Sudan on 15 April this year between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), continues unabated. We hear from the BBC's Mohanad Hashim who has been covering the conflict from the start. It is more than a story to him. It involves his homeland, his family, and his compatriots.Also, we meet Idiat Shiole, the 3D virtual fashion designer and creator of multiple AI models, representing a broader range of African women on the virtual catwalk.And a look back at Africa's sporting triumphs in 2023!