Focus on Africa

University students in Senegal have been protesting in demand of payment of their stipend from the government. They say the allowance, paid to students mostly from low-income backgrounds, has not been disbursed for months. A week ago, a protest at the country's main Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar left one student dead after a confrontation between the protestors and the police. The push by the learners comes at a time when Senegal is facing a high debt burden.
And we hear from award-winning poet Hafsat Abdullahi on the evolution of spoken word poetry in Africa, and its role in cultural preservation and activism.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Herbert Masua
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

The Deputy Executive Director for UN Women, Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda has made an appeal for a ceasefire in Sudan - while speaking at the just concluded Africa Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. UN Women says of the 12 million people displaced by the Sudan war, more than half of them are women and children. This adds to the documented cases of mass and systemic rape and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
 
And Zambia's inflation is at its lowest for the first time in three years. At 9.4%, the government says the favourable cost of living is as a result of strong copper sales and low food prices. We hear from Zambians.
 
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba and Kennedy Gondwe
Technical Producer: Herbert Masua
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

An investigation by Reuters news agency has revealed that Ethiopia built a secret training camp for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a group involved in the Sudan war. Satellite images released by Reuters show that the camp is located in western Ethiopia near the border with Sudan. Experts say this is the first time Ethiopia has been directly linked to the war between the RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces. We look at Ethiopia's alleged involvement, alongside other countries like Chad, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
And, a look at the life and legacy of Ebo Taylor, the Ghanaian Highlife musician who died recently. We speak to Ghanaian artist, Gyakie on growing up listening to Ebo's sound.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba and Mark Wilberforce
Technical Producer: Herbert Masua
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

An investigation by Reuters news agency has revealed that Ethiopia built a secret training camp for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a group involved in the Sudan war. Satellite images released by Reuters show that the camp is located in western Ethiopia near the border with Sudan. Experts say this is the first time Ethiopia has been directly linked to the war between the RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces. We look at Ethiopia's alleged involvement, alongside other countries like Chad, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. And, a look at the life and legacy of Ebo Taylor, the Ghanaian Highlife musician who died recently. We speak to Ghanaian artist, Gyakie on growing up listening to Ebo's sound.

In this episode of Focus on Africa: The Conversation, we explore the world of dating apps on the African continent. Around 350 million people worldwide are using dating apps to look for romantic connections. But the picture looks different in Africa.
We hear from a Nigerian couple who met on a popular dating app and ended up getting married. And a Kenyan woman who says her experience with the apps left her heartbroken.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Carolyne Kiambo, Fana Negash and Makuochi Okafor
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Senior Producer: Priyanka Sippy
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla