Warlord Economics

Charles Taylor had rubber. Jonas Savimbi had diamonds. Mohamed Farrah Aidid had bananas. A look at how five notorious warlords financed their armies through resources, smuggling and makeshift taxation.

The Forgotten Castles of the Garamantes • wild man life

The forgotten castles of the Garamantes lie buried beneath the Libyan Desert, the ruins of a civilisation that built cities, traded with Rome, and raised pyramids in the Sahara.

Africa's Wild Dogs Are the Most Hated Carnivores on the Continent. Here's Why Some Conservationists Are Saving Them Anyway

Meet the team that closely monitors the playful canines, which need help to form diverse packs and stop their numbers from dwindling

Tracking a Sanctioned Russian Vessel’s West African Odyssey - bellingcat

Cargo vessel reported to have transported weapons destined for Russian mercenaries has been shuttling between West African ports since March.

The Mystery of Dark Oxygen

James Dinneen on the search for dark oxygen in the Moab Khotsong gold-and-uranium mine, outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

‘Bat feast’ animal videos at African cave offer clues to how deadly viruses spread

Researchers filmed 10 species eating or scavenging bats at known Marburg-virus hotspot — and caught hundreds of humans visiting.

Even more astounding is that the team caught on video more than 200 people — tourists, trainees from a local wildlife institute and children with school groups — approaching the cave during the four-month period when the cameras were active. Only one visitor, a tourist, wore a mask. This is despite…

Painkiller Pipeline: 300 Million Tapentadol Pills Sent from India to West Africa - bellingcat

Indian companies have sent more than 320 million synthetic opioid pills to West Africa – where they have not been approved by regulators – in three years.

The World-Shifting Grooves of Fela Kuti

Sarah Larson on the podcast series “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man,” a deeply reported and sonically glorious biography of the legendary Nigerian musician, Afrobeat innovator, and rebel.

What Are the Lost Libraries of Timbuktu?

The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu. are a collection of books numbering in the hundreds of thousands that were lost following the decline of Timbuktu in the 19th century.

The Adopted Dallas Woman Who Found Family on the Other Side of the World

A herd of elephants halfway around the world gave an adopted Dallas woman the home she always wanted.

Nigerian businesses increasingly skip traditional banks and turn to Moniepo

Moniepoint’s payment machines have become ubiquitous across Nigeria. But the company faces competition from Chinese-backed OPay.

As a Son Risks His Life to Topple the King, His Father Guards the Throne

A student’s vow to overthrow one of Africa’s last ruling monarchs faces a roadblock: his own father, a soldier sworn to protect the throne.

WhatsApp voice notes are revolutionizing farming in Senegal

For farmers in Senegal who struggle to read or write, sending voice notes has unlocked a new world of collaboration across the industry.

The Mysterious, Naked Night Runners of Western Kenya

"When the wind blows you run away because you think it’s a night runner.”

The Dystopian Underworld of South Africa’s Illegal Gold Mines

When the country’s mining industry collapsed, a criminal economy grew in its place, with thousands of men climbing into some of the deepest shafts in the world, searching for leftover gold.

The Despotism of Isaias Afewerki | Alex de Waal

Afewerki’s attack on Tigray is the culmination of the Eritrean dictator’s ambition to become master of the Horn of Africa.

The Incredible Journey of Three African Wild Dogs

Three sisters braved lions, crocodiles, poachers, raging rivers and other dangers on a 1,300-mile transnational effort to forge a new dynasty.

The Awe-Inspiring But Tragic Story of Africa’s Festival In The Desert (2001

Nenad Georgievski writes at All About Jazz, though the world knew little about Malian music until American musicians began partnering with players from West Africa. In the 1980s, Stevie Wonder began touring with Amadou and Mariam, helping to popularize their form of Malian blues.

The art dealer, the £10m Benin Bronze and the Holocaust

Western museums are under pressure to return looted treasure, but what of those in private collections?