<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is a study in diversity. Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, the region is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources. It&rsquo;s no surprise that it captured the imagination of Europe&rsquo;s earliest explorers &mdash; and that it continues to capture the imagination of current world powers eager to exploit it. And yet despite the region&rsquo;s diversity, Sub-Saharan African countries have common challenges &mdash; transnational terrorism, rapid population growth, endemic poverty and corruption &mdash; that prevent them from capitalizing on their economic potential. The coming years will be critical for the region, especially as its political institutions mature in a rapidly globalizing world.</p>

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Sudan

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cabo Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Cote d'Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea Bissau

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

Sudan

Eswatini

Tanzania

Togo

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

The Politics of Pipelines

Old Leaders in a New Africa

Nigeria: Obstacles to Prosperity

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Crossing Borders

A Crude Recovery

Globalization

China in Transition

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

Assessments

United States

Structures destroyed in U.S. strikes on jihadist targets in Offa, Nigeria, are seen on Dec. 27, 2025.

Military & Security

New U.S. military action would most likely target jihadist groups, especially in West Africa, but limited strikes in Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo to force belligerents there to de-escalate also cannot be ruled out.

The Outlook for New U.S. Strikes in Africa

Egypt

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Economics

Politics

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

A column of Tanzanian soldiers drives past electoral posters of incumbent Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi in Stone Town on Oct. 30, 2025. 

The Tanzanian government's harsh repression of opposition voices will maintain risks of civil unrest and siphon security forces away from outer regions, creating power vacuums in the south for jihadists to exploit.

Ongoing Repression in Tanzania Shows No Signs of Letting Up

Colombia

Cuba

Mexico

Venezuela

Greenland

Iran

China

Taiwan

Europe

Norway

Ukraine

Russia

India

Pakistan

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Trade

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Canada

Denmark

The Greenlandic flag on Jan. 8, 2026, on the roof of Tivoli Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ukraine security talks and a Gaza peace plan will be in the spotlight at Davos.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Uganda and Benin, Canada's Carney Goes to China

Supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate and opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, gather to attend a campaign rally in Kampala, on Nov. 24, 2025. 

President Museveni's expected reelection is set to trigger opposition protests, but a heavy-handed crackdown will likely restore order within weeks, enabling him to resume focus on infrastructure projects and mitigating intra-elite tensions.

Previewing Uganda's General Elections

Saudi-backed forces are seen on the outskirts of Yemen's Hadramawt province, where the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) recently launched an offensive, on Jan. 3, 2026. 

The Gulf nations' growing battle for influence is straining bilateral ties and fueling proxy conflicts in places like Yemen and Sudan, though both sides will likely avoid any escalation that could harm their economies.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Pursue Divergent Paths in a Multipolar World

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Energy

Israel-Hamas Conflict

As elections reshape political incentives worldwide, 2026 will see major powers recalibrate diplomacy and conflict, raising the risk of fragile deals, regional instability and sudden escalation.

2026 Annual Geopolitical Forecast: An Excerpt

Columns

On Geopolitics

A NASA satellite image shows the city lights of Europe. 

In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our hits and misses in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

Grading Our 2025 Annual Forecast

Paraguay

Lebanon

Morocco

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Australia

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Japan

Mongolia

Myanmar

Philippines

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

Bulgaria

Afghanistan

Nepal

Flight routes.

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Saif al-Nasr Haroun, the infrastructure minister with Sudan's Sudanese Armed Forces-backed government, said the SAF would grant priority to Saudi companies in reconstruction projects to repair infrastructure damaged by the civil war, with a focus on port and rail initiatives, Sudan Tribune reported on Jan. 27.

Sudan: SAF-Backed Government Vows To Prioritize Saudi Companies in Reconstruction Projects

Changes announced by South African Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa regarding the unbundling of state-owned utility company Eskom are facing mounting opposition from within South Africa's business community and parts of government, including the National Treasury, News24 reported on Jan. 26.

South Africa: Controversy Mounts Over Watering Down of Eskom Unbundling Plans

Ugandan army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni's son, announced in a Jan. 26 post on X that Kampala intends to withdraw its troops from Somalia after nearly two decades of peacekeeping, without giving a reason.

Uganda, Somalia: Uganda's Army Chief Says Country Will Soon Withdraw Troops From Somalia

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, or SPLM-N, launched an attack on the localities of Al-Sillik and Milkan in the southeastern state of Blue Nile from South Sudanese territory, Sudan Tribune reported on Jan. 25.

Sudan: RSF and Allies Launch Offensive Into Blue Nile State From South Sudan

Malian state media announced that the government would limit the passage of cars to pumping stations to once every 72 hours and motorcycles every 48 hours due to challenges in securing fuel supplies amid a persisting fuel blockade by al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, Radio France Internationale reported on Jan. 22.

Mali: Government Announces Fuel Rationing Amid Persistent Supply Challenges

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi met with U.S. President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, in the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Reuters reported on Jan. 23.

Somaliland: Abdullahi Meets With Eric Trump, Israel's Herzog at Davos Summit

Tanzanian Minister of Minerals Anthony Mavunde discussed a graphite partnership with U.S. Charge d'Affaires Andrew Lentz, The Chanzo reported on Jan. 21. 

Tanzania: Government in Talks With U.S. for Graphite Deal

The South Sudanese military is deploying military reinforcements to Bor to counter a potential offensive by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, or SPLM-IO, on the city and set the groundwork for a counteroffensive into Jonglei state, where the SPLM-IO has made territorial gains in recent weeks, Radio Tamazuj reported on Jan. 21. 

South Sudan: Army Sends Reinforcement to Bor Amid Rebel Push Toward the Capital

Sub-Saharan Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Sudan: SAF-Backed Government Vows To Prioritize Saudi Companies in Reconstruction Projects

South Africa: Controversy Mounts Over Watering Down of Eskom Unbundling Plans

Uganda, Somalia: Uganda's Army Chief Says Country Will Soon Withdraw Troops From Somalia

Sudan: RSF and Allies Launch Offensive Into Blue Nile State From South Sudan

Mali: Government Announces Fuel Rationing Amid Persistent Supply Challenges

Somaliland: Abdullahi Meets With Eric Trump, Israel's Herzog at Davos Summit

Tanzania: Government in Talks With U.S. for Graphite Deal

South Sudan: Army Sends Reinforcement to Bor Amid Rebel Push Toward the Capital

Forecasts

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