Topic: Sub-Saharan Africa

Why dictators now face civilian revolt, from Syria to Swaziland

Protests in a growing number of countries show that citizens have more tools at their disposal to throw their dictators off balance, if not out of power.

Africa Rising: Nigeria plans to build nuclear power plants

Africa could be home to an unlikely boom in nuclear power plant construction, as Nigeria plans to join South Africa as the continent's second nuclear nation.

How rising global food prices could affect Africa (VIDEO)

Higher global food prices are likely to spell trouble for aid organizations working to relieve famine in the Horn of Africa.

Hatua Likoni offers scholarships and mentors to Kenya's students

The nonprofit supports Kenyan students who need mentoring or lack the means to pay for school. The next problem to solve: 9,000 desks for 14,000 students.

Backpack Farms helps small African farmers defeat drought

Backpack Farms supports African farmers with low-cost products and training suited to their needs.

Five trees you’ve never heard of that are helping to feed Africa

Trees such as black plum, marula, and dika provide fruits, leaves, and nuts that have nourished Africans for centuries.

The peace industry can win its war

Conflicts around the world are both changing and, in some measure, declining. One big reason: The art of conflict resolution and the numbers of people practicing it have risen.

Janet Siddall helps African families through 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers.'

Ex-ambassador Janet Siddall works with those caring for those affected by HIV/AIDS through the 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers' project

Classics in technicolor

Africa's summer of strikes

Many wonder if the Arab Spring will reach Africa, but what people should really be watching is the spread of strikes across the continent in response to rising costs, inequality, and government dissatisfaction.

West Africa Rising: Visits by Cameron, Merkel speak to Africa's growing economy

British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been touring the region – and oil-rich Nigeria in particular – to boost free trade and energy partnerships.

Cell phone banking could lift Africa's farmers

Borrowing and paying via cell phone – no cash involved – opens new possibilities.

West Africa Rising: Sierra Leone looks to 'smallholders' to solve agricultural woes

The West African nation plans to boost food production via a $400 million project to aid smallholders: subsistence growers farming on plots that average a mere four acres.

Is Nigeria's Boko Haram a Wahhabi group?

The founder of Boko Haram could be labeled a Wahhabi for his opposition to secular governance, Western education, and other Islamic interpretations – but so could other Wahhabis in the country.

Central America's elites must fund their own state security, expert says

Testimony at a recent US Senate hearing on US-Central American security cooperation showcased one of the region’s key problems: countries do not collect enough taxes to win the fight against organized crime.

Taking care of business in South Sudan

South Sudan is one of the toughest places in East Africa to do business, according to a recent report – but if you can hack it, you have a chance to make a healthy profit.

Africa is becoming a test lab for mobile phone development

Lessons in innovation that Vodafone learns from its work in sub-Saharan Africa will be applied to its projects around the world.

Mother's Day: What are the best and worst countries for mothers?

Mother's Day provides an opportunity to look at the quality of life for mothers around the world. A recent study from Save the Children looks at data ranging from maternal mortality to education.

Do protests in Nigeria, Uganda, and Burkina Faso have anything in common?

Despite similarities, the protests in these three African countries don't symbolize a broader movement for change in Africa.

Peace isn't just the absence of war

From war to crime to political disputes, conflicts dominate the news. When the dust settles, people hunger for peace. But without 10,000 small acts that build peace, conflict too easily returns.

Fat stigma spreads from Western countries

Fat stigma goes global: The Western desire for slimness has been spreading to cultures that previously celebrated larger bodies causing a fat stigma that never existed before.

Will Arab world’s freedom wave reach Iran or China?

Both Beijing and Tehran are reacting defensively, seeking to silence pro-democracy protesters and retain totalitarian control.

Will Burkina Faso's protests catch fire like Egypt, Tunisia?

Like other sub-Saharan African countries such as Uganda, Burkina Faso’s government seems nervous about the possibility of a protest movement gaining steam.

Migration from Libya and Tunisia: prayers for refugees

A Christian Science perspective: As migration from Libya and Tunisia continues, our prayers for progress and peace can help forward the cause of freedom.

West Africa Rising: Regional ties to Iran, Libya may be on the wane

Since the unrest that has swept the Arab world began in January, many of West Africa's leader nations have been distancing themselves from the crumbling regimes to their north.