ECOWAS pledges to end human trafficking and boost security

A Malawi-based human rights body says survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) are punished instead of being protected, with little recourse to state protection from abusive partners. So why is it that laws meant to protect have become a barrier to justice? Josey Mahachi talks to Victor Mhango, executive director of CHREAA, and DW's Chimwemwe Padatha in Lilongwe.

Police fired tear gas into the streets and sealed off government buildings with barbed wire. At least 16 people were killed, according Amnesty International, and a government minister said the protests were 'terrorism disguised as dissent'. But how did this unfold? Josey Mahachi talks to analyst Martin Oloo and DW's Andrew Wasike in Nairobi.

After deadly attacks in central Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu promised support to the region and turn tragedy into prosperity. The government plans to support farmers in the bread basket region. Josey Mahachi talks to Rildwan Bello, an agriculture economist, and DW's Jamiu Abiodun in Nigeria.

During last weekend’s summit in Abuja, Nigeria, West Africa’s political and economic bloc, ECOWAS, acknowledged growing unrest and political instability in the region. ECOWAS leaders pledged to combat human trafficking, hunger and gender-based violence. Josey Mahachi speaks with Grace Yohanna, head of Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria, and DW’s Ben Shemang in Abuja.

Conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls has surged in the DRC, with over 67,000 cases reported in the first four months of 2025 alone. But major funding cuts mean health centers have run out of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) kits —vital in treatment following rape. Eddy Micah talks to Amadou Bocoum of the humanitarian NGO CARE, and DW's Jean Marie Ngong Song.

In Ghana, a new refugee agribusiness and sustainability program is hoping to empower more than 20,000 refugees to be self-reliant as countries mitigate impact of aid cuts. Eddy Micah Jr. talks to Tetteh Padi, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Refugee Board, and Adwoa Domena, DW correspondent in Accra.

Activists in Kenya and the father of a man who was shot at close range by Kenyan police during a protest over the police custody death of influencer Albert Ojwang want justice. The Ojwang case has triggered a series of protests and the arrest of Nairobi police officers. DW's Eddy Micah Jr. speaks to Nyamisa Chelangat, an activist, and DW correspondent in Nairobi.

Two governors of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), along with their cabinet members and other lawmakers have abandoned the opposition and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). DW’s Eddy Micah Jr speaks to Dr. Timothy Golu, a former member of the House of Representatives and current Adviser to the Plateau State Governor, and DW’s correspondent in Abuja, Ben Shemang.

On Youth Day, South Africans honor the young people who were killed by apartheid police in Soweto on June 16, 1976. More than 500 people lost their lives in a tragedy that became a rallying point, inspiring a nation to rise up against the apartheid regime. Eddy Micah Jr. speaks with Gcotyelwa Jimlongo, programs officer at Futurelect, and DW’s Nontokozo Mchunu in Cape Town.

Greenpeace Africa says 42,000 South Africans died because of air pollution in 2023, and wants South African energy producers to be held to account. But how will the country balance environmental risks with its energy demands? Eddy Micah Jr. talks to Greenpeace campaign lead Cynthia Moyo, and DW's Thuso Khumalo in Johannesburg.