The Continent

Front cover of The Continent newspaper Issue 231, showing a man harvesting rainwater on an island. In the background, on the water, is a private yacht. And in the skies is an American bomber. The headline reads: "Unlikely allies move to sink Mauritius' Chagos deal'.

All Protocol Observed | Welcome to Issue 231 of The Continent

Amid a geopolitical storm, four Chagos Islanders have returned to the archipelago - with a little help, and a private yacht, from a Reform UK mega-donor.

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Front cover of The Continent Issue 230, showing Chad's president Idriss Deby on a red carpet, flanked by two military officials in ceremonial attire. The headline reads "Chad pays for Deby's Sudan gamble".

All Protocol Observed | Welcome to Issue 230 of The Continent.

Sudan's war is spilling over its borders - and Chad's president is suddenly very nervous indeed.

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The Continent Issue 229 cover.

All Protocol Observed | Welcome to Issue 229 of The Continent

🟠 Top Story: A new Western empire gathering pace. Last time, they had guns. Now they’ve got AI.

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Fake faith funds: Ahmed Al-Rayan created the most notorious investment scam in Egypt.

‘Halal’ investment scams resurge in Egypt

Halal scam: yes, it’s a paradox. But these schemes are not what they seem.

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Illustration: Police violence.

1/2 A glimpse into Burundi’s silent decline

Overshadowed by war in its neighbourhood, economic depression, and continuing authoritarianism, Bujumbura feels threadbare.

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Plus Two: Zimbabwe’s cabinet approved President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plan to stay until 2030.

1/2 ‘The Crocodile’ takes a big bite out of the Constitution

Observers slam Emmerson Mnangagwa’s latest power grab as the president seeks to extend his term limit.

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1/2 Hundreds of Africans have likely died fighting for Russia. The family of one of them wants their son back. And answers.

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The Continent Issue 228 Cover

1/ Issue 228 of The Continent is out: Wagner’s info warriors, post-Prigozhin. Leaked docs reveal their influence in 22 African countries. We focus on South Africa, Mali, CAR, Niger & Angola.

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On this investigation, we partnered with @istories.bsky.social and The Dossier Center in Russia; All Eyes on Wagner/Inpact and @forbidden-stories.bsky.social and @opendemocracy.net's Latin America desk. Check out their sites for similar coverage over the coming weeks, starting this Saturday.

Photo of Russia's Yevgeny Prigozhin

🛑New Investigation Alert

We received a trove of documents created by a Russian influence operation last October. The company from which they leaked was dissolved the very next month. This weekend we are launching a series delving into them.

All Protocol Observed
Welcome to Issue 227 of The Continent

In this week’s issue: what the Rubaya mine collapse tells us about the global economy and DRC’s governance void.

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Thank you for being a wonderful human @kahuubire.bsky.social😊

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‘Return the land’ leader says his life is in danger After 156 days in detention, threatening text messages have followed the MP home.

Land-rights activist and MP Tšepo Lipholo has sought police protection, after receiving what his party describes as persistent death threats sent via text messages. Lipholo is adamant that South Africa must return vast tracts of land to Lesotho.

This week marked the observance of both the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence and Africa Day of Peace and Reconciliation. But what do Africans think about their government’s attempts to prevent or resolve violent conflict?

Dive into our latest @thecontinent.org piece.

#VoicesAfrica

Another entry in the long log of Naija blackouts Small businesses in a powerless country are paying for a failed Bretton Woods experiment.

A recent survey found that the average Nigerian company experienced more than 300 power outages a year. The World Bank says Nigeria loses 5% to 7% of GDP a year to its lack of reliable power. At $25‑billion, this is one of the largest structural drags to its economy.

'The Continent' 226,31 janvier 2026:
- Perfides USA pour le 1er fondeur de puces kenyan.
- Réseau électrique fragile au Nigeria malgré privatisations.
- Retirer des espèces à Goma, sous contrôle de l'AFC-M23 (+ récit-photo de 2025).
- En dernière page, le Quadball (et une légende photo 😈).
#Afrique

Tensions soar as Juba seeks to retake Jonglei The South Sudanese army is preparing to retake seized towns from opposition forces.

Jonglei State is seeing renewed fighting between government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and an armed opposition aligned with former first vice-president Riek Machar. More than 180,000 people have already been displaced in the South Sudanese region.

Kenya’s first chipmaker caught in superpower crossfire The nascent manufacturer initially thrived under Washington’s ‘friend-shoring’ strategy. Now it’s being elbowed aside by Trump’s ‘America First’ imperative.

Kenya's nascent semiconductor manufacturer initially thrived under Washington’s ‘friend-shoring’ strategy. Now it’s being elbowed aside by Trump’s ‘America First’ imperative.

This is the cover of The Continent, dated 31 January 2026, Issue 226. It is illustrated by Tanzanian satirist Gado. The background is deep blue and textured like a computer circuit board, with thin silver lines and nodes spreading across the page. At the centre is a microchip, tilted slightly. On the chip is the Kenyan flag — black, red, white, and green — with the national shield and spears in the middle. Beneath the flag, in bold white letters, are the words “MADE IN KENYA.” The chip is embedded into the circuitry, as if it is part of the system. Surrounding the chip are dark, shadowy silhouettes of large hands reaching inward from the top and bottom edges of the cover. The hands are not detailed — they appear almost like cut-out shadows. At the top, the newspaper’s name “The Continent” appears in large white letters. Along the very top edge, in smaller text, it reads “AFRICAN JOURNALISM | 31 JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 226.” On the right-hand side, stacked in white text, is the headline: “The fight to save Kenya’s first microchip maker.”

All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 226 of The Continent

The story of Kenya’s first semiconductor plant shows how quickly geopolitics can turn promise into collateral damage for the Global South.

bit.ly/226_TC