Last March, the Sudanese government signed an agreement with a major Nuba Mountains rebel group guaranteeing freedom of worship and the separation of religion from state affairs. Could the concession now pave the way for minority Christian and African belief groups to find common ground with Khartoum’s leadership? Meanwhile, the U.S. confirmed that Sudan paid $335 million as a settlement for American victims of terror carried out from Sudanese soil, in exchange for its removal from Washington’s list of terrorist-supporting nations.

The change in Sudan didn’t happen on a dime. Inspired by the Arab Spring in Tunisia, the Sudanese cartoonist Khalid al Baih garnered international attention in 2010 with a powerful drawing called “The Rest Will Follow,” which showed Tunisia giving the middle finger. The finger next to it was curled up – poised for a revolt of its own? Nine years later, Sudan fulfilled that prophecy. Now in his 40s, al Baih is among a band of revolutionaries working hard on their second act: building a secular democracy.

A popular fermented drink in a Muslim-majority nation that outlaws alcohol, sharbot walks the thin line between fizzy fruit drink and alcoholic beverage.

Moving to the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion hit “WAP,” young Namibian protesters confronted the police on the streets of capital Windhoek. The body of Shannon Wasserfall, a 21-year-old woman, had been found six months after she went missing and the #ShutItAllDownNamibia movement wanted answers. Amid the pandemic, Nthengwe, a human-rights activist, used the power of social media to ensure unprecedented participation in the protests. Gay and gender-non-binary, Nthengwe is also challenging the country’s homophobic laws, including a court verdict that barred a gay couple’s surrogate daughters from entering the country.

In 2018, scientists discovered just the second instance of dwarfism in a giraffe. Nigel, an Angolan giraffe living on a farm in central Namibia, looked “like someone put a giraffe’s head and neck on a horse’s body.” How short? Nigel is just 8 feet, 6 inches tall, compared to an average giraffe height of 16 feet.

Simply “grilled beef” in the local Oshiwambo language, kapana is a cheap and delicious dish sold in townships that were created when the country was under the rule of apartheid-era South Africa. Kapana vendors use all parts of the cow for the thin meaty slices, letting nothing go to waste. Taste it, and you wouldn’t waste a morsel, either.

on The Carlos Watson Show, season 4!

Agricultural engineer Aïssata Diakité won a French competition for Malian diaspora entrepreneurs in 2016, then returned home to found a juice factory using high-quality local ingredients. In just three years, her agribusiness company, Zabbaan Holding, has gained international recognition, been named as one of the French-speaking world’s most innovative startups and has won a major public contract. Now in her early thirties, Diakité is a leading champion for fair trade throughout Africa.

A new generation of digital activists is trying to drive political reform at a time when disillusionment and apathy cloud the conflict-ridden country. These initiatives are now focused on opposing those who were behind the coup. But their challenges run deeper, including a 2019 law that could allow officials unfettered access to digital communications data.

From its minarets to spired walls, the Great Mosque in Djenné is built from sun-baked mud — as is the entire historic town surrounding it — using a tradition dating back to the 14th century. You don’t have to be religious to make a pilgrimage here.

She’s been beaten, hosed and jailed — but the 56-year-old is offering the strongest challenge Cameroon’s authoritarian President Paul Biya has faced in his 39-year rule. It won’t be easy, but the former management consultant is ready for a long fight, aware that time and democratic ideals are on her side.

The pandemic sparked concerns about the spread of the virus through the physical exchange of cash notes, making this a ripe moment to pull more people into digital commerce. It was an opportunity that telecommunications firm MTN Cameroon took, making all transactions under $33 fee-free. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Melissa Bime has dramatically reduced the time it takes to get Cameroonian patients blood transfusions — using just a laptop and a network of motorbikes. She’s part of a shift that’s turning West Africa into one of the world’s most cutting-edge laboratories for tech innovations.

Is shade the secret to stellar chocolate? Cameroonian farmers plant their cacao under trees in the forest, which gives the plants a longer lifespan and promotes soil health. Some experts believe Cameroon’s approach could help promote biodiversity and stave off deforestation in Africa’s hardest-hit countries. Bitter chocolate would then leave a sweet aftertaste.

What people, trends or ideas across the African Continent have inspired you?

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