Africa in 2024: A year of dynamic change

DW (English)

Milestone elections, groundbreaking economic shifts, new strategic alliances and youth unrest — 2024 was busy and transformative for much of Africa. Here's a recap of the year that shaped the continent.

Transcript

00:002024 was a pivotal political year for most African nations.

00:07The continent saw 17 major legislative and presidential elections and remarkably voters

00:13in five nations chose to put the opposition in power.

00:18In Senegal, when Bassirou Dioumaifi triumphed at the polls, he teamed up with opposition

00:24leader Ousmane Sonko to bring down the old guard.

00:28Six weeks earlier, the two were still political prisoners.

00:32And South Africa underwent a dramatic political transformation when the long-dominant ruling

00:37African National Congress party found itself way short of a majority vote.

00:42It chose the former main opposition Democratic Alliance, DA party, and a number of smaller

00:47parties as its coalition partners.

00:50Quite unexpected and unprecedented.

00:54But the winds of change never reach all African nations.

00:57In Togo, Chad and Madagascar, opposition parties faced systemic challenges.

01:03President Paul Kagame of Rwanda smashed his own election record by winning more than 99%

01:09of the vote.

01:10And in Comoros, Azali Ousmane was sworn in for a fourth term despite opposition claims

01:15of electoral fraud.

01:17The election fever returned to Southern Africa in October.

01:21In Botswana, Duma Boko, of the then opposition party Umbrella for Democratic Change, sailed

01:26smoothly into the presidency.

01:28But in Mozambique, deadly protests followed after Frelimo's Daniel Chapo came out tops

01:34with 71% of the vote in the presidential race.

01:38Opposition candidate Venancio Modlane insists the poll was rigged in favor of the ruling

01:43party.

01:44Other remarkable moments in 2024 included the election of Netumbo Nandindaitua-NNN as

01:51Namibia's first female president.

01:53And as the year closed out, John Mahama made a spectacular comeback to the presidency in

01:57Ghana.

01:58Mahama succeeded Nana Akufo-Addo, who completed the two-term limit.

02:04The military rulers in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, meanwhile, deferred elections as

02:09they forged a new regional alliance.

02:12And Gabon set out writing a new constitution in preparation for elections in the new year.

02:21On the global economic scene in 2024, Africa stood out and amplified its call for greater

02:27representation.

02:29The African Union participated in the G20 summit as a full member, and South Africa

02:34took over its rotating presidency for 2025.

02:38Ethiopia and Egypt were among new members of BRICS, with Nigeria seeking to join too.

02:44The Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, the China-Africa Summit and the Italy-Africa Summit in last

02:51year, illustrated Africa's growing relevance.

02:54Yet critics questioned why such partnerships often reinforce dependence.

02:59Nine African countries were in debt distress in 2024.

03:03The International Monetary Fund approved credit for Ethiopia and Zambia.

03:07As Africa navigates its political and economic challenges, 2024 underscored its growing influence

03:13on the world stage.

03:15The World Trade Organization reappointed its director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria to

03:21second full term as director.

03:24And Tanzanian leader Samia Suluhu-Hassan made history as the first African female president

03:30to attend a G20 summit.

03:33How was 2024 in your country?

03:35For more information, visit our website dw.com forward slash Africa.

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