Pressure and progress: How Africa repositioned itself in 2025
Africa wrapped up 2025 with its share of turmoil and triumphs, pushed to the brink by a cocktail of political, social and diplomatic crises, yet steadily claiming more space in a realigned global order.
Africa navigated a year of sharp political shifts in 2025, as democratic transitions competed with deepening security crises and the continent asserted its rightful place on the world stage.
Elections reshaped power across multiple regions, although outcomes varied wildly. In Central Africa, Cameroon’s leader President Paul Biya won reelection, extending a presidency spanning more than four decades. Tanzania's post-election period proved volatile, with protests and lockdowns after the October 29 vote plunging the country into unmitigated chaos and even a five-day internet blackout.
West Africa witnessed historic change as Gabon held its first election on April 12 since the 2023 military-led ouster of the Bongo clan, ending 56 years of dynastic rule. Transitional president Brice Oligui Nguema won with 90.35% of the votes in what observers described as a largely peaceful process.
Southern Africa too recorded some political milestones in 2025. Namibia swore in its first female president in Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, while Malawi brought back 85-year-old Democratic Progressive Party candidate Peter Mutharika after five years out of power.
But as ballots determined the trajectory of some countries, instability threatened others. Benin narrowly avoided a coup d'état, thanks to swift regional intervention. In Madagascar, youth-led protests triggered by simmering public discontent over shortages and alleged corruption at the highest levels escalated into a military takeover.
The continent also got caught in the swirl of deteriorating diplomatic relations with the US, as aid cuts and trade disputes caused by the Donald Trump administration's prejudiced policies strained Washington ties.
Lows and highs
Security crises deepened across multiple flashpoints. Nigeria declared a national security emergency amid rising attacks and kidnappings. Sudan's war reached catastrophic levels, with thousands killed, millions displaced and worsening food insecurity that have fuelled what various global agencies acknowledge as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Fighting continued in eastern Congo despite repeated peace efforts. South Sudan's fragile peace process teetered as arrests linked to the Kiir-Machar rivalry raised fears of renewed conflict.
Yet, amid the turmoil, Africa recorded historic achievements. Ethiopia launched the continent's largest hydropower dam while South Africa hosted the G20 summit for the first time, putting African priorities firmly on the global agenda.
The continent also mourned the passing of some famous faces, including former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Zambia's sixth President Edgar Lungu, Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and the influential Nigerian Islamic scholar Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.
At the African Union, the baton changed hands in March 2025, ushering in a new diplomatic chapter under chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and his deputy, Algerian diplomat Selma Malika Haddad.
Sporting excellence
In sport and culture, African excellence came through in Morocco's football success, Cabo Verde marathoner Samuel Freire blazing a trail for his country by debuting with a season-best performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, and South Africa's continued rugby dominance.
The year ended on a high note with the inauguration of the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport globally and showcasing the continent's ability to host world-class events.
As 2026 unravels, the continent has emerged from the previous year tested but resilient, politically and socially pressured yet increasingly central to global affairs. The challenges may have been stark, but so was the momentum.