Mamadou Faye

Seven landmark structures across Africa illustrate the ingenuity of earthen construction and its adaptation to local climates and cultures. The selection includes the Great Mosque of Djenné and the Tomb of the Askia in Mali, Tiébélé’s Royal Court in Burkina Faso, the Sultan’s Palace in Niger, Larabanga Mosque in Ghana, the Mousgoum obus houses in Cameroon and Chad, and the Tata Somba fortified homes in Benin and Togo. Their survival depends not only on protecting the buildings but also on preserving the traditional techniques, knowledge and collective memory that sustain them amid urban change, time and climate pressures.

West Africa has around 15 UNESCO-recognized sites reflecting the region’s history, religious traditions, precolonial kingdoms, slavery-era commerce and exceptional biodiversity. The article highlights Gorée Island in Senegal, Timbuktu in Mali, Ghana’s forts and castles, the Royal Palaces of Abomey in Benin, Taï National Park in Côte d’Ivoire, the Aïr and Ténéré nature reserves in Niger, Loropéni Ruins in Burkina Faso, Mauritania’s ancient caravan cities, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, and Kunta Kinteh Island in The Gambia. Several sites, particularly in the Sahel, face restricted access because of insecurity, while others attract cultural, religious, ecological or heritage tourism. Additional UNESCO sites are noted in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Togo and Sierra Leone.

The Grand Magal of Touba, scheduled for 2 August 2026, is the Mouride brotherhood’s largest religious gathering and is expected to attract several million pilgrims from Senegal and the diaspora. The event commemorates Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba’s 1895 exile to Gabon, understood by Mourides as a spiritual victory, and includes prayers, Quran recitations, religious poetry, lectures, communal meals and charitable activity. Founded by Bamba in 1887, Touba is the brotherhood’s spiritual capital and has grown into a major religious, educational and commercial center, though the influx of pilgrims places pressure on transport, water, sanitation, electricity, waste management and security. Attendance reached 6.58 million in 2025, while studies estimated the event’s economic impact at 629.6 billion CFA francs.

A comparison of the ten countries with the lowest reported divorce rates places India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam at the top, followed by Guatemala, Tajikistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Malta, Peru and Ireland. The figures are attributed to data compiled by WorldAtlas from international and national statistical sources. Strict religious and cultural traditions, social pressure to remain married, restrictive or costly divorce procedures, and incomplete official marriage and divorce registration are identified as major explanations. The article cautions that low recorded divorce rates do not necessarily indicate happier marriages, since unreported separations, domestic abuse and couples remaining together because of social stigma may also suppress the figures.

A global study by the Charities Aid Foundation shows that six of the ten countries with the highest giving levels relative to income are in Africa, with Nigeria ranking first. Strong community bonds, high trust in charities, religious giving traditions, and perceived government encouragement contribute to high generosity rates across the continent. Countries with lower incomes generally give a larger share of earnings than wealthier nations, and African nations exemplify this trend.

Heavy fighting continues in Anéfis between Malian forces supported by the Africa Corps and the JNIM-FLA alliance, as both sides seek control of this strategic northern crossroads. The town is vital for securing supply routes to Kidal and maintaining military operations in the region. Control of Anéfis determines logistical access, the ability to project forces, and the stability of surrounding government positions. A victory for the Malian army would preserve its strategic depth, while a takeover by JNIM-FLA would isolate government positions and strengthen the alliance’s territorial hold in Kidal.

Malian armed forces report repelling coordinated attacks on military positions in several regions, including Aguel-Hoc, Anéfis, Gao, Sévaré and Kéniéroba. The provisional toll includes neutralized assailants and casualties among soldiers, with operations continuing to track attackers. Tuareg separatists of the FLA claim responsibility for strikes on multiple locations where Malian troops and Russian paramilitaries were present. The assaults follow earlier joint actions by jihadists from JNIM and FLA rebels, amid continued insecurity, embargo pressures on Bamako and reports from Human Rights Watch accusing both armed groups and Malian forces of abuses against civilians.

Sixteen nations remain in contention as the 2026 World Cup enters the round of 16, with France, Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Portugal among the leading favorites, while Morocco and Egypt carry Africa’s remaining hopes. The match schedule spans eight host cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Despite high expectations following Morocco’s historic 2022 run, most African teams were eliminated early, leaving only Morocco and Egypt in the knockout stage. Key issues ahead include major clashes between top contenders, physical fatigue from an expanded tournament and record spectator turnout exceeding five million.