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.
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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.