Focus on Africa

The senior adviser to US President Donald Trump on African and Arab Affairs, Massad Boulos, speaks exclusively to the BBC about why the US is asking the UN Security Council to approve a nationwide arms embargo on Sudan, a move Washington says could help end the war which has been ongoing for more than 3 years. A nationwide embargo would ban the sale, transfer or supply of weapons and military equipment to all sides of the conflict, including the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
And, despite affecting millions of people worldwide, dyslexia remains widely misunderstood in Africa. The neurodevelopmental learning difference can affect reading, spelling and language processing.
We hear from someone living with dyslexia about her experience and the stigma surrounding it.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Bella Twine and Chiamaka Dike
Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango
Senior Producer: Blessing Aderogba
Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla

Guinea-Bissau awaits the results of Sunday's referendum on a proposed new constitution which aims to increase presidential powers. The vote is seen as an important step ahead of December's general election, which is expected to return the country to civilian rule after last year's military coup. The proposed constitution would give more powers to the president and reduce the number of parliamentary seats from 102 to 65. The military government says the changes would make parliament more effective and help reduce tensions between the president and prime minister.
And we enter the world of dressing as your favourite anime or video game character. This, known as Cosplay, is giving young people new ways to bring characters from animation, comics and video games to life, especially from Japanese animation, better known as Anime.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla

Last Saturday, gunfire and attacks near the airport were witnessed in Niamey, Niger's capital city. Defecting soldiers known as the Armed Forces for the Restoration of the Fatherland, attempted a coup which was later contained by the military with the support of its Russia Africa corps. Authorities in the country have not said how many soldiers were involved in the coup, or how many people were killed in the ensuing violence. The current military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani came to power in 2023 after ousting then democratically-elected president Mohamed Bazoum. We look at what the latest mutiny means for the country's stability.

And as a new report shows women make up only 6% of pilots globally, we find out if perceptions about women in aviation are changing in African countries.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Bella Twine, Blessing Aderogba and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Maxwell Onyango
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla

Now, you may have heard about a trial currently happening in the US, it’s a tragic case where a mother has been charged for killing her three children. However, her lawyers have argued she was experiencing with postpartum psychosis at that time. The trial has put a spotlight on postpartum psychosis - which is a rare and severe mental health condition, including symptoms such as mania, depression, confusion, and hallucinations. So, what’s it like to experience postpartum psychosis? And how do you come out on the other side? Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to Chebet Birir, a 33-year-old journalist from Kenya and a mother of four about her journey with the illness.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba and Carolyne Jotham
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Senior producers: Priyanka Sippy and Charles Gitonga
Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla

American country music star, Dolly Parton passed away this week and her fans across the continent have felt the loss greatly. Her songs, such as Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You, crossed generations, borders and musical genres. We hear from the leader of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the South African group who worked with Parton on Knockin' on Heaven's Door in 1995, and later collaborated on Peace Train, which appeared on her album, Treasures.
And with Nigeria’s elections being months away, can a new Muslim-Christian agreement help ease religious tensions?
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Carolyne Jotham, Chiamaka Dike and Blessing Aderogba
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Technical Producer: David Nzau
Editors: Daniel Dadzie and Maryam Abdalla