Written byJean Sovon

1 week ago | globalvoices.org | Jean de Dieu SOVON |Annie Zaman |Written byJean Sovon |Translated byLaura

Throughout French-speaking Africa, street children are an all-too-common phenomenon. Although different names are used to describe these children, they all refer to the same precarious reality. In 2021, the International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE) reported there were over 120 million street children worldwide, including 30 million in Africa. In 2025, this figure is estimated to reach 35 million in Africa.

1 week ago | globalvoices.org | Jean de Dieu SOVON |Eddie Galdamez |Written byJean Sovon |Translated byLaura

After decades of political conflict, the United Kingdom will finally return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. However,  the Chagossian people’s identity and resettlement remain unresolved. The Chagos Archipelago is an integral part of Mauritius, an island nation in East Africa. Three years before the country gained its independence on March 12, 1968, the UK government separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, making it a British overseas territory.

1 week ago | globalvoices.org | Jean de Dieu SOVON |Melissa Vida |Written byJean Sovon |Translated byLaura

Guinea is an African country with vast mineral resources, especially bauxite ( the world’s second-largest producer), gold, diamonds, iron, graphite, and nickel. However, poor natural resource governance has prevented the redistribution of resources that could aid the development of this country of over 15 million citizens. The country has been under military rule since the coup d’état on September 5, 2021, and was classified as a lower-middle-income country in July 2023.

2 weeks ago | globalvoices.org | Jean de Dieu SOVON |Written byJean Sovon |Translated byLaura

A Togolese rapper has been arrested for expressing indignation over the country’s poor governance and social injustice, which has raised serious concerns about the right to freedom of expression in Togo. Tchala Essowè Narcisse, known on the local music scene as Aamron, is a Togolese hardcore rap artist who doesn’t shy away from addressing social issues.

2 weeks ago | globalvoices.org | Jean de Dieu SOVON |Written byJean Sovon |Translated byLaura

The Trump administration’s new policy on visa suspension for foreign nationals looking to study in the United States also affects African countries, such as Togo. The announcement on May 27, 2025, was a major setback for the students gearing up to study in the United States. Marco Rubio, the United States Secretary of State, ordered the suspension of the issuance of foreign student visas.