Risking death to save Uganda’s rainforests

In Uganda, grasshopper hunters work through the night to catch as many insects as possible. They are sold at dawn at markets, before being grilled. At each major crossroads in the capital, vendors offer them to passers-by, who can't get enough. In baskets, on the ground or even directly in casseroles, these insects aren't repulsive to locals, but a valuable source of delicious protein. "It tastes a bit like meat, or even chicken," explains a passerby.

After being driven out of Uganda, the Lord's Resistance Army ran riot in the Central African Republic, where it behaved more like a criminal gang than a terrorist militia. Now the LRA's days seem to be numbered.

Uganda wants to curb its borrowing and boost exports in sectors such as meat and dairy as the East African country lifts restrictions triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, President Yoweri Museveni, and government officials. Uganda's trade push follows several years of reduced Chinese lending to the continent and as programmes designed to offer relief to indebted countries as they recover from COVID 19-induced slumps start to expire.

Throngs of revellers filled The Levels bar in Uganda's capital Kampala, dancing to live music and ordering bottle service to their tables. It was a Monday night. Bars and night clubs have reopened nearly two years after the government shut them and banned other of forms of entertainment, part of strict measures to contain COVID-19.

Critics have warned of the damage to biodiversity and local rights, as well as the global climate. But Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is hoping for an economic boom.

Why use firewood when you can use reusable stones for cooking? Shaban has turned his idea into a business. It provides a sustainable solution for the local community and protects the environment at the same time.

The International Court of Justice orders Uganda to pay millions in reparations to Uganda over its role in the conflict in the eastern Congolese province of Ituri in the late 1990s. Also, relief workers struggle to help those caught up in the aftermath of Cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar. And key scientific, political and entrepreneurial voices head to the French city of Brest for the One Ocean Summit event, which is spotlighting the urgent need to protect international waters and marine life.

The International Court of Justice orders Uganda to pay millions in reparations to Uganda over its role in the conflict in the eastern Congolese province of Ituri in the late 1990s. Also, relief workers struggle to help those caught up in the aftermath of Cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar. And key scientific, political and entrepreneurial voices head to the French city of Brest for the One Ocean Summit event, which is spotlighting the urgent need to protect international waters and marine life.

Thousands of children survive in the streets of Uganda’s capital Kampala by begging for money from road users. Residents are fed-up and city authorities are struggling to get the young ones off the busy roads.

At a lakeside fishing village, 17-year-old Margaret Babirye cuddles her baby at lunchbreak before she returns to school. The young mother – and others like her who became pregnant during Uganda’s COVID-19 lockdown - are benefiting from a recent government decision to allow girls back into the classroom after they give birth. But the policy is meeting resistance from church leaders who argue that girls who are no longer "pure" could affect the morality of other children.

Nationals from Tunisia and Ghana who have fled Ukraine have finally made it home with others who are set to follow. Tens of thousands of Africans have been stranded in war-torn Ukraine since Russia's invasion last week. And we speak to award winning Ugandan writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija. The author has filed a case against Uganda in the East Arican Court of Justice. He was tortured over tweets in which he called the president's son obese and a curmudgeon.

A group of conservationists is using environmental DNA to track animals in Liberian forests to help better understand their intricate biodiversity and ensure further protection of these environments.