Covering a sprawling continent with dozens of countries is a daunting challenge. My job is to report in depth on themes and major stories that span many countries — most recently, Africa’s extraordinary youth boom and the devastating civil war in Sudan. I also specialize in investigative reporting that uncovers the hidden machinations behind major stories. Foreign meddling in Africa, often in pursuit of rare minerals or strategic advantage, is a frequent theme. But the most powerful stories often come through individuals, and I strive to give voice to the most vulnerable members of the societies I cover.
I joined The Times in 2011 after seven years covering Pakistan and Afghanistan for The Guardian. Two years later, I was expelled from Pakistan for my reporting. In 2015 I moved to Cairo, reporting across the Middle East, but took a detour to the United States for six months in 2016 to write Abroad in America, a column about the presidential election. Since 2020 I’ve been based in Kenya — my second stint in the country, where I lived for five years as a freelance reporter in the early 2000s.
Born and raised in the west of Ireland, I attended University College Dublin and Dublin City University. I’ve also written for The New York Times Magazine and Granta. I was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, and in 2019 I won a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for my reporting from Yemen. In 2020 I published a book, “The Nine Lives of Pakistan,” that won the Cornelius Ryan Award for nonfiction from the Overseas Press Club of America, and in 2024 was part of a team that won a Press Club award for its coverage of Russia and Ukraine.
Journalistic independence is a cornerstone of our work at The Times; our standards are outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. I don’t accept free trips or other benefits. I identify myself as a reporter for The Times when I contact people, and am careful to protect the identity of those who need to remain anonymous to share sensitive information with me. In my reporting, I prioritize the voices of the powerless, and am grateful to anyone who allows me to tell their story.
Email: [email protected]
X: @declanwalsh
Instagram: @declanjwalsh
LinkedIn: Declan Walsh
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The aircraft came under fire as it tried to rescue wounded soldiers, the United Nations said. The attack came amid fears that a critical power-sharing deal was at risk of collapse, risking all-out civil war.
By Declan Walsh
The Rapid Support Forces said it was paving the way to an end to the civil war. Critics called it an audacious gambit by a group that the United States has accused of genocide.
By Declan Walsh
Amid reports of new atrocities by their troops in Sudan, leaders of the Rapid Support Forces were cheered at an elaborate political event in Kenya.
By Declan Walsh
The collapse of U.S.A.I.D. at the hands of President Trump and Elon Musk is already leaving gaping holes in vital health care and other services that millions of Africans rely on for their survival.
By Declan Walsh
President Trump’s order to halt most foreign aid has intensified humanitarian crises and raised questions about the United States’ reliability as a global leader.
By Sui-Lee Wee, Declan Walsh and Farnaz Fassihi
The M23 militia, funded and directed by Rwanda, said it had seized the city of Goma, terrifying its people, many of whom sought shelter there after fleeing the rebel advance.
By Caleb Kabanda, Ruth Maclean and Guerchom Ndebo
The determination came as the United States announced sanctions against the Sudanese military chief, saying there was strong evidence of atrocities in the country.
By Declan Walsh and Julian E. Barnes
Celebrations erupted in military-controlled areas, stoking hopes the victory might be a turning point in Sudan’s ruinous civil war.
By Declan Walsh
A force fighting Sudan’s army in a brutal civil war committed massacres and rape that amount to genocide, the Secretary of State said, two decades after a finding of genocide in the same region.
By Declan Walsh
Visual evidence collected and analyzed over months by The New York Times identifies the commanders leading an opaque paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, as fighters under their watch commit atrocities across Sudan.
By Sanjana Varghese, Natalie Reneau, Christoph Koettl, Aaron Byrd and Declan Walsh