Somalia battles an unrelenting drought on the cusp of famine.

After four consecutive failed rainy season the Horn of Africa faces the worst period of drought for 40 years, With another poor rainy season now likely to follow sinking the region into further crisis. Scenes from Baidoa the epicentre of Somalias Famine and Mogadishu where many of the worst cases of malnutrition arrive.

*Photographs and text by Guy Peterson

View Story

African scuba divers rewrite a ‘settlers’ narrative’ of the slave trade

Off the coast of Senegal, a Smithsonian-sponsored program is training divers to explore and document sunken slave ships

*Photographs by Guy Peterson, words by Rachel Chason for The Washington Post

View Story

Inside West Africa’s Leading Snakebite clinic

For a country of only 13 million people Guinea accounts for over 10% of deaths from snake bites in the continent. A research clinic in rural Guinea leads the way in developing new, more effective anti venoms for the snakes in West Africa. Victims from around the region spend hours on dirt roads to get to the clinic hoping to receive life saving anti venom before it is too late.

*Photographs by Guy Peterson words by Sam Bradpiece - Story unpublished

View Story

Senegalese Monks bring the Kora to the World

The kora is a bit like a combination between a harp and a banjo, and played like an upright bass. It’s been played across centuries, from West Africa’s pre-colonial singing historians to modern jazz and rock groups today. But the kora was little known in Senegal outside of the minority Mandinka ethnic group before the monks of Keur Moussa monastery started using it.

*photographs by Guy Peterson words by Nick Roll for CSMonitor

View Story

Mauritanians dig deeper wells to cope with climate change

Droughts have long been an issue in Mauritania but in recent years, rains have been erratic and inconsistent there.

*Photographs a text by Guy Peterson

View Story

Currents Change and Fishermen Profit

Each year as dry season ends and the rainy season begins the ambient temperature of the regions almost doubles and currents change off the West African Coastline bringing with them a boom in fish numbers close to Dakar's shores.

Photographs and Words by Guy Peterson / Photo Essay For AFP

View Story

Horse Riders of Ouagadougou

Just days after January’s coup d’état, Sunday horse racing goes ahead at the hippodrome on the outskirts of Ouagadougou. People gather around the dusty circuit betting with what little cash they have to spare.

*Photographs and text by Guy Peterson / For The Guardian

View Story

‘Children were hunted by armed men’: Malians seek safety in Mauritania

After the Wagner Groups deployment in Mali in December indiscriminate attacks in central Mali have displaced tens of thousands of people many of whom fled the violence to South East Mauritania.
For The Guardian, Al Jazeera and AFP.
*Photographs by Guy Peterson words by Nick Roll

Even though its coast is eroding and salt is creeping up its main river, Gambia is still chasing oil

The Gambia has an ambitious climate policy. But if oil is found, The Gambia will certainly extract it, its leading climate official says.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Eva Oude Elfrink for NRC Handesblad

Illegal logging fuels one of Africa's oldest uprisings​

A clash between Senegalese soldiers and separatist rebels in the Casamance region has rekindled a 40-year-old conflict - as well as concerns about the illegal timber trade through neighbouring Gambia. *Photographs by Guy Peterson / For NRC Handelsblad

Glastonbury - No Place Like Home

Over 200,000 people gathered over the fields of Pilton, Somerset to do what they kept from doing for three years, Drinking and doing drugs among lots of other people drinking and doing drugs in the most beautiful place in the world.
*Photos by Guy Peterson

Circus of Hope

Senegals only Circus troupe helps kids living on the street build confidence for a brighter future using performance art to process traumatic experiences together.

‘There are snakes – but we attack the fires’: refugees fight flames in the Sahara

Malian volunteers from a huge camp in Mauritania work tirelessly to put out blazes that threaten homes and land – and all without using water
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Nick Roll for CSMonitor and The Guardian

Ouagadougou Inner City Mining

Hundreds of artisanal miners work cracking granite slabs to carry up the steep walls of the crater for a few euros a day.

‘We took our children and ran’ Thousands displaced as Senegal’s 40-year war crosses the border

More than 6,ooo people have left their homes as renewed violence in the Casamance region spills into the Gambia.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Nick Roll for The Guardian

Painting a bigger picture: Senegal’s pioneering ‘first lady’ of graffiti

Artist, poet and singer, Dieynaba Sidibé, AKA Zeinixx, has made her way to the top of the country’s male-dominated hip-hop scene and wants her messages of hope to inspire young women.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Portia Crowe for The Guardian

Hundreds of Boats, Millions of Fish, All by Hand

Thousands of tonnes of fish are hauled out of the Atlantic Ocean everyday on the coast of Mauritania's largest city, Nouakchott.

Shoots of democracy: Gambia’s first election without dictator on ballot

A free and fair election is a hallmark of democracy. But in Gambia, a country transitioning from dictatorship, the upcoming presidential race only kicks off the hard work ahead to sustain lasting change.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Nick Roll for CSMonitor

The Return of a Pilgrimage​

For the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic th e Layene Muslim community return to a pilgrimage to a sacred cave in Dakar.
*Photos by Guy Peterson

The Sankara Trial

The trial of 14 men, including a former President Blaise Compaore, over the assassination of the country's revered revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara 34 years before which was temporarily paused after a military coup until the junta re-established the constitution.
*Photo essay / Shot for AFP

A Community led together with sustainable agriculture

A community led project in Northern Mozambique trying to prepare a generation for a sustainable future.

Party in the Pandemic

The illegal rave scene all over the UK has seen a small renaissance with more people looking to dance away the pain of lock down life through Coivd. This clandestine underworld has brought people together while the rest of the world stays apart.
*Photo essay - Story in Progress

All Roads Lead to Amman

Exploring the diverse community of displaced people who have made long journeys from neighbouring countries to seek refuge in Jordan's capital, Amman. 

Gambia Votes,
Barrow Wins

On the 4th of December Gambians went to the polls for the first time since the former dictator Yahya Jammeh was beat at the polls in 2017 by Adama Barrow. The election is being closely watched as a test of the democratic transition in The Gambia, where Jammeh ruled for 22 years after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1994.
*Photographs and text by Guy Peterson / For AFP

‘Children were hunted by armed men’: Malians seek safety in Mauritania

After the Wagner Groups deployment in Mali in December indiscriminate attacks in central Mali have displaced tens of thousands of people many of whom fled the violence to South East Mauritania.
For The Guardian, Al Jazeera and AFP.
*Photographs by Guy Peterson words by Nick Roll

Illegal logging fuels one of Africa's oldest uprisings​

A clash between Senegalese soldiers and separatist rebels in the Casamance region has rekindled a 40-year-old conflict - as well as concerns about the illegal timber trade through neighbouring Gambia. *Photographs by Guy Peterson / For NRC Handelsblad

Circus of Hope

Senegals only Circus troupe helps kids living on the street build confidence for a brighter future using performance art to process traumatic experiences together.

Inner City Mining

Hundreds of artisanal miners work cracking granite slabs to carry up the steep walls of the crater for a few euros a day.

‘We took our children and ran’ Thousands displaced as Senegal’s 40-year war crosses the border

More than 6,ooo people have left their homes as renewed violence in the Casamance region spills into the Gambia.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Nick Roll for The Guardian

Painting a bigger picture: Senegal’s pioneering ‘first lady’ of graffiti

Artist, poet and singer, Dieynaba Sidibé, AKA Zeinixx, has made her way to the top of the country’s male-dominated hip-hop scene and wants her messages of hope to inspire young women.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Portia Crowe for The Guardian

Hundreds of Boats, Millions of Fish, All by Hand

Thousands of tonnes of fish are hauled out of the Atlantic Ocean everyday on the coast of Mauritania's largest city, Nouakchott.

A Community led together with sustainable agriculture

A community led project in Northern Mozambique trying to prepare a generation for a sustainable future.

All Roads Lead to Amman

Exploring the diverse community of displaced people who have made long journeys from neighbouring countries to seek refuge in Jordan's capital, Amman. 

Even though its coast is eroding and salt is creeping up its main river, Gambia is still chasing oil

The Gambia has an ambitious climate policy. But if oil is found, The Gambia will certainly extract it, its leading climate official says.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Eva Oude Elfrink for NRC Handesblad

Glastonbury - No Place Like Home

Over 200,000 people gathered over the fields of Pilton, Somerset to do what they kept from doing for three years, Drinking and doing drugs among lots of other people drinking and doing drugs in the most beautiful place in the world.
*Photos by Guy Peterson

‘There are snakes – but we attack the fires’: refugees fight flames in the Sahara

Malian volunteers from a huge camp in Mauritania work tirelessly to put out blazes that threaten homes and land – and all without using water
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Nick Roll for CSMonitor and The Guardian

Shoots of democracy: Gambia’s first election without dictator on ballot

A free and fair election is a hallmark of democracy. But in Gambia, a country transitioning from dictatorship, the upcoming presidential race only kicks off the hard work ahead to sustain lasting change.
*Photos by Guy Peterson Text by Nick Roll for CSMonitor

The Return of a Pilgrimage​

For the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic th e Layene Muslim community return to a pilgrimage to a sacred cave in Dakar.
*Photos by Guy Peterson

The Sankara Trial

The trial of 14 men, including a former President Blaise Compaore, over the assassination of the country's revered revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara 34 years before which was temporarily paused after a military coup until the junta re-established the constitution.
*Photo essay / Shot for AFP

Party in the Pandemic

The illegal rave scene all over the UK has seen a small renaissance with more people looking to dance away the pain of lock down life through Coivd. This clandestine underworld has brought people together while the rest of the world stays apart.
*Photo essay - Story in Progress

Gambia Votes,
Barrow Wins

On the 4th of December Gambians went to the polls for the first time since the former dictator Yahya Jammeh was beat at the polls in 2017 by Adama Barrow. The election is being closely watched as a test of the democratic transition in The Gambia, where Jammeh ruled for 22 years after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1994.
*Photographs and text by Guy Peterson / For AFP

A Generation Looking Forward

A school in Western Zimbabwe uses Education for sustainable development to promote a sustainable future for a younger population.

Into the Desert,
From Coast to Mine

The heaviest train in the world drives 750km into the Sahara Desert each day transporting iron ore back to the coast while providing a vital vein of transport to remote towns.

Traditions of a Medieval Britain

Burning tar barrels carried through the street of a small village in rural Devon, UK

Portfolio