1960 is often called the year of African independence because of the unprecedented number of countries--seventeen--that achieved their independence. It might more appropriately be termed the year of West and Central African independence as these countries were mostly from the two regions (except for Madagascar and Somalia). They were also predominantly former French colonies (save for Nigeria and Somalia). read more »
African Affairs
From the Editor Africa at 50: An Overview
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The Habit of Underdevelopment
We were young. I was eighteen and my nineteen course mates were mostly in their mid-twenties. We were in 300 Level. We were lucky. We were going to Togo as the last set of French undergraduates in Nigeria to travel to that country for the year abroad programme. None of us had ever ventured beyond the shores of Nigeria. Our juniors in 200 Level were sulking. The following year, they would head out to the Nigerian French Language Village in Badagry as the pioneer set of that new institution. Those who studied French before our generation wouldn't consider us lucky. read more »
From the Editor The Birth of Kenya's Second Republic
This week Kenyans voted overwhelmingly for a new constitution. It was a landslide victory for the ‘Yes' campaign (the Greens), which garnered 67.25 percent (5,954,767) of the vote against the ‘No' campaign's (the Reds) 30.25 percent (2,687,193). The voter turnout was high (71 percent) as Kenyans understood the referendum offered a historic opportunity for the country to remake itself from its battered past, for the nation to reimagine its future, to anchor the ‘second independence' on a more democratic basis. read more »
From the Editor AFRICA AT FIFTY
This year marks 50 years since the year of African independence in 1960 when 17 African countries achieved their independence from European colonial rule. A series of celebrations are being held in specific countries and across the continent as well as in the diaspora to mark this important milestone. Over the next few months, I will be posting a series of reports and commentaries from a wide variety of sources and outlets commemorating the year. read more »
Basil Davidson: Populariser of African history By Ama Biney
I heard of Basil Davidson's passing at the honourable age of 95 from a former student who forwarded an obituary to me. For years Davidson's prolific work has been on reading lists I distributed to all students (regardless of ethnic background) on my African history courses. It was when I pinned on the classroom wall an article about him with a huge photograph that students expressed their surprise that Davidson was not an African. read more »
The Vuvuzelization of world football: Ghana & the real story of SA2010
With Ghana as the only remaining African team at the ongoing 2010 World Cup, as I write, the question for many people inside and outside Africa has been about the miserable performance of the five other African representatives. The 2010 World Cup was billed as the African World Cup, and hopes were high that a good number of African teams, amongst the six, would do better than in previous World Cup tournaments. These hopes thrived notwithstanding the facts of the official FIFA rankings, in which no single African team featured in the world's top eighteen. read more »
From the Editor Sharing the Gifts of the Nile: The Struggle between Egypt and East Africa
The Nile, for so long the lifeblood of many African civilizations along its banks, is now the scene of acrimonious debate and potential conflict among the nations that contribute to or depend on its precious waters. Nine Nile Basin countries are pitted against each other; on the one hand is Egypt and Sudan and on the other Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Ethiopia. The battle for control of the Nile is fueled by a combustible mix of colonial history, postcolonial politics, environmental threats, and developmental ambitions. read more »
Which Pan-Africanism? A Critical Reading of Ngugi’s ‘Re-membering Africa’ By Chambi Chachage
Posted June 21st, 2010 by Anonymous
"The Pan-Africanism that envisaged the ideal of wholeness was gradually cut down to the size of a continent, then a nation, a region, an ethnos, a clan, and even a village in some instances... But Pan-Africanism has not outlived its mission. Seen as an economic, political, cultural, and psychological re-membering vision, it should continue to guide remembering practices" - Ngugi wa Thiong'o
The Mutations of White Supremacy
Never in my life did I think I would have anything in common with one said William Samoei arap Ruto, one of Kenya's prophets of doom and war who gave his life to the Lord Jesus last Sunday. Last week, Ruto advised Muslims to vote against the draft if they did not want to be visited by violence at the hands of Christians, and repeatedly informed us that a document called a constitution (not leaders like him) would divide Kenya on religious lines. Like Ruto, I also had a foreboding that violence would visit Kenya. read more »
From the Editor Africa's World Cup
The beautiful game has begun with flourish. South Africa and the entire continent are filled with intoxicating ecstasy, jubilant that the World Cup has finally come to Africa for the first time in its eighty year old history. For some this is South Africa's and the marginalized continent's coming out party, a proclamation to the world that Africa is on the move. read more »
Ai Tete Mole: Kansas University, Nigerian Lawmakers, & Second Slavery
A Yoruba proverb, “ai tete m’ole, ole m’oloko”, warns against tardiness in apprehending a thief. Delay could prove costly. A smart thief could turn around and accuse the owner of the property of theft and even claim reparation! read more »
As the Fire Rages By Mukoma Wa Ngugi
"Lisbon lies in ruins, while in Paris they dance," Voltaire wrote of the 1755 Portugal earthquake. The contradiction arrests and startles.
Barely a month into 2010, Haiti lies ruins. President Wade of Senegal offers displaced Haitians land. Can an earthquake succeed where Garvey's return to Africa movement failed?
Pacesetters
(To be read to the accompaniment of Tim McGraw’s “Grown Men Don’t Cry” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0BP1dYVjEg)
The Devil in the Details: The Opposition to the Draft Kenya Constitution
The case of the Kenyan church leaders opposed to the adoption of the draft constitution still does not make sense. In fact, one gets dizzy trying to follow their arguments because the leaders keep the shifting goal posts with fallacies, outright distortions, political blackmail and spiritual ultimatums. It is as if the leaders have decided to wear Kenyans down into voting against the draft.
Creating a New South African Identity By William Gumede
The raging debate over what makes one South African, which currently focuses on whether a person is African enough, is simply the wrong debate.
Can we ever cobble together a common South African-ness?
Kenyan Churches, Racism and Pan-Africanism
It goes without saying that the case of the churches against the draft Kenya constitution does not make sense. On one hand, they argue that the Kadhi courts in the constitution make Kenya an Islamic state, and yet Kenya should be secular. On the other hand, the leaders want that same secular Kenya they are fighting for to adopt the Christian position on abortion. But worst of all, they have blackmailed Kenya by saying that the country should arrive at a "consensus" with the church in which Kenyans have no choice to acquiesce to the church's position. read more »
“Ara Eko, Ara Oke”: Lagos, Culture, and the Rest of Us
Every generation loves to articulate a border identity in Nigeria. Never mind Wole Soyinka’s dissing of his own generation as a wasted one. In the nature of things, your generation always just happens to be the last best generation before whatever value systems or institutions you are discussing collapsed irredeemably, hence the tendency to dismiss the generation after you contemptuously. read more »
Motherhood and the Motherland
This year, the roles that won Sandra Bullock and Mo'Nique the Oscars for best actress and best supporting actress respectively shared one thing in common: both were mothers to black children whose size was a significant aspect of the children's characters. The things that differentiated the two roles, however, are disturbing.
Condom to Intercourse
"You'll get to see Condom". She uttered that sentence in a friendly manner that made her completely oblivious to the outlines of shock that were changing the contours of my face as she spoke. I used to live in Europe - France - before I moved to North America. Having lived continuously in Canada and the United States now since 1998, I always receive a fair dosage of culture shock every time I return to Paris - my second home away from Nigeria. read more »
The Politics of Sex
When I was young and attending church meetings, seminars and all manner of forums designed to reign in on teenage libido, there was a church elder who used to say that when a young man approaches a woman's parents to declare his intention to marry their daughter, he is essentially telling the parents that he wants to have sex with her. I never understood what he meant, but I didn't really try to, given that the elder was known for making controversial statements. I didn't understand till now.
