Binyavanga’s writing out of depression
Writing on depression in Africa is a rarity, so Binyavanga Wainaina's book, "One Day I Will Write About This Place," seems singular.
History
The New York Times goes to Zimbabwe
American media should focus on the real political struggles in Zimbabwe and not think that the government of national unity has brought Zimbabwe out of a period of violent political conflict.
Steve Bloom photographs 1970s Cape Town
The London Festival of Photography has opened, and one of its most appealing features is an
Struggles over memory in South Africa
Revisionism pervades popular culture in South Africa now, coloring our perception of the past.
The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean World
This online exhibition provides an overview of the transit of East Africans into Diaspora communities within the Indian Ocean world, and their various settlements among Arabic, Indian, Persian and Asian communities.
Suffering and Smiling
Mali’s rebel armies, their shifting alliances and their fans make for quite a spectacle.
War and peace in Côte d’Ivoire
By the end of 2004, Côte d’Ivoire’s civil war had cooled to a simmer, but the
The future of Françafrique
Is it France's interests to reform its unequal, exploitative relationship with Africans?
An Ode to Oshodi Market
Old Oshodi highlighted the complexity of the city, showcasing the ingenuity of the people of Lagos in their use of the informal market in making a living.
No room for ambiguity
Kenyan activists raise their voices, placards and fists over US$500 million allocated but not yet spent for anti-retroviral medications. That’s a lot of money, drugs, and lost lives.
Tintin’s Day in a Belgian Court
Tintin is full of offensive, racist, stereotypes. Should Africans take the publishers to court? No, argues the author; it is counterproductive.
David Cameron’s Libya Doctrine
Britain's secret service, MI5, passed on sensitive information to their Libyan colleagues to torture dissidents.
An unusual sensitivity
One of the striking facts of Nabil Ayouch's film is that Israelis love the land and the Palestinians love it too.
The Other African election: France’s First Round
Both of the front-runners, incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist François Hollande, have run against FrançAfrique. Easier said than done.
Why is so much coverage of the Mali crisis so bad?
We mean the kind of bad that comes from being caught in a Beckettian loop of either saying nothing at all or having nothing to say.
The civilizing mission of the white man
The recent controversy around Günter Grass’s criticisms of Germany's arms trade with Israel is an interesting post-script to the Namibian genocide controversy.
The Racial Politics of Tuareg Nationalism
Historian Greg Mann is not a big fan of Tuareg group, Tinariwen. The music is alright, he agrees, but the politics is rancid.
The shareholders of Jesus Inc.
God is the fastest-growing business in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. It may be time we agitate for our governments to raise taxes on these corporations.
Tinariwen speaks on the coup in Mali
Tuareg musicians Tinariwen, on tour in Europe these days, spent some time in Belgium this weekend.
Cheikh Amadou Bamba Day
For over two decades, West African Muslims from the Murid Sufi Brotherhood come together at the