Africa
Sovereignty’s End and Beginning
In Somaliland, the pursuit of statehood has come with a bitter irony.
The War No One Wanted
In Sudan, the forces unleashed by the remnants of Bashir’s regime have not won. Even under siege, life continues.
With photographs by Salih Basheer
The Land Question
Fighting apartheid has become a global paradigm for justice struggles. That’s not how many Black liberationists in South Africa understood their cause.
Remembering Andreas Eshete
A revolutionary, philosopher, and devoted patriot, he was among Ethiopia’s leading public intellectuals.
Rule by Militia
Governments wracked by debt have found militias an efficient way of managing restive populations.
South Africa’s Enduring Unfreedom
An interview with S’bu Zikode, leader of the shack dwellers’ movement, thirty years after apartheid’s end.
Who’s Afraid of Frantz Fanon?
Long decried by liberals and conservatives alike, the Martinican psychiatrist remains one of the most piercing critics of colonialism.
Naming the Unnamed War
Bertrand Tavernier’s daring documentary about the Algerian revolution sought to break the silence in France.
Can Divestment Campaigns Still Work?
Decades after apartheid South Africa, student activists face a new obstacle: the financialization of university endowments.
The Silencing of Fred Dube
Forty years ago, the exiled South African activist dared to teach Zionism critically. A furious backlash ensued.
Neville Alexander’s Struggle Against Racial Capitalism
The late South African intellectual and activist—imprisoned on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela—fought for a world without race and class.
Dreams of Green Hydrogen
In place of public-private partnerships, we should revive the Pan-African ambitions of the green developmental state.
Seeking Certainty in Uncertain Times
An anthropologist reflects on West African divination as a case study in hope during times of great uncertainty.
The United States Can Afford More Refugees
East African countries host seven times more refugees than we do. Their policies look beyond their borders; so should ours.
We Can No Longer Deny the Atrocities in Ethiopia
A civil war in the northern region of Tigray broke out in November. Denial within the international community has prevented much-needed humanitarian aid.
Algerian Jews Have Not Forgotten France’s Colonial Crimes
A recent report neglects to mention how France forced Arab Jews to adopt the European persona of Jew as citizen and see Arabs and Muslims as others.
How to Talk about COVID-19 in Africa
To ask why COVID-19 hasn’t been deadlier in Africa is to suggest that more Africans should be dying. We need better questions.
Colonizing the Future
Working people are forever kept on the brink of going broke—preventing them from having any control over their own futures.
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