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Technologies of violence in Africa
Get PDFThis chapter examines how military violence has occurred in Africa since the turn of the twenty-first century. In particular, it discusses the various technologies of such violence paying into consideration the increased role of the Chinese on the African continent, the deteriorating political and economic outlook as well as the rise of religious fundamentalism. In doing this, we assess how combatants (youths, rebels, government security forces, and religious sects) have systematically appropriated various arts, devices, systems, tools, materials, procedures, and knowledge in order to commit their violence, usually on non-combatants. Thus, in investigating the dynamics of civil war violence in Africa we also discuss weapons of various kinds, as well as the "technology of repression" which includes methods of torture and incarceration.</p
Decolonising Hegemonic Time in Africa - A Praxis View
No full textThis chapter considers the question of ‘Africa Time’, but from the perspective of decolonising hegemonic temporalities inherited from coloniality and its temporal regimes. It seeks to account better for Africa time as lived, through articulating a decolonial temporal perspective from both theoretical and social critique, as well as regenerative praxis perspectives. Through this approach, we sketch key aspects of the relationship between time and coloniality in African contexts, including the time-language nexus, before moving on to foreground emerging examples of critical decolonial temporal praxis in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. These examples are illuminate of possible praxis (rather than definitive) and offer insights into how industrial modernity and associated forms of coloniality might be unsettled, provincialized and challenged through scholarly, activist and artistic practices. In so doing, we consider an emerging African praxis for decolonising the hegemony of colonial times
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Diasporic Engagements with the Legacies of Lumumba and Sankara: Extending Du Bois’s Double Consciousness and Fanon’s Theory of Colonial Alienation Toward the Decolonisation of Knowledge
No full textLegendary African leaders have inspired the African Diaspora. Growing up in Africa in the late 1970s and 1980s, I was inspired by Bob Marley and his music, especially the liberation song, “Redemption Song.” Bob Marley and the rest of the Rastafari movement saw Haile Selassie as their hero and inspiration. Likewise, the heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa highlighted how the Diaspora looked back to the continent for inspiration. I will be focusing on two African leaders who inspired me. Patrice Émery Lumumba (July 2, 1925 - January 17, 1961) and Thomas Sankara (December 21, 1949 - October 15, 1987), whose uncompromising visions for self-determination and resistance to neocolonial influence inspired many among my contemporaries. Their tragic and untimely deaths in the 1960s and 1980s, respectively, left a mark, and their legacy lives on. Living in Western Europe for decades, my interest in Diaspora identity has led me to two scholars who theorised on the experience of children of Africa in Diaspora. W.E.B. Du Bois' concept of Double Consciousness and Frantz Fanon's analysis of colonial alienation came to mind when I reflected on the legacy of Lumumba and Sankara in Diaspora. When reflecting on the psychological impact of displacement and cultural struggles faced by the Diaspora, I noted that these experiences are not only related to the colonial legacy that underpins migration but are connected to the global structures that shape global politics that Lumumba and Sankara sought to challenge. This chapter calls for a renewal of engagement with the decolonial thought underpinning authenticity. Authenticity was at the core of Lumumba and Sankara's politics. Epistemic sovereignty, decolonising the mind and pride in African identity in Diaspora are worthy causes to pursue when building the legacy of Lumumba and Sankara and bridging the links between the African Continent and its global Diaspora
Changing contexts, changing violence patterns? The case of African diaspora women
No full textMigration has become a global phenomenon, and diasporic contexts are upsetting tradition and the cultural roles of men and women. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, this chapter aims to explore how some women in diasporic contexts are responding to opportunities that favour them against men. Some African diaspora women are using their privileges to perpetrate violence against men. The chapter qualitatively analyses data gathered from social media, newspaper articles, news channels, and text-based research. This chapter concludes that diasporic context(s) is a space for violence and some African diaspora women perpetuate violence against men
Border Violence in Africa
No full textThis chapter focuses on border violence targeting refugees and migrants on routes from Africa to Europe. First, we situate this violence in context, exploring the histories and meanings of borders on the African continent—including debates about their origins in colonial interventions. Second, we conceptualize the violence of Eurocentric interventions in border management in Africa. Finally, we present a case study of memories and experiences of border violence, based upon ethnographic research. We catalogue blinding abuses on journeys to Tunisia, inside the country, and in Mediterranean waters. We also reveal a Tunisian “borderscape” where intensifying racism and violence against “foreign” migrants is woven into domestic political struggles. Tunisians “burn the border” (harraga) with subversive migration practices; they also counteract it with social solidarities, and justifications for freedom of movement. With attention to these experiences, we illuminate how border violence relates to state violence, affecting migrants, refugees, and citizens alike
Beyond xenophobia or Afrophobia: strategies and solutions
No full textThis handbook brings together global research on violence in Africa from academics, practitioners and activists across a multitude of subjects. It seeks to create the widest possible space for debate, discussion, and analysis of the broad range of issues and problems of violence. It transcends disciplinary and geographic borders in order to create new ground in this space. The chapters in this handbook cover diverse themes such as: the topography of violence, technologies of violence, terrorism, civil war and insurgent violence, child soldiers and violence, epistemic violence, structural violence, violence and memory, violence and the law, cultural mechanisms for creating, sustaining, resisting, and mitigating violence, political violence, violence in moments of religious, social and geo-political transformation, gender and violence, violence against nature, and violence and social media. It centralises new meanings, understandings and fresh ideas to the concept ofviolence, broadening its scope, and contributing to the debates that will shape Africa’s common future. It shines a light on key elements of African culture and the cultural mechanisms for creating, sustaining, resisting, and mitigating violence in Africa. It strives to be relevant to the needs and concerns of African societies by suggesting practical solutions for overcoming violence. This book ties in with development initiatives in Africa, such as Agenda 2063, for the Africa We Want, and the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Enchanted Worldviews and Violence Against Persons with Albinism in Sub-Saharan Africa
No full textAcross Africa, news reports and scholarly discussions have revealed the constant attacks and violence perpetrated against persons with albinism. These reports suggest that albinos continue to remain targets of human sacrifice, which is supported by the view that their bodies or human parts possess rare qualities that make them potent for ritual sacrifices for the purpose of winning political office or power and/or boosting business, especially in the area of mining. Albino bodies are also believed to be powerful in the making of medicines. In addition, albinos continue to remain a disinherited group that faces social injustice in areas such as education, employment, health, marriage, and kinship. In this chapter, I discuss, with examples from Tanzania and Ghana, the plight of albinos and the violence and injustices perpetrated against them. I argue that the continuous and subjective forms of violence against such groups of people are a result of enchanted worldviews and greed for power and prosperity in a context in which many people are disenchanted with socio-economic realities
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Ubuntu and Environmental Security in Africa
No full textThis chapter examines the profound interconnection between the Ubuntu worldview and pressing environmental security issues in Africa and beyond. The Ubuntu worldview emphasises the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment. In the face of escalating environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion, this chapter examines how embracing Ubuntu can offer sustainable solutions for environmental security in Africa. Through an autoethnographic account, the chapter explores how traditional wisdom, passed down through oral history, promoted harmony with nature and constantly reminded people of their role as custodians of the environment. The chapter illustrates how Ubuntu can guide policies and practices toward environmental sustainability by highlighting the importance of community involvement, environmental education, and holistic conservation strategies.
Furthermore, the chapter discusses the role of Ubuntu in shaping ethical environmental policies, promoting social equity, and fostering international collaborations for environmental conservation in Africa. It emphasises the need for a paradigm shift in addressing environmental challenges, moving from conventional top-down approaches to inclusive, community-driven efforts that align with Ubuntu principles. By recognising the intrinsic value of all life forms and embracing the spirit of interconnectedness, Africa can pave the way for a more secure and sustainable environmental future for the continent and the world. This chapter contributes to the ongoing discourse on environmental security by presenting Ubuntu as a valuable ethical framework that offers profound insights and practical solutions, encouraging people to rethink their relationship with nature and advocate for a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence between humanity and the environment in Africa and worldwide
“We died for this country!”: verbal and practice talk among liberation war veterans in Zimbabwe
Get PDFThis article explores the world of the veterans of Zimbabwe’s War of Independence, con- structed in the rhetoric and language of valour, in which the veteran portrays her/ himself through speech. The paper specifically focuses on the mouth of the veteran and the words they speak of themselves and their heroic world. I examine how a war veteran’s masculinity is affirmed through speeches and fantasy in the construction of an ideologically charged masculinity in Zimbabwean politics. While the veterans portray themselves as champions of their world attained through expropriation, they are simultaneously not immune to failure in getting what was promised during the war by their generals. They are not immune to suffering. Because of their disappointment, veterans have become not only violent and apprehensive, but also creative in their quest for rewards and recognition in society. They therefore deploy a rhetoric of hostility against their generals and against those they perceive as enemies. What words do their mouths utter? I thus explore how a veteran’s mouth and that of his general, both of whom have taken part in discourses of masculinity, which in turn have served as a weapon of expropriation, are used
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