Ufahamu Africa

In this review from The Monkey Cage's African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular, Travis B. Curtice tells us that Policing and Politics in Nigeria: A Comprehensive History  "is a must read" for anyone trying to understand #ENDSARS, militarization, and the lingering effects of settler colonial dynamics on police. The book was reviewed by Curtice in July 2022. Review read by Ami Tama...

What does Africa mean to us today? Fellow Takondwa Priscilla Semphere teaches at the African Leadership Academy , a school where approximately 35 African countries are represented at one time. Takondwa speaks with her students about the complicated question of how we understand and define Africa and its people for this episode. In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel discuss a special edition of The Monk...

Idayat Hassan is the director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), an Abuja-based policy advocacy and research organization focusing on deepening democracy and development in West Africa. She talks to Rachel this week about the upcoming Nigerian elections and all there is to be hopeful about - the possibility for change, engagement from young people, and a potential renegotiation of...

Fellow Kamogelo Tinyiko Theledi sheds a light on the problem of load-shedding and its impact on independent theater companies in South Africa for this episode. "Load-shedding" refers to the deliberate shutdown of electric power in a part or parts of a power distribution system, generally to prevent the failure of the entire system when the demand strains the capacity of the system.   Ana...

In this review from The Monkey Cage's African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular, Dan Eizenga tells us that The Islamic State in Africa "offers a wealth of information, contributing a great deal to the scholarly body of work focused on militant Islamist groups in Africa." The book was reviewed by Eizenga in July 2022. Review read by Ami Tamakloe . Find the books, links, and article...

Fellow Bamba Ndiaye talks to two very exciting guests this week about political uprisings and social activism on the continent, from both activist and scholar perspectives. Sophia Denise Sow is a founding member of Senegal's Y'en a Marre movement and Zachariah Mampilly, cofounder of the Program on African Social Research (PASIRI) and the  Marxe Endowed Chair of International Affairs at t...

Happy new year from the Ufahamu Africa team! We're back with a conversation with Manuel de Araújo, mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique about how he became mayor, why he switched political parties in 2018, and what motivates voters in Mozambique.   In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel share updates on Nigerian elections, the famine in Somalia, and more.  Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned...

Joe Muturi is president of the SDI Network, a social activist, and leader of Muungano wa Wanavijiji, the national federation of slum dwellers in Kenya. Muungano is the largest social movement in Kenya, which for over 20 years has campaigned against forced evictions and in support of secure tenure and improved services for Kenya's poor communities. He talks to Rachel this week about urban poli...

Lauren Honig is an assistant professor of political science at Boston College whose work addresses questions of property rights, the roles of informal and customary institutions, natural resource politics, and state-citizen linkages. Lauren talks to Kim this week about her new book, Land Politics: How Customary Institutions Shape State Building in Zambia and Senegal. Plus, in the news wrap, Kim an...

We're in conversation this week about the recent arrest of Malawi vice president Saulos Chilima. Kim, our resident Malawi expert, answers Rachel's questions about what is happening, the historical context, and more. In Kim's recent article for The Monkey Cage, she writes: "Malawians have seen tensions between their presidents and VPs before. They may be somewhat cynical about g...

Eric Osei Assibey is the dean of international programs at the University of Ghana, Legon and an associate professor of economics. He joins our cohost Rachel Beatty Riedl to talk about the financial situation in Ghana, the state of the Ghanian economy, and the effects of the war in Ukraine on the country. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafric...

Following up from last week, last season's fellow Samah Fawzi continues the deep dive into Western Sahara, this time through discussions with guests Chaia Luali and Maghlaha Hamma, who share their insights on women’s lives and the various roles they lead in Tindouf refugee camps and the Sahrawi cause. Chaia Luali is a Western Sahara activist from the Sahrawi refugee camps, she is member of th...

In this episode, our fellow from last season, Samah Fawzi, does a deep dive into the Western Sahara, its history, composition, and current affairs. She engages in discussions with Sahrawi people from different professional backgrounds and geographical location, with the aims of detangling complex and at times contradictory historical tales, shedding light into the often underrepresented or misrepr...

Why are Kenyans seeking extra jobs outside of their full time work? Gretchen Walch and Soinato Leboo, fellows from our 2021-22 cohort, interview Nairobi-based friends Bonface Nyalwal and Joan Mumbi about their personal experiences and perspectives to better understand the job market, the phenomena of the side hustle, and how people are making it in Kenya.   Find the books, links, and articles we m...

Welcome back to the podcast! Kim and Rachel return for season 7 of the show with a recap of some exciting things that happened while we were on break, new books we are looking forward to learning from, and an introduction of our newest cohort of fellows.   Books, Links, & Articles Activist Origins of Political Ambition: Opposition Candidacy in Africa's Electoral Authoritarian Regimes by K...

In this review from The Monkey Cage's African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular, Laura Seay tells us that Born in Blackness is a compelling, unforgettable read.  Hear the full review on today's bonus episode! Review read by Ami Tamakloe . Books, Links, & Articles Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War by Howard French &...

"Despite a tense campaign period, low voter turnout (46%), and the opposition’s calls to secure the votes in certain localities, election day remained peaceful and highly competitive," write Oumar Ba, Rachel Beatty Riedl, and Bamba Ndiaye. Hear the full article from The Conversation: Africa on today's bonus episode, read by Ami Tamakloe. Books, Links, & Articles " Senegal’s...

This week's episode is a rerun of a conversation we had with coup expert Naunihal Singh, inspired by his recent tweets about another coup attempt in Burkina Faso. In this conversation from April 2022, Singh breaks down what coups are, shares how he began studying them, and what we should know about what was happening on the continent at the time. Books, Links, & Articles Seizing Power: Th...

In this review from The Monkey Cage's African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular, Laura Seay tells us that The Black and White Rainbow "deserves to be a classic in the field." The book is a story of race, citizenship, and memory in South Africa, reviewed by Seay in September 2021. Review read by Ami Tamakloe . Books, Links, & Articles The Black and White Rainbow: Reconciliation...

Michela Wrong's book, Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad , explores the 2013 murder of an exiled Rwandan official. In this bonus episode, hear Laura Seay's review of the book, first published in The Monkey Cage in August 2021. Books, Links, & Articles Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad by Michela...

What happened to the 276 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in April 2014? A book by Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw named after the movement, "Bring Back Our Girls," tells the story. This episode is a reading of Laura Seay's review of the book, first published in The Monkey Cage in July 2021.  Review read by Ami Tamakloe . Books, Links, & Articles Bring Back Our Girls: The Untold Sto...

Today's bonus episode is three book recommendations in one! Our co-host Kim Yi Dionne co-wrote this article with Laura Seay in July 2021 about three reads that offer a deep dive into Kenyan politics: Regime Threats and State Solutions, Political Violence in Kenya, and Kakuma Refugee Camp . Review read by Ami Tamakloe . Books, Links, & Articles " 3 Books Offer Deep Dive into Kenyan Po...

Robtel Neajai Pailey's Development, (Dual) Citizenship, and Its Discontents in Africa is a "must-read for researchers and policymakers working in the fields of migration, citizenship, diasporas, and development." This week's bonus review from The Monkey Cage is by Fulya Felicity Turkmen, our former podcast research assistant! The review is read by Ami Tamakloe.  Books, Links, &...

What creates peace in war-torn countries? Naazneen H. Barma writes a review of The Frontlines of Peace and emphasizes the importance of grassroots movements. This review was read by Ami Tamakloe. Books, Links, & Articles " This Book Explains When Peacekeeping Works—And When It Doesn’t " by Naazneen H. Barma The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World by Sév...

Listen to Ufahamu Africa co-hosts Kim Yi Dionne and Rachel Beatty Riedl wrap up Season 6. In addition to reflecting on their first season incorporating the voices of Ufahamu Africa's non-resident fellows, Kim and Rachel also talk at length about the Kenyan elections and electoral politics and democracy more broadly in Africa. This 150th episode also shares some of what they're hoping to...