It's a Continent

Western Sahara is often described as Africa’s last colony. Since 1884 the people of Western Sahara, the Sahrawis, have been fighting to regain access and ownership of their country from their former coloniser Spain, and most recently Morocco. The United Nations describes Western Sahara’s current situation as an ‘incomplete process of decolonisation,’ however, their ability to bring it to an end has yet to yield positive results. In this episode, we explore Western’s Sahara’s story and the people and organisations involved in its past, and those who continue to determine its future.

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Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was a divisive figure, as he represented very different things to different people. We begin the first episode of season two by discussing what motivated Gaddafi's Pan-Africanist ideas, as well as the impact of Arab colonisation in Northern Africa and the idea behind the term "sub-Saharan Africa". 

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Articles:

Colonialism: Arab & European Compared by Chinweizu

Why do we still use the term “sub-Saharan Africa”?

The Green Book

Libyan aid and investment projects in Africa

Gaddafi’s Libya was Africa’s Most Prosperous Democracy

April Victims of The Gaddafi Regime

The truth about Gaddafi: He was no friend of Africans

Gaddafi’s Blood-Soaked Hands

'It Was As if We Weren’t Human.' Inside the Modern Slave Trade Trapping African Migrants

Africans remember Gaddafi as martyr, benefactor

Gaddafi wants EU cash to stop African migrants

How ‘African’ is Northern Africa?

Books:

Africanism - Patricia Bamurangirwa

African Immigrants in South Africa - Godfrey Mwakikagile

Documentary:

Mad Dog: Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi

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On the 6th March 1957, Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule, changing its name from the Gold Coast. In this episode we discuss the events leading to independence - from the mistreatment of African soldiers fighting for Allied forces in WW2, to a new constitution. We also draw similarities to Ghana's road to independence with the recent Black Lives Matter protests, demonstrating how black people have continuously been campaigning for equality. 

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Four more ways the CIA has meddled in Africa

CIA Declassified Document

The CIA, Kwame Nkrumah, and the Destruction of Ghana

Ghana : History - The Commonwealth

Ghana demands independence from Britain

The Politics of the Independence Movements

Ghanaians campaign for independence from British rule, 1949-1951

This 1948 event in Ghana triggered Africa’s independence

The Causes and Effects of the 1948 Accra Riots in Ghana

Africa has forgotten the women leaders of its independence struggle

1956: Gold Coast to get independence

Ghana, cocoa, colonialism and globalisation: introducing historiography

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Wangari Maathai was a distinguished environmentalist born in Kenya during British colonial rule. As a well-educated black woman, she used her knowledge and experience to educate and mobilise others in her community to fight for change, but faced numerous challenges: from discrimination at work to threats from the Kenyan government. Her determination and fearlessness never waned as she continued to fight for the environment, human rights and democracy in Kenya. In 2004, she became the first black African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Quite often – and misleadingly, Liberia is referred to as one of the only two African countries that were not colonised. Whilst Liberia was not carved up by Europeans in the Scramble for Africa, the country was actually founded by the American colonisation society, and many freed black Americans were sent to live in Liberia, despite living in America for generations. These black Americans and their descendants ended up controlling and colonising indigenous Liberians for over 100 years.

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Articles:

A Brief History of the African Country of Liberia

The Library of Congress - African American Mosaic Exhibition

"And so Liberia was Born"

How a Movement to Send Freed Slaves to Africa Created Liberia

Settlement of Liberia and Mexico-Liberian Rule

Photos of Cabinet Ministers lined up for Execution after a Coup debate in Liberia

Murder and mayhem in Liberia: What America wrought in the country America created

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Robert Gabriel Mugabe led Zimbabwe for almost four decades, and within that period he went from being a hero who helped free his country from colonial rule to an authoritarian who did whatever it took to stay in power. In this episode, we discuss the rise and subsequent fall of this Zimbabwean leader. 

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Online sources:

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After a brutal genocide in 1994, Rwanda came back to be a thriving and sustainable country within a short space of time. Considering Rwanda’s difficult history comprising of colonialism and genocide, it’s encouraging to see one million people lifted out of poverty, women being elevated in society and life expectancy doubling. However there is a shadow lingering over Rwanda's rapid comeback- a number of human rights issues.

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Critics of the Rwandan government dead or missing

News articles 

Rwanda, 20 years on: how a country is rebuilding itself

Two Decades After Genocide, Rwanda’s Women Have Made the Nation Thrive

Rwanda 20 years later: A model for progress and reconciliation

How a Nation Reconciles After Genocide Killed Nearly a Million People

A Short History of the Rwandan Genocide

Rwanda unveils new flag and anthem

Since Genocide, Rwanda's Women Have Helped Lead The Recovery

Human Rights Watch

Rwanda, A Success Story Of Women Empowerment

Papers:

Rwanda: The Genocide, Its Aftermath, and the Tragedy of Victor’s Justice

Rwanda's initiatives 

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From 1880-1920 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium. Within that time period, the atrocities committed under his rule led to the loss of 10 million Congolese lives, half of the country's population. In this episode, we explore the lead-up and subsequent rule of King Leopold II and the impact this had on the DRC.

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Sources for further reading:

BOOK: King Leopold's Ghost: a story of greed, terror, and heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild

JOURNAL ARTICLE: On the origin of fear in the world trade system: excavating the roots of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 by Marjorie Florestal

THESIS: King Leopold II's exploitation of the Congo from 1885 to 1908 and its consequences by Steven P. Johnson

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Thomas Sankara was the president of Burkina Faso from 1983-1987. He remains an inspiration to young Africans and those committed to a pan-Africanist future. His progressive policies, when it came to women’s rights, sustainability, education, and healthcare, were innovative and ahead of his time. We’ll discuss Sankara’s legacy and what could’ve been if he was able to fully galvanise Burkina Faso and perhaps the African continent.

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Sources for further reading:

Thomas Sankara - the Upright Man (documentary)

The Upright Man - Thomas Sankara by Sean Jacobs (essay)

Sankara - daring to reinvent Africa's future (Guardian article)

The Land of Upright People (article)

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The Nigerian Civil War took place from 1967-1970. For a recent historical event that inflicted trauma onto many Nigerians, this story still appears stifled compared to other modern historical events. The total number of Nigerian-Igbo people killed in this conflict is still unknown but it is estimated to be in the millions and it's important that we recognise this. We'll talk about how this war came to be, Britain's involvement in this conflict and the longer reaching consequences from the civil war for Nigeria and the wider continent today. Follow us on Instagram: @itsacontinentpod and let us know which topic you think we should cover next! 

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Sources for further reading:

Journals/Books:

Keil, C. (1970). The Price of Nigerian Victory. Africa Today, 

There was a Country, Chinua Achebe

Documentary:

Nigeria war against Biafra 1967-1970 documentary 

Weblinks:

Nigerians need to talk about the horrors of the war 50 years later

Igbo Genocide and its aftermarth 

Mr President, I am renouncing my Nigerian citizenship and this is why

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