Ceuta and Melilla are enclaved cities where the European Union has land borders with the African continent, as Spain continues to lay claims within Morocco. What is Spain doing in Morocco in the first place, and what are the wider implications? In this episode, we discuss why the two cities have been described as Europe’s “dirty secret" - the over-surveillance of the walls separating Africa from Europe, and the mistreatment and brutality towards those seeking a better life in Europe.

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. Pre-order It's a Continent (2022) on Amazon and Waterstones

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Hosts: Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

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Sources for further reading:

Ceuta and Melilla: why does Spain own two cities in Africa?

Melilla: Europe's dirty secret

World of Walls: The Structure, Roles and Effectiveness of Separation Barriers - ebook

French Morocco (1912-1956)

Alleged migrant smugglers arrested in Spain

Ceuta, Melilla profile

@ProdeinOrg 

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We have a big announcement!!

Pre-order It's a Continent (2022) here:

Amazon

Waterstones

https://linktr.ee/itsacontinent 

Visit our website: itsacontinent.com

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. We're on Buy me a Coffee too: buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent

Hosts:

Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

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In this episode, we learn about Africa’s longest-serving dynasties, the Gnassingbé dynasty. They have ruled Togo since the late 1960s. The rise of the dynasty began with Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who forged a successful military career and became the country’s President. Following Gnassingbé’s death in 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé became President following a questionable set of parliamentary changes, and like father, like son, his rulership has failed the Togolese people. 

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. 

We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent 

Visit our website: itsacontinent.com 

Hosts: Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee 

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx 

Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... 

Sources for further reading:

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The Chagos Islands are located in the Indian Ocean, home to Chagossians. However, the islands' sovereignty remains disputed to this day. The UK continues laying claims to the islands, despite being urged to end its unlawful occupation. In this episode we’ll focus on the expulsion of Chagossians from their home country, and the steps the British government have taken to make it more difficult for Chagos islanders to return home.

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent

Visit our website: itsacontinent.com

Hosts:

Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

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Sources for further reading:

Books: 

Island of Shame - David Lutz

Audio:

Expulsion of the Chagos Islanders - BBC Sounds

Documentary: 

Stealing a Nation - The Plight of the Chagos Islands VS the United States (2004)

Papers:

What If You Can’t Protest the Base? The Chagossian Exile, the Struggle for Democracy, and the Military Base on Diego Garcia - David Vine

Articles:

How Britain forcefully depopulated a whole archipelago

The plight of the Chagos Islanders shows the dark side of the US-UK special relationship

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We're back with a bonus episode before we return to season 3! We discuss the consequences of the trans-atlantic slave trade on the continent with our special guest, Karis. We talk about the notion of Africans selling other Africans into slavery by applying the correct lens to examine a pre-colonial continent, how the slave trade gave way to European colonisation and the importance of education and cultural exchange as a solution to diaspora wars.

You can follow Karis on Twitter: @friedricejim. Check out his blog on black history The Black Republic, as well as his Clubhouse discussion club the Black Republic.

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent

Visit our website: itsacontinent.com

Hosts:

Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

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In this episode, we're in Tanzania discussing its stint in socialism. The country's first post-independence President, Julius Nyerere, introduced the Arusha Declaration. A vital element of the declaration was the introduction of Ujamaa which means family-hood in Swahili. Ujamaa focused on freedom, equality and unity. He believed that colonialism had brought capitalism and individualistic thinking into Tanzania and across the African continent, and capitalism went against pre-colonial traditional African culture, which was more community-oriented. Nyerere was an iconic figure and was often considered to be Africa's conscience. 

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. We're on buy me a coffee too: buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent 

Hosts:

Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

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Sources for further reading:

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In this episode we discuss Somalia's socialist government between 1969-1991. This movement was led by Mohamed Siad Barre, a Somali Communist politician. Under the Supreme Revolutionary Council, Barre transformed Somalia into a one-party Marxist-Leninist communist state, renaming the country the Somali Democratic Republic and adopting a concept called scientific socialism, with support from the Soviet Union. Whilst Barre’s rule had initial success: modernisation, nationalisation and anti-tribalism, defeat in the Ogaden War triggered Somali rebellion and dissatisfaction. You can find sources below.

Please excuse any background noise in this episode, recording via Zoom has its challenges!

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. We're on buy me a coffee too: buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent

Hosts:

Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

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Sources for further reading:

“Buried in the Sands of the Ogaden”: The Horn of Africa and SALT II, 1977–1979

Somali Democratic Republic

Permanent Mission of the Somali Republic to the United Nations

Siad Barre and Scientific Socialism

Socialist Somalia: The legacy of Barre’s military regime

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In this episode, we discuss France's relationship with its African colonies, specifically Chad. Chad became part of the French empire during the Scramble for Africa and successfully gained its independence in 1960 following the empire's disbandment. France's response to this change was to form alliances with its former colonies in order to maintain some of the political and economic benefits they had garnered during their colonisation. These alliances still stand today, with the French government providing military support, overlooking human rights violations, and influencing Chad's currency. Franco-African relations poses an interesting question, whether France can ever leave Africa?

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. We're on buy me a coffee too: buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent

Hosts:

Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

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Sources for further reading:

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The Herero and Namaqua genocide is still not widely discussed or taught. Between 1904-1907, hundreds of thousands of Herero and Namaqua people were starved and tortured to death in response to a rebellion against German occupation and theft of land in Namibia. In this episode we discuss racist and fascist ideologies which led to this event (and later on, the holocaust), medical racism, and reparations that Namibians continue to demand from Germany to this day. Trigger warning: torture. We describe graphic details around concentration camps, which some may find upsetting. Sources are below.

Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. We're on buy me a coffee too: buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent

Hosts: 

Chinny: Twitter/IG: chindomiee 

Astrid: IG: astrid_monologuesx

Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg

Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Sources for further reading:

Herero and Nama Genocide

German-Herero conflict of 1904–07

Namibia's reparations and Germany's first genocide

The 20th Century’s First Genocide: Not the Holocaust, but the Herero

Germany moves to atone for 'forgotten genocide' in Namibia

Opinion: A mere €10 million for Germany's colonial-era genocide in Namibia?

What Germany owes Namibia

'Not enough to say sorry': British firms should pay reparations for slave trade, say Caribbean nations

The forgotten genocide

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We're back with an early Christmas present - a bonus episode with Lape Banjo! Lape is a British Nigerian broadcast journalist who has worked across both UK and African networks and is currently a reporter with Sky News. She has a passion for African culture and politics and has previously worked at political organisations, including The Economic Community of West African States, and UNICEF. In this episode we revisit Nigeria in its present day, discussing the impact of diasporans returning to the country, Nigeria's strong cultural impact, the emergence of a middle class, corruption and accountability and the impact of social media on grassroots campaigns such as #EndSars.

You can check out Lape's work on her Youtube Channel and she is on Twitter @Lape_B

See you next year for season 3!

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Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/...

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