African Studies
Utafiti: Journal of African Perspectives
Call for Papers: Utafiti is inviting you to submit your manuscript – any topic in the humanities - for consideration in the next issues.
Highlights
News & Announcements
Stay up-to-date with the Brill African Studies Community and sign up to our newsletter!
Sign upNew at Brill: Afrika Focus
This journal promotes critical and worldly debates with Africa at the centre.
New Series: Africa Futures / Afrique Futurs
Published in association with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Africa Futures features cutting-edge research that critically reflects on some of the big questions relevant to imagining Africa’s future as a place.
Listen to our podcast on Africa and Climate Change
Robin Attfield talks about how Africa finds itself vulnerable to drought but also the flooding of its coastline, among other untoward environmental effects of climate change and civil war.
The year was marked by politically motivated violence, which erupted regularly as a result of sharp divisions within the state elite. Both the chief of staff and the president were assassinated in March, followed by the killing of two high-ranking politicians in an alleged coup attempt in June. The subsequent presidential elections passed off smoothly, but stability remained dubious as a result of an unruly military. Human rights violations and drug-trafficking continued, possibly also affecting the state and army apparatus. Little was done to end the impunity of traffickers, shielded by interference from the military – who have a major financial stake in the trade – and the limited capacities of the police and judiciary. These issues also largely dominated the conduct of foreign affairs. Socioeconomic developments were marked by attempts to improve the country's ageing infrastructure. The global economic crisis had a negative impact on exports and remittances, while easing the price of imported staple foods.