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.
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This journal promotes critical and worldly debates with Africa at the centre.
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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.
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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 2019 saw a further deterioration of the democratic space. Several new restrictive laws were passed and enforced; opposition politicians and civil society activists were harassed and repeatedly arrested. The important opposition party Civic United Front (cuf) finally split, with the main faction of its former secretary-general joining the act-Wazalendo (Alliance for Change and Transparency–Patriots) party. The long-ruling ccm (Party of the Revolution) also faced some internal tensions, but President John Pombe Magufuli completely dominated the political scene. Local elections in November had no value due to a total opposition boycott. Relations with China further intensified, while those with Western countries and donor institutions remained uneasy. Relations with neighbouring countries, the eac, and the sadc focused on enhancing business and infrastructure cooperation. The economic performance was rather mixed, with slightly reduced but solid gdp growth, a difficult business climate, and continuing uncertainties about the government’s economic orientation. A strong focus remained on investment in major infrastructure projects and the promotion of industrialisation.