bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The predicaments of child victims of crime seeking justice in Ethiopia: a double victimization by the justice process
Authors: Woldemariam Getachew Assefa
Published: February 2018

This article presents an account of a legal system that has fundamentally failed Ethiopia ́s young and vulnerable citizens. The Ethiopian justice process has permitted the subjection of child victims to cycles of traumatisation during investigation, prosecution and trial phases of cases in which they are involved. Ethiopia does not have laws that require the special treatment of children who are victims or witnesses of crime. It has neither rules of criminal procedure nor evidence that direct the conduct of criminal proceedings involving child victims. This article will show that although the Ethiopian Constitution incorporates principles such as the consideration of ‘the best interests of the child’, the realization of this principle for the Ethiopian child victim of crime remains illusory due to the absence of detailed rules that guide and compel the justice process to that effect. Based on empirical data, the article argues further that although ad hoc initiatives to introduce victims to a child-friendly justice process exist in a limited number of urban areas, these initiatives do not reach the vast majority of child victims around the country who continue to be further victimized by the justice process. Key words: Ethiopia, child victims, justice process, court, double victimization
Les jeunes dans la rébellion du nord de la Côte d’Ivoire : les raisons de la mobilisation
Authors: Fofana Moussa
Published: February 2018

The armed conflict that started on 19th September 2002 in Côte d’Ivoire has led to the temporary de facto separation of the country into two entities. The rebels of the “Forces Nouvelles” have control of the north while the “Loyalist” camp has retained control of the south. The “Forces Nouvelles” have justfied their actions against the regime by denouncing the social injustice and discrimination that Northerners are said to endure. Also substantial numbers of youths from the North joined the rebel force. This study is based on in depth interviews conducted with 22 of such youths and their leaders. It gives a thorough account of their reasons for enlistment and their perceptions of the conflict. The reasons can be categorized as follows: in the first instance, the fighters claim their right to be fully recognized as Ivorian citizens and to be given official ID cards. Many also express an unwillingness to tolerate the abuses the national security forces have perpetrated against them, alongside their desire for revenge; their search for protection or, in a more self-interested way, their desire to pursue a military career. The study also highlights the influence that parents and peers from the neighbourhood can have on the decision to enlist and specific Northern “national” discourse discriminated by the rebellion. In the end, far from carrying secessionist claims, the discourses we have recorded express frustration at the continuing exclusion of Northerners from participation in the state. Beyond individual cases, we hypothesize that rebelling has been a way for the youths to re-negotiate their sense of belonging to and in the Nation.Key words: Côte d'Ivoire, Forces Nouvelles, rébellion, political violence, violent engagement
Caractérisation phéno-morphologique de quelques lignées de fève (Vicia faba L.) sélectionnées et adaptées aux conditions de culture dans les régions arides en Tunisie
Authors: Dridi Bouthaina Al Mohandes , Loumerem Mohamed , Houimli Samira Ibn Maaouia , Jabbes Naouel , Tlahig Samir
Published: February 2018

The objective of the present study was to produce a pheno-morphological characterization of 13 faba bean lines selected by the Institute of Arid Regions from 42 local populations. The pheno-morphological variability of these lineages was observed and followed from planting through to seed maturity by biometric measurements and by qualitative evaluations on different plant parts. Morphological characteristics were described by using the UPOV (2000) descriptor. The analysis of results made it possible to distinguish between 2 groups based on precocity and hundred-seed weight. The first group was represented by line 8 which differs from others by the fact that it was the earliest and had the highest one hundred-seed weight. The second group was divided into 3 subgroups that differed in terms of plant vigour and productivity. The first subgroup was characterized by a lower number of flowers per raceme, a hundred-seed weight average ranging from 162.96 g to 165.24 g and a highest number of seeds per pod. This first subgroup contained the lines 5, 10, 11, 12 and 13. The second subgroup included lines 6, 7 and 9 which were the most homogenous on 50 % owering date, plant height and length of lea et. The latter subgroup included the lines 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterized by a highest number of pods per plant, number of stems per plant, and number of flowers per raceme. These lines should be preserved and valued for the varietal improvement programs of Vicia faba. Successive selection should be practiced until a more productive synthetic variety is obtained that is better adapted to the dry conditions of South Tunisia.Key words: Phenology, agromorphology, characterization, Vicia faba
The socio-cultural-symbolic nexus in the perpetuation of female genital cutting: a critical review of existing discourses
Authors: Esho Tammary , Van Wolputte Steven , Enzlin Paul
Published: February 2018

Female Genital Cutting (FGC), also known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Female Circumcision (FC), continues to be a prevalent practice in many parts of the world and especially in Africa. This is somewhat perplexing given the concerted efforts aimed at eradicating this practice. This article argues that the perpetuation of FGC is due to the unintended effects of marginalization experienced by individuals and groups of women as a result of the approach of some of the anti-FGC global discourses and policies put forward to eradicate the practice. This, we argue, happens when the social structure that provides such groups and individuals with a sense of identity and belonging breaks down. Therefore, the attack on what practicing communities consider to be of crucial cultural value causes a re-focus on the practice resulting in a re-formulation and re-invention of these practices in a bid to counter the feelings of alienation. FGC is thus reframed and reconstructed as a reaction against these campaigns. This article intends to investigate the socio-cultural-symbolic nexus surrounding the practice of FGC, its meaning and implications with respect to its continued existence. It draws examples mainly from communities in Kenya that practice FGM as a rite of passage into adulthood. Herein, perhaps, lies the driving force behind the practice in this contemporary age: it carries a lot of significance with respect to transformational processes, and it is seen as crucial in the representation of the body, identity and belonging. The aim of this article is not to defend FGC’s continuation, but rather to explore the interplay between its changing socio-cultural dimensions as a counter-reaction to the eradication discourse and policies. In this way we will try to explore some of the factors that lay behind its perpetuation. Key words: body practices, female genital cutting, female circumcision, femininity, cultural identity
Wild edible plants in Ethiopia: a review on their potential to combat food insecurity
Authors: Lulekal Ermias , Asfaw Zemede , Kelbessa Ensermu , Van Damme Patrick
Published: February 2018

This work reviews literature on ethnobotanical knowledge of wild edible plants and their potential role in combating food insecurity in Ethiopia. Information on a total of 413 wild edible plants belonging to 224 genera and 77 families was compiled in this review. Shrubs represented 31% of species followed by trees (30%), herbs (29%) and climbers (9%). Families Fabaceae (35 species), Tiliaceae (20) and Capparidaceae (19) were found to be represented by the highest number of edible species. About 56% (233) of species have edibility reports from more than one community in Ethiopia. Fruits were reported as the commonly utilized edible part in 51% of species. It was found that studies on wild edible plants of Ethiopia cover only about 5% of the country’s districts which indicates the need for more ethnobotanical research addressing all districts. Although there have been some attempts to conduct nutritional analyses of wild edible plants, available results were found to be insignificant when compared to the wild edible plant wealth of the country. Results also show that wild edible plants of Ethiopia are used as supplementary, seasonal or survival food sources in many cultural groups, and hence play a role in combating food insecurity. The presence of anthropogenic and environmental factors affecting the wild plant wealth of the country calls for immediate action so as to effectively document, produce a development plan and utilize the plants. Key words: ethnobotany, cultural diversity, food insecurity, indigenous knowledge, nutritional analysis
Review of indigenous knowledge in Uganda: implications for its promotion
Authors: Tabuti John R.S. , Van Damme Patrick
Published: February 2018

Indigenous knowledge (IK) has a role to play for households and community well-being in Uganda. However, IK is undergoing significant change and is on the decline in Uganda because of factors such as acculturation or the loss of IK through exposure to external cultures. In this paper we review some of the roles of, and threats to, IK with particular reference to the local community of Kaliro District. We make some recommendations on how to conserve IK in Kaliro and elsewhere in Uganda. Key words: traditional knowledge, conservation, traditional medicine, ethnobotany
The Ogaden War: Somali women’s roles
Authors: Van Hauwermeiren Remco
Published: February 2018

In 1977 Somalia invaded Ethiopia hoping to seize the Ogaden, an Ethiopian region predominantly inhabited by ethnic Somali. Histories of this event are rare and focus exclusively on the political and military aspects of the conflict. This is not surprising given the Cold War backdrop of the conflict. This article, however, shifts the focus away from the political towards the personal. Focus here is on the different roles Ogadeni women took up in the Somali-Ethiopian war, also known as the Ogaden war. Through interviews with former actors in the conflict it became clear that women occupied a range of roles in the war, varying from victims or care-givers to active participants in militias and front-line combat. In conflicts today, Somali women still retain many of these roles. Originally some Somalis did oppose this state of affairs, today most seem to have accepted the phenomenon of female actors in the Ogaden war, even though that approval can be linked with a political agenda. Both Ogadeeni and Somali women were active in the war, transcending Somali clan lines along the way. Accounts of the women interviewed illustrate the effects of their choice to participate in the Ogaden war. Key words: Ogaden, Somalia, Ethiopia, gender, women’s history
Perpetual ‘Outcasts’? Squatters in peri-urban Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Authors: Mpofu Busani
Published: February 2018

After independence in 1980 Zimbabwe’s cities experienced a proliferation in the number of squatter camps. This was because of the failure of the urban economy to offer adequate housing and jobs, leaving peri-urban space as the only sanctuary for the urban poor to live in and eke out a living informally. The promotion of rural ‘growth points’ by the national government to promote rural development to discourage migration to urban areas failed. Yet, a poor policy response by the state to this negative outcome of rapid urbanisation that aims to reverse this rural-urban migration has led to unending confrontations between its various arms and squatters who continue to be regarded as encroachers. Focussing on Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and based on interviews, archival research, Council minutes and newspapers, this article critiques the state’s urban development policy vis-à-vis squatters and informality. It is argued that the persist- ence of a salient perception by government officials that all Africans belong to rural areas and have access to land they can fall back on in hard times serves as a vital lubricant to the state’s action of forcibly sending squatters to rural areas. This ignores the historical pattern of rapid urbanisation and the growth of informal economies supporting the livelihoods of thousands of people. I seek to add to the literature on low-cost housing shortages, urban squatters and peri-urbanism in Zim- babwe and on studies of informality in Third World cities in general. Key words: squatters, outcasts, informality, institutional weaknesses, peri-urban Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Development aid to water management in Mali: the actors, ‘global’ paradigms, and ‘local’ translations
Authors: Cherlet Jan
Published: February 2018

The four empirical articles experiment with different theoretical concepts to present the data. Starting with a genealogical description of the Capacity Building paradigm in the first empirical article, the theorizing subsequently demonstrates that this paradigm gets translated in numerous ways. The third empirical article shows the importance of individual agency in the implementation of the IWRM paradigm, and the last relies on full-blown Actor-Network Theory to describe the network – widespread in time and space – that supports the IWRM paradigm. Although each theoretical perspective emphasizes different aspects of the data, Actor-Network Theory turns out to be the most apt tool to describe the eclectic set of data that was obtained from multi-sited ethnography, interviews, focus group discussions and documents.
Rents and entitlements: reassessing Africa’s urban pasts and futures
Authors: Brennan James R.
Published: February 2018

This article considers recent literature on contemporary urbanization in Africa that is united in its 'post-normative' orientation, firmly discarding the 'expectations' of modernization that so deeply shaped twentieth-century research on African cities. Best typified by the work of urban anthropologists such as Abdoumaliq Simone, this scholarship instead focuses on the 'vernacularization' of urban structures and strategies in Africa. While such work has developed a host of new insights into the idiosyncratic nature of African urbanization, it has largely eschewed comparative analysis of enduring economic strategies that lie at the heart of the massive growth of African cities. By focusing on the longer-term historical role of such processes – namely urban rents and urban price regulations – this article suggests a more comparative framework for the study of urban Africa that still accounts for the otherwise seemingly hyper-local and idiosyncratic forms of urban livelihoods and strategies. Key words: urban history, urbanization, consumption, rent, price controls
Advancing human rights in legally plural Africa: the role of development actors in the justice sector
Authors: Corradi Giselle
Published: February 2018

This dissertation examines the role of justice sector aid in sub-Saharan Africa regarding the relationship between human rights and local legal orders from a normative and empirical point of view. At the normative level, it explores how socio-legal theory on legal pluralism and human rights’ cross-contextual implementation may inform the practice of development actors in the justice sector. Based on case studies in Sierra Leone and Mozambique, the research applies this body of knowledge to the analysis of empirical data on development actors’ policies and interventions. The conclusion argues that the following issues deserve particular attention: the adoption of a users’ perspective regarding which local justice providers are targeted by policies and interventions, consideration of how different modes of dispute processing relate to the implementation of human rights, engagement with local knowledge and a critical approach to human rights cross- contextual application. Key words: Justice sector aid, human rights, access to justice, legal pluralism, customary legal orders, Sierra Leone, Mozambique
Gender equality in European Union development policy: incorporating women’s voices or confirming hierarchies?
Authors: Debusscher Petra
Published: February 2018

This paper examines gender mainstreaming in European Union (EU) development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to detect how gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa is framed by the EU by critically assessing the nature and range of the differences between EU and civil society framings of gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the method of Critical Frame Analysis, 28 EU programming documents have been analysed and compared to 10 civil society texts on gender equality. I conclude that the EU’s approach to gender mainstreaming in its development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa is to a large extent integrationist and predominantly instrumentalist as it is framed as a way of more effectively achieving existing policy goals. The more transformative issues that are put forward by Sub-Saharan African civil society organisations do not t within the EU’s dominant development paradigm that is focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and does not signficantly challenge gender relations or power structures. The gap between the analysed civil society views and those expressed by the EU can be explained by the EU’s reluctance to include in its policy drafting the promotion of gender equality by civil society organisations. Moreover, the gap seems to have both practical and ideological grounds. Key words: gender equality, European Union, Sub-Saharan Africa, development policy, civil society, millennium development goals, critical frame analysis
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on the way to peace? War remembrances, post conflict discourse construction: a discursive analysis of Djungu-Simba's novellas
Authors: Kaputu Felix A.
Published: February 2018

Throughout the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, various writings – literary, sociological, and political – retrace the challenges that have faced the nation: colonialism, access to independence, postcolonial failures, wars, dictatorships and female exploitation. Some historians, sociologists, literary critics and journalists touted the successes of colonial times and the first Republic, especially those who worked for these governments. Other essential voices remained silent, in order to avoid dictatorial repression and censure, especially under President Mobutu. With the arrival of Laurent Kabila, freedom of speech brought forth discourse that slowly deteriorated into insincere rhetoric and, finally, utter silence. In Les Terrassiers de Bukavu: Nouvelles, Charles Djungu-Simba, the editor of several Bukavu Congolese novella writers, predicts that the socio- political discourse put forth in such narratives will lead to chaos followed by further repression that will continue the cycle presented all along these metanarratives unless oppression is radically addressed from the grassroots. Key words: Bukavu, violence discourse, war, apocalyptic myth, UN Forces, Democratic Republic of the Congo, novellas
Speaking denunciation: satire as confrontation language in contemporary Nigerian poetry
Authors: Akingbe Niyi
Published: February 2018

Contemporary Nigerian poets have had to contend with the social and political problems besetting Nigeria’s landscape by using satire as a suitable medium, to distil the presentation and portrayal of these social malaises in their linguistic disposition. Arguably, contemporary Nigerian poets, in an attempt to criticize social ills, have unobtrusively evinced a mastery of language patterns that have made their poetry not only inviting but easy to read. This epochal approach in the crafting of poetry has significantly evoked an inimitable sense of humour which endears these poems to the readers. In this regard, the selected poems in this paper are crowded with anecdotes, the effusive use of humour, suspense and curiosity. The over-arching argument of the paper is that satire is grounded in the poetics of contemporary Nigerian poetry in order to criticize certain aspects of the social ills plaguing Nigerian society. The paper will further examine how satire articulates so- cial issues in the works of contemporary Nigerian poets, including Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide, Chinweizu, Femi Fatoba, Odia Ofeimun, Ezenwa Ohaeto, Obiora Udechukwu and Ogaga Ifowodo. Viewed in the light of artistic commitment, the paper will demonstrate how satire accentuates the role of these poets as the synthesizers/conduits of social and cultural concerns of Nigerian society for which they claim to speak. As representatively exemplified in the selected poems, the paper will essentially focus on the mediation of satire for the impassioned criticism of social and moral vices, militating against Nigeria’s socio-political development. Key words: speaking denunciation, contemporary Nigerian poets, satire, mediation, confrontation language
In the name of human rights: the problematics of EU ethical foreign policy in Africa and elsewhere
Authors: Rutazibwa Olivia Umurerwa
Published: February 2018

This doctoral research project explores avenues to research ethically defined foreign policy differently, i.e. in ways that more systematically account for its counterproductive elements. Building on the specific case of the European Union’s foreign policy in sub-Saharan Africa, embodied by the 2000 Cotonou Agreement and the 2007 Joint Africa-EU Strategy, through four papers and one books review, the study firstly develops the Ethical Intervener Europe analytical framework to account for the embedded problematics in the EU’s ethical foreign policy. Secondly, through an eclectic theoretical approach, the study seeks to theoretically pin-point some alternatives to think about ethical foreign policy and finally, looks to concretize it through its application on the case of relative autonomous peace- and state-building in Somaliland. This research report briefly introduces the different findings and addresses the need for further research in view of a decolonial approach to the study of ethical foreign policy in a context of structural inequality. Key words: ethical foreign policy, (humanitarian) interventions, EU, sub-Saharan Africa, Somaliland, decoloniality, democratization, state-building
Hunters
Authors: Van Damme Patrick
Published: February 2018

Hunters is an arresting exploration of tourist trophy hunting in southern Africa. It is not difficult to appreciate the beauty of the pictures and their settings. But it is difficult to agree with the book’s thematic. Primarily relying on portraiture, both in the field and in the hunters’ homes and trophy rooms, Chancellor delves into a controversial and lucrative subculture. Despite the fact that his camera never shies away from blood, the gore is at a notable minimum. Instead, the tension that fills each frame is drawn from his subjects – the foreign hunters, their families, the local guides and the very land to which they have come seeking their prey. One can see the pride, the glee, the almost orgiastic facial expressions resulting from the kill. This is the hunter feeling her/himself to be on top of the world, at the apex of creation. S/he decides. S/he kills. A show of supremacy over nature. Most pictures speak for themselves. Even though Chancellor does not take a position (it seems he never hunted himself ), it should be clear from the images that there is little pride to be taken from killing these animals. Trophy hunting is a small-scale massacre. Every animal killed is a decrease in its population. Full stop. I know there are people who argue that hunting, and trophy hunting more specifically, helps to control wildlife, that it helps to maintain much-needed and often precarious equilibria. Chancellor seems to think that trophy hunting would appear to be a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of wildlife control than ‘mere’ hunting for fun. Populations are monitored and local communities survive on the income they earn from tracking, and accompanying the white hunters. But at the end of the day hunting is and remains a brutal, inhumane activity. While the pictures do convey the brutality to some degree, they also express an aesthetic that is scenic and beautiful.
Arab Spring in Morocco: social media and the 20 February movement
Authors: Brouwer Leni , Bartels Edien
Published: February 2018

Encouraged by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, and the Arab Spring, young Moroccans began to organise huge demonstrations across the country demanding more democracy, social justice and anti-corruption measures. The 20 February movement, named after the first demonstration held on that date in 2011, is a good illustration of one of the new social movements characterized by an intense use of technology and their diffuse membership. This article explores how protesters challenge the dominant institutions and norms in society through their struggle and how they try to create new meanings for these institutions, not only by protesting but also by using social media. We argue that using new social media is not only a vehicle for the mobilisation of activists, but also represents a form of new meaning-making for them: they participate, not only in a local sense, but also globally. Their online activities intersect and influence of ine practices and vice versa, creating a continuous interaction which exerts an influence on both worlds. It is precisely this interconnectedness of offline and online worlds that is the decisive force in these movements and creates new meaning-making. Key words: Morocco, Arab Spring, new social movement, social media, meaning-making
Women’s participation in decentralized local governance: the case of pastoral and non-pastoral women in Kondoa local authority, Tanzania
Authors: Misafi Haidari Pascal
Published: February 2018

This summary of my PhD thesis explains the reasons behind and the effects of pastoral and non-pastoral women’s participation in decentralized local governance in Tanzania. A body of knowledge exists on participation and gender in Tanzania. However, beyond plain statistics, there is limited information on women’s experiences in participation within decentralized local governance in the country. Two main theoretical streams exist in literature concerning participation and gender. One stream of literature argues that women’s descriptive participation leads to substantive women’s participation. The other stream argues that it is important to focus on what specific actors do to represent women’s concerns and not solely on women’s descriptive participation. The data analysed in this report were collected in Kondoa Local Authority, Tanzania. Within Kondoa, the two dominant women groups -pastoral women and non-pastoral women- were selected as case studies. Based on observations, interviews and focus group discussions, I have found that despite the presence of pastoral and non-pastoral women in governance, the quality of women participation is low. Both case studies reveal that women’s participation is mainly limited to their physical presence or the nominal level. Similarly, I have shown that the dynamics of women’s participation determine women’s descriptive and substantive participation in governance. Additionally, I have found that incentives, access to information and power relations signi cantly determine women’s presence in and contributions to governance. Moreover, women’s interest in local governance and their knowledge of the Kiswahili language are also determining factors behind their substantial participation in decision-making. Furthermore, I have found that women in governance have no impact on policy changes concerning women. A general conclusion in this report is that there is a mismatch between women in governance and participation. I argue that having women in governance does not guarantee participation. These results challenge both the women’s descriptive representation and women’s substantive representation theoretical perspectives. I therefore recommend that: (1) policies regarding women’s participation should be reconstructed to ensure not only an increase in women in governance but also that women in that position are able to act for women; (2) a holistic approachis required to understand underlying forces that determine the level and quality of women’s participation in governance; (3) interventions for enhancing women’s participation in governance should take into consideration unique dichotomies and peculiarities among women.Key words: participation, pastoral women, non-pastoral women, decentralized local governance
Editorial
Authors: Van Damme Patrick
Published: February 2018

This issue of Afrika Focus has 3 contributions on what might be termed domesti- cation and propagation of lesser known tree species from Central Africa. Gnetum africanum is a rich source of leaves that has become somewhat overharvested and is therefore threatened in its natural distribution environment. Dacryodes is an interesting fruit species that can easily be integrated into existing agroforestry systems in order to make the latter more resilient, and also provide a richer source of vitamins and proteins. Garcinia has medicinal value and is thus a profitable source of income for those farmers who grow it. A fourth article deals with the socio-economics of land tenure in a largely agricultural area in Cameroon. Recent economic development is exerting pressure on the people and their production environment, thus making secure rights over land a critical issue.
Small-holder farmers' access and rights to land: the case of Njombé in the littoral region of Cameroon
Authors: Gyau Amos , Faith Awah Ngum , Fondjem-Tita Divine , Ajaga Nji , Catacutan Deliah
Published: February 2018

In Cameroon, agriculture constitutes the main livelihood for a large portion of the population. Against this background, land tenure security is of crucial importance for agricultural production and off-farm activities. This article aims to foster understanding of small-holder farmers’ access to land in the Njombé-Penja district of Cameroon. Data was collected using focus group discussions with small-holders, key informant interviews, eld observations and formal surveys. Results indicate that the current land tenure situation often limits small-holder farmers’ access to productive land. This often results in conflicts between various actors including plantation agriculture, rural elites and research institutions, and hence threatens small-holders’ security for food and livelihoods. We conclude that there is a need to revisit existing policies for land allocation to multinational companies in order to protect small-holder producers’ rights and security, and to harmonize the various tenure systems as a means to avoid competing claims among various actors. Key words: land tenure, small holder, rights, access
The Africa Platform and its awareness-raising activities. Panel discussion on the future of Rwanda (13 May 2015)
Authors: Verdoolaege Annelies
Published: February 2018

The reactions to this event were generally very positive; a great many interesting issues were touched upon and the atmosphere of the discussion allowed sufficient room for various points of view and an optimistic view on the future of Rwanda to be expressed. This was an excellent example of an event in which academic Africa expertise is made available to inform a broad public, in conjunction with an artistic performance. Also the input provided by the Rwandan diaspora was greatly valued. In the future, this is definitely the way in which the African Platform of Ghent University Association wishes to present itself to the academic community and beyond.
Qu’est-ce que le théâtre africain ?
Authors: Mbwangi Julien Mbwangi
Published: February 2018

This article gives the broad outlines of our thesis entitled: The African theatre and its characteristics. Analysis of some defining criteria through the urban kikongophone theatre". We will give more information about the problem statement and the methodology used to write this thesis. This thesis is a contribution to the theorization and conceptualization of African aesthetics, more in particular African theatre." Key words : theater, african, theorization, conceptualization, criteria
The murder of Burundi’s prime minister, Louis Rwagasore
Authors: Poppe Guy
Published: February 2018

On July 1, 1962, Burundi was granted independence. Less than nine months before, on October 13, 1961, the newly elected prime minister, prince Louis Rwagasore, son of mwami Mwambutsa, king and head of state of Burundi, was murdered, sixteen days after he had been sworn in. A few weeks before that, his party, Uprona, had won a landslide victory in Burundi’s first parliamentary elections. The murderer, a Greek citizen, Jean Kageorgis, who had lived in Burundi for many years, was arrested, sentenced to death and executed on the eve of independence. Under Belgian rule, three of his accomplices and five persons involved in the conspiracy were convicted and given jail sentences. After a thorough study of the archives of the Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry the author’s conclusion is that important elements pointing to the involvement of the Belgian authorities, Belgium being granted a UN trusteeship to govern the country before independence, were almost completely overlooked in the investigation and at the trial itself. The judiciary neglected oral testimonies and written documents, refrained from questioning people who might have been implicated in the affair and did not examine facts that might have shed light on the motives and the background of the accused. One cannot but infer that the investigation and the trial were characterized by a clear lack of seriousness. On top of that, it is striking that the then king Baudouin, referring explicitly to Belgian involvement in the affair, made considerable efforts to grant a pardon to the murderer and commute his death sentence to life-long incarceration. Taking all those elements into account, it would seem reasonable that the inquiry be reopened. The establishment of a parliamentary commission, similar to that which investigated Belgian responsibility in the Lumumba murder case, would be an appropriate framework. Up to now there has been no official reaction to the book the author published recently. He concludes it is time that Belgium deals with this episode of its colonial past. Key words: King Baudouin, Belgium/colonial rule, Burundi, colonialism, Jean-Paul Harroy, Patrice Lumumba, Raymond Scheyven, Roberto Regnier, Robert Scheyven, Ruanda-Urundi, Louis Rwagasore, Paul-Henri Spaak
Les cultures fourragères. Henri-Dominique Klein, et al. Presses agonomiques de Gembloux, Quae, CTA, Gembloux, 2014
Authors: Van Damme Patrick
Published: February 2018

Cet ouvrage de synthèse est un complément indispensable à d’autres fascicules produits par la FAO et autres, et s’adresse aux éleveurs, agronomes, techniciens, et professionnels des productions animales et fourragères. Comme déjà indiqué quand on a eu à évaluer d’autres ouvrages de la même série ‘Agricultures tropicales en poche’, serait néanmoins envisageable de prévoir des applications additionnelles ‘en ligne’ (type ‘apps’) consultables sur des téléphones portables voire ordinateurs. Sinon, on peut conclure que cet ouvrage présente une bonne introduction et synthèse des connaissances en la matière. A vos pâturages !
Assessing the responsibilities of the United Kingdom and Mauritius towards the Chagossians under international law
Authors: Raumnauth Darsheenee , Mahadew Roopanand
Published: February 2018

This article reviews the obligations under international law of the United Kingdom and Mauritius towards the Chagossians. With the detachment of Chagos from Mauritius as an essential condition for the independence of Mauritius from the British colonial master, the Chagossians have, over the past four decades, endured enormous human rights violations. This article assesses the responsibility of the two states vis-à-vis the Chagossians. A comprehensive factual account is rst presented to clarify understanding of the history of Chagos. The legal framework is then analysed to assess the responsibility of each state, before a number of recommendations are made. Key words: Chagos, Mauritius, United Kingdom, British Indian Ocean territories
Le droit international humanitaire et la protection des enfants en situation de conflits armés – Etude de cas de la République Démocratique du Congo
Authors: Abelungu Junior Mumbala
Published: February 2018

The system of protection of children in situations of armed conflict, as established by international humanitarian law and supplemented by international human rights law and international criminal law, remains subject to numerous pitfalls. These pitfalls are closely intertwined with the definition of the obligations of the parties to the conflict and the mechanisms that ensure the implementation of the aforementioned obligations. Using the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a case study, a country that is estimated to have more than 30,000 child soldiers (with approximately 15% of the child soldiers being girls) and whose children remain victims of the unspeakable atrocities of armed forces and groups, this doctoral dissertation aims to question the content and effectiveness of the special protection of children, civilian or soldier, in situations of armed con ict. The overall purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of my doctoral thesis. Key words : international humanitarian law, international human rights law, children, civilian child, child soldier, special protection, general protection, armed conflict, Democratic Republic of Congo
L’optimisation juridique du paiement pour services environnementaux en faveur de la préservation des services environnementaux : le cas du Cameroun et de la République Démocratique du Congo
Authors: Mihigo Blaise-Pascal Ntirumenyerwa
Published: February 2018

The study starts from a hypothesis on the coherence and compatibility of the legal instruments in force in Cameroon and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the optimization of payment for environmental services (PES) and the preservation of environmental services. This study has employed a legal approach and interviews in order to investigate whether there is coherence and compatibility or not between the two variables of this hypothesis: (1) the legal instruments in force in Cameroon and in the DRC and (2) the optimization of PES and the preservation of environmental services. This study consists of three parts. The first part deals with the theoretical framework of PES and the place of PES in the legal order. In this first part, the definition of an optimal PES, the indicators of an optimal PES and the categories of legal frameworks on PES have been revealed. These are the fundamental elements to conduct a systematic analysis in the second and third parts. Based on these fundamental elements, the study analyses the legal instru- ments from international, regional (Africa) and domestic (Cameroon and the DRC) levels and investigates through field research two PES projects, one in Cameroon called “PES comminatory project” and another in the DRC called “REDD CBFF-Luki” respectively in the second and the third parts. From the analysis of these legal instruments and the investigation of these two PES projects, it has become apparent that there is a lack of coherence and compatibility between the legal instruments and these two PES projects in Cameroon and in the DRC, and the optimization of PES and the preservation of environmental services in the Congo Basin in general, especially in these two States. Useful recommendations have been made to eradicate these shortcomings. Key words: payment for environmental services, environmental services, Congo Basin
Translating ritual into film – Notes on Paul Henley’s ‘spirit, possession, power, and the absent presence of Islam: re-viewing Les Maîtres Fous’
Authors: Vanden Bossche David
Published: February 2018

In his 2006 article for the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, ‘Spirit Possession, power, and the absent presence of Islam: re-viewing Les Maîtres Fous’ (Henley, 2006, pp 731-62), Paul Henley gives an in-depth analysis and re-examination of the seminal classic “Les Maîtres Fous” by the late French film director Jean Rouch. One of the most striking elements in the text is the rift Henley detects between what he calls ‘Rouch The Author’ and ‘Rouch The Film-Maker’. The article goes to great lengths in its analysis of possible new viewing angles for the anthropological material at hand, being the hauka – cult in Accra, West-Africa – as observed in the film. Henley has a clear view on all possible alternative interpretations and re-viewings of the film from an anthropological point of view, but seems to struggle when it comes to juxtaposing these with the reality of the film. He chooses to make a sharp division between the two sides of Jean Rouch (‘Author/Anthropologist’ and ‘Film-Maker’) without ever delving into the historiography of anthropological films at the time, nor the influence Rouch was under from directors such as Luc De Heusch and Alain Resnais. He also neglects to place Rouch’s work within the broader context of filmhistoric developments of the 1950’s. Henley’s paper does not attempt to address these questions and there is the clear choice of interpreting the work only from an anthropological point of view. This paper will address these gaps, offering a few possible explanations which address Rouch’s work as a director, a side that should complete the anthropological data in Henley’s paper. This text will provide a basic layout for understanding the cinematographic choices Rouch made, placing them in a larger framework and making a case for the interpretation of the film on its own terms and not only as an (seemingly) objective account of an anthropological study. Key words: Jean Rouch, Paul Henley, Luc de Heusch, anthropological film, self-reflexivity
The Urban Growth in Zaïre
Authors: De Muynck M.T. Lootens
Published: February 2018

The present paper retraces the hierarchy of the most important centers of Zaïre on the dates of 1956, 1970 and 1984. The distribution of the "rank and size rule" is log-normal in the colonial period and primate in the post-colonial period. The primacy of Kinshasa is growing in the last decennia, shown by the calculation of the "two-city and the five-city primacy index". In all the cities with the exception of Kolwezi, the strong demographic growth during the sixties and the early seventies has been slowed at present. Even in some cities the early famous rural versus urban migration became a mere story. KEYWORDS: population, urban geography, urbanization, Zaïre
Swahili Songs of Defiance and Mockery
Authors: Knappert Jan
Published: February 2018

The aim of this publication is mainly to make known to fellow students of African oral traditions the literary achievements of the Swahili people. Songs of mockery and defiance are known in many languages, but sofar none to my knowledge had been published from East Africa. The present article will, it is hoped, fill that lacune. It demonstrates that there are, and always have been, numerous songs of mockery and defiance in Swahili, while new ones are sill being composed and sung. These songs form today a part of the healthy democratic process in East Africa. KEYWORDS : Oral literature, Swahili, East Africa
Aids in Africa
Authors: Goubau Patrick , Surmont Ignace , Piot Peter
Published: February 2018

AIDS (Acquired Immunization Deficiency Syndrome), first described in I 9 8 I in the United States, is at present ascertained on every continent. Since its description, our knowledge about AIDS has advanced with giant steps, with regard to its causal agent, clinical image, biological effects and epidemiology. Although it is everywhere the same disease, its epidemiology and impact on society vary from one continent to another depending on the human, social and economic conditions of the countries which are affected. The first African cases were noticed in 1983. Since then the presence of AIDS has been confirmed in numerous sub-Saharan African countries. Our goal is to present here some characteristic features of the AIDS-epidemic in Africa and to offer some points of reflection for future action. KEYWORDS : AIDS, Africa, diagnostics, epidemiology, treatment
The killing Desert? Drought, nomadic Traditions and Development Administration with the Turkana
Authors: Wymeersch Patrick , Beke Dirk
Published: February 2018

The Turkana are nomadic pastoralists who live in the desert regions of northwestern Kenya. The majority of the Turkana practice no agriculture nor fishing and live exclusively from the products of their livestock (milk, blood and meat). They keep multiple species herds (cattle, camels, goats, sheep and donkeys) in order to buffer the variations in the quality and distribution of vegetal resources and water requirements. The Turkana were one of many affected by several droughts. Although the famine which resulted from the sharp drop in food production was dramatized by international press, insecurity of food availability is characteristic of pastoral production systems. One technique used by the Turkana to exploit an environment where the availability of food is inconsistent, sparse and scattered, is the management of herds composed by many species which can be divided in the dry season into different herds. The second technique used to manage livestock is mobility and raiding cattle from neighbouring ethnic groups. In times of stress the Turkana utilize a system of social ties, obligations and rights which they build up over a lifetime. Important social relationships are reconfirmed periodically via the exchange of livestock between friends. The not integrated new projects in Turkana land could lead to destruction of the ecology, and to a breakdown of the pastoral system and of the system of social ties which has enabled generations of Turkana to cope with the stresses imposed by living in a harsh and unpredictable environment.KEYWORDS : development administration, drought, Kenya, nomads, traditional pastoralism, Turkana.
Congolese Children at the Congo House in Colwyn Bay (North Wales, Great-Britain), at the End of the 19th Century. Unpublished Documents.
Authors: Etambala Zana Aziza
Published: February 2018

In the present study we like to focus the attention on the presence of Congolese children at the Congo House in Colwyn Bay (North Wales, Great-Britain) during the last decade of the 19th century. The idea, which William Hughes conceived and which consisted of educating Congolese, in a first phase, and other African youth, in a second one, never received a just interest. The experiment of Hughes, a former baptist missionary, was a unique specimen for Great-Britain. Henry Morton Stanley and King Leopold II were a little bit involved in the successful start of this initiative. But this article has particularly in view an identification of the Congolese boys and girls who frequented the 'Congo House1 ! KEYWORDS : Colwyn Bay, Congolese children, Education, End of 19th century, W. Hughes