Colonialism in West Central Africa

Author(s):  
Florence Bernault

The article considers a large region comprising Chad, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.1 From the 1880s onwards, Central Africa was colonized by Spanish, French, German, Belgian, and Portuguese powers. Here Africans generally suffered a harsher kind of rule than in West Africa, as colonialism brought little capital and investments, and imposed brutal forms of extractive economy. Foreign powers, moreover, proved reluctant to dialogue with African elites. Yet, the colonial era was also a moment when Central Africans initiated radical political revolutions and capacious social changes, achieving independence in the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout the period under consideration, moreover, important cultural creations in the form of music, popular painting, photography, and fashion became influential in the rest of Africa and beyond.

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Dawson ◽  
Daniel J. Young

Constitutions around Africa have been repeatedly tested on the issue of presidential term limits. We explore the four most recent cases of African presidents facing the end of their constitutionally mandated limit, all of which developed in Central Africa. Burundi, Rwanda, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo all adopted constitutions limiting presidential tenure to two terms; yet, in 2015, when these limits were approaching, none of the sitting presidents simply stood down. Our analysis focuses on the constitutional provisions meant to protect the two-term limit, the strategies employed by each of the four presidents, and the difficulty they faced in pursuing extended tenure. We find that constitutional provisions do constrain, but not always to the expected degree. Our analysis adds a consideration of a foundational constitutional factor to the growing literature on term limits in Africa, with implications for other regions of newly developing democracies.


Author(s):  
Marius Schneider ◽  
Vanessa Ferguson

South Sudan is situated in north-eastern Africa bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. It is 619,745 square kilometres (km) and has a population of 12.58 million. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011, making it the most recently recognized independent country. South Sudan, which is officially known as the Republic of South Sudan, comprises the three former southern provinces of Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria, and Upper Nile in their boundaries as they stood on 1 January 1956 and the Abyei Area, as defined by the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal Award of July 2009. The capital of South Sudan is Juba.


2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Lachenaud ◽  
D. J. Harris

Three new species of Rubiaceae from Central Africa are described and illustrated. Chassalia lutescens O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (widespread from Cameroon to Democratic Republic of Congo) is recognised inter alia by the T-shaped ventral furrow of the seeds and the orange-yellow discoloration of inflorescences in herbarium specimens. Psychotria nodiflora O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo), belonging to Psychotria subgen. Psychotria sect. Involucratae, is unique among African species of the genus in having paired axillary inflorescences. Psychotria pteropus O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo) belongs to Psychotria subgen. Tetramerae; it is closely related to P. leptophylla Hiern but differs in its narrow corolla tube and globose to ellipsoid fruits.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (3980) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie L.J. Stiassny ◽  
S. Elizabeth Alter ◽  
Raoul J.C. Monsembula Iyaba ◽  
Tobit L.D. Liyandja

Plant Disease ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clérisse Mubasi Casinga ◽  
Rudolph R Shirima ◽  
N M Mahungu ◽  
W Tata-Hangy ◽  
Kalinga Benoit Bashizi ◽  
...  

Cassava plays a key role in assuring food security and generating income for smallholder farmers throughout central Africa, and particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This status is threatened, however, by cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) which has recently expanded its incidence and range in eastern DRC. The study described here, comprises the first extensive assessment of temporal change in occurrence of CBSD and its causal viruses in DRC, based on surveys conducted during 2016 and 2018. Cassava fields were inspected in Ituri, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Tanganyika and Haut-Katanga provinces within eastern DRC, to record foliar incidence and severity of CBSD. Leaf samples were collected for virus detection and species-level identification. New occurrences of CBSD, confirmed by virus diagnostic tests, were recorded in two provinces (Haut-Katanga and Sud-Kivu) and nine previously unaffected territories, covering an area of > 62,000 km2, and at up to 900 km from locations of previously published reports of CBSD in DRC. Overall, average CBSD incidence within fields was 13.2% in 2016 and 16.1% in 2018. In the new spread zone of Haut-Katanga, incidence increased from 1.7% to 15.9%. CBSD is now present in provinces covering 321,000 km2 which is approximately 14% of the total area of DRC. This represents a major expansion of the CBSD epidemic, which was only recorded from one province (Nord-Kivu) in 2012. Both cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) were detected in Ituri, Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu, but only CBSV was detected in Haut-Katanga. Considered overall, these results confirm the increasing threat that CBSD poses to cassava production in DRC and describe an important expansion in the African pandemic of CBSD.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e036530
Author(s):  
Tonka Eibs ◽  
Alena Koscalova ◽  
Mohit Nair ◽  
Paul Grohma ◽  
Gisa Kohler ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to address the knowledge gap regarding antibiotic use in Medecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF) projects located in Africa by exploring antibiotic prescription and consumption habits and their drivers at different healthcare levels.DesignThis study used an exploratory study design through thematic analysis of semistructured, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and field observations in order to understand the main drivers influencing current antibiotics prescription habits and consumption habits of patients in different geographical settings.SettingThe study took place in MSF centres and towns across four countries: Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan.Participants384 respondents participated in the study, which includes project staff, prescribers, community members, patients, among other groups.ResultsTreatment protocols were physically present in all countries except DRC, but compliance to protocols varied across contexts. A failing health system and barriers to accessing healthcare were perceived as major drivers of overuse and inconsistent prescription practices. Patient demands influenced prescription decisions, and self-medication was commonly reported in the context of failing health systems. Additionally, there was a strong demand for quick cures and communities preferred injections over pills. Patients tended to stop antibiotic treatment once symptoms abated and had major gaps in understanding antibiotic intake instructions and functions.ConclusionsWhile there were specific findings in each context, the larger trend from these four MSF projects in Africa indicates widespread use of antibiotics based on unclear assumptions, which are often influenced by patient demands. There needs to be a broader focus on the balance between access and excess, especially in such fragile contexts where access to healthcare is a real challenge.


2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 688-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyson Ann Kelvin

Cholera is an acute intestinal disease caused by infection of the Vibrio cholerae bacterium.  Often manifested as a constant diarrhoeal disease, Cholera is associated with significant mortality as well as economic loss due to the strain on health care.  Cholera often affects nations with lower economic status.  The recent outbreak of cholera in the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo has affected thousands of people.  Here we review the past cholera epidemiology, molecular mechanisms of the bacterium, and the political and environmental aspects that affect the treatment and eradication of this disease.


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