Since Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness in 1899, the country which is now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been the subject of many novels, stories and reports. Authors such as André Gide, Graham Greene, Ryszard Kapuściński, Norman Mailer and V.S. Naipaul have written about it, not to mention historians such…
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As South Africa, a few months ago, reached a very symbolic point in its history, celebrating 20 years since the transition to democracy was completed and, almost at the same time, saw its citizens going to the polls in an election full of meaning, many journalists, scholars and political commentators tried to take stock of…
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Few issues, in African history, are as intricate and deep rooted in time as the tensions between Sudan and what is now South Sudan. Dealing with it in an unbiased way is a challenge for every journalist or scholar: and this is exactly what James Copnall tries to do in his latest book “A poisonous…
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From 1983 to 2005, the Sudanese fought a harsh civil war. To many, this was simply a continuation of the previous struggle that opposed Southern Sudan to the government of Khartoum. During the 22 year war, the already frail South Sudanese infrastructure collapsed. The only institution that resisted was the Church, and this shouldered the…
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St. Basil the Great, in the 4th century would call money ‘the devil’s dung,’ an epithet reused by Pope Francis last year. Oscar Wilde said…
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The hare and the hippo were great friends. They walked together in the veld and visited each other in their homes. The hippo was very proud…
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The world is seeing once again the upsurge of a vicious “virus” that has spread to every corner of the world. This time, the “virus” is…
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