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The Africa Studies Centre was founded in 1948, making it one of the oldest African Studies Centres in the world. Its main objectives are:
- to promote and undertake scientific research on Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the field of the social sciences and humanities.
- to function as a national centre in the field of African studies and to contribute to the education and teaching in these sciences; and to promote the dissemination of knowledge and an understanding of African societies in the wider public sphere.
Abstract
In this article, I analyse the Moroccan-Dutch author Abdelkader Benali’s novel De Langverwachte (The Long-awaited, 2002), which narrates a story of migration from Morocco to the metropolitan city of Rotterdam. Through a close reading, I delve into the way the author employs exoticism as a particular practice of “cultural translation;” of seeing, speaking, and thinking onto migrant people as exotic Others. The novel represents migrant characters through exoticist cultural codes, among which: mystery, extraordinariness, strangeness, romantic fantasy, and superstition. Its mode of narration testifies to both a fascination with and a fear from the culturally unfamiliar and different Other. The narrator’s speculative representation of migrants’ cultural and mental world, both in their homeland and in the host society, reinforces the Other’s absolute difference, his unfamiliarity and strangeness. I argue, then, that the text represents a touching story of migration as if re-imagining a tale of exoticism.
Abstract
Small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa face malnutrition and a low level of dietary diversity despite often living in areas endowed with high agrobiodiversity. In Western Kenya (Vihiga County), malnutrition occurs despite it being a highly biodiverse area with several options for diversifying diets. The main purpose of this thesis is to assess the potential of biodiversity to improve diet quality in a sample from Vihiga County 1 . We approached this objective using a variety of indicators which were retrieved by (i) a correlation study on the association of agrobiodiversity with diet quality, (ii) an intervention study on the effectiveness of a participatory approach to improving diet quality through agrobiodiversity use, (iii) a qualitative study following up on the intervention study by exploring pathways to improving diets and (iv) a literature review on dietary assessment methods for neglected underutilised species (nus). This thesis highlights the importance of studying the full scope of agrobiodiversity, including on-farm biodiversity, food consumption, perceptions and pathways to diverse diets. Nutrition must be seen in the context of ecosystems that determine our agriculture and nutrition in the long term. The transition to more sustainable and equitable food systems requires greater participation from the people who produce our food and nurture biodiversity.
Abstract
The goal of this study on the legal framework for virtual assets in Mauritius is to find any gaps in the legislation, come up with solutions to close such gaps, and improve the existing legal framework for virtual assets. The article concentrates on the provisions of the Virtual Asset and Initial Token Offering Services (vaitos) Act 2021, which seeks to control the market for cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets in Mauritius. Selected countries were studied in order to discover the various techniques used with regard to regulatory challenges. Although Mauritius passed a comprehensive law on the issue, we find that the Financial Services Commission, the country’s regulatory authority, lacks the necessary tools to effectively oversee cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets. The integration of virtual asset services with African nations is also lacking.
Abstract
This article explores Russia’s influence in Africa, which poses a significant challenge to the West. In recent years, Moscow has gained momentum on the continent, becoming a formidable rival to Western powers. It has formed strategic alliances with key African nations, solidifying its foothold. Many African countries now see Russia as an alternative to Western partners. To establish this influence, Moscow prioritises military and economic partnerships, offering trade, investments and security assistance in exchange for political support. The West has been slow to respond, either preoccupied with domestic issues or disengaged from Africa, allowing Russia to gain the upper hand. The implications of Russia’s African influence are far-reaching, posing a significant challenge to Western interests. This situation could escalate geopolitical tensions and potentially lead to conflict with the West. We aim to explore Russia’s motives and its impacts on African nations, shedding light on how they affect Western interests.
Abstract
This article examines the activities of (il)legal online lenders in Nigeria. A qualitative method was adopted in which literature, media reports, commentaries and indepth interviews were deployed. We argue that the insufficient regulatory role of the government, the laxity of laws, a failure to initiate social security, poor access to loan facilities, corruption and poverty, among other factors, account for the incursions of illegal online lenders (loan sharks) who deploy unorthodox methods in reclaiming their loans from defaulters in Nigeria, and that use of force remains ineffective. We recommend a more robust and holistic framework to tackle (il)legal online lenders. This must, among other things, start from the government’s political will, revamping the economy, establishing an effective regulatory role of government and its agencies in the online and offline financial institutions, and creating job opportunities, access to loans and an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.