Political transitions in Africa

Core Course

Political transitions in Africa have been a prime source of information about Africa in the international media. Narratives of conflict, tribal warfare and famine dominate impressions of Africa. In this predominant narrative, political transitions are often associated with internal dynamics of Africa. This course aims to show how this simple often misleading narrative of Africa clouds our understanding of the continent’s actual political and social conditions. The course will show African politics is not only constructed internally but also through international dynamics that came to have a bearing on the continent. This course illustrates how Africa’s politics have always been integrated in major international affairs. Students will pursue this goal through a comparative historical perspective that sheds light on Africa’s international engagement in the ancient, medieval and modern periods.