New Africa Book of the Day - 19 July 2014

Bush War Rhodesia 1966-1980, by Peter Baxter

Release Date: July 19, 2014
Publisher: Helion and Company

It has been over three decades since the Union Jack was lowered on the colony of Rhodesia, but the bitter and divisive civil war that preceded it has continued to endure as a textbook counterinsurgency campaign fought between a mobile, motivated and highly trained Rhodesian security establishment and two constituted liberations movements motivated, resourced and inspired by the ideals of communist revolution in the third world.

A complicated historical process of occupation and colonization set the tone as early as the late 1890s for what would at some point be an inevitable struggle for domination of this small, landlocked nation set in the southern tropics of Africa. The story of the Rhodesian War, or the Zimbabwean Liberation Struggle, is not only an epic of superb military achievement, and revolutionary zeal and fervor, but is the tale of the incompatibility of the races in southern Africa, a clash of politics and ideals and, perhaps more importantly, the ongoing ramifications of the past upon the present, and the social and political scars that a war of such emotional underpinnings as the Rhodesian conflict has had on the modern psyche of Zimbabwe.

The Rhodesian War was fought with finely tuned intelligence-gathering and -analysis techniques combined with a fluid and mobile armed response. The practitioners of both have justifiably been celebrated in countless histories, memoirs and campaign analyses, but what has never been attempted has been a concise, balanced and explanatory overview of the war, the military mechanisms and the social and political foundations that defined the crisis. This book does all of that. The Rhodesian War is explained in digestible detail and in a manner that will allow enthusiasts of the elements of that struggle - the iconic exploits of the Rhodesian Light Infantry, the SAS, the Selous Scouts, the Rhodesian African Rifles, the Rhodesia Regiment, among other well-known fighting units - to embrace the wider picture in order to place the various episodes in context

Peter Baxter is author of Biafra: The Nigerian Civil War 1967-1970 (2014), MAU MAU: The Kenyan Emergency 1952-60 (2012), France in Centrafrique: From Bokassa and Operation Barracude to the Days of EUFOR (Kindle edition, 2012), Somalia: US Intervention, 1992-1994 (2012), and other works about recent African military history.

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This Week's Africa Holidays - Mozambique, Madagascar & Djibouti

This week three African countries celebrate their independence days -- Mozambique yesterday (June 25), Madagascar today (June 26) and Djibouti tomorrow (June 27).

Mozambique
Located in southeastern Africa (where it borders several countries:  Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with Madagascar across the Mozambique Channel to its southeast.)

Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal in 1975, only to descend into civil war two years later, a conflict that was not ended until 1992. With the advent of a multiparty system, the country became a democracy and has been politically stable for the past two decades. The country's population (as of 2011) is about 24 million.

In his holiday message to the people of Mozambique, U.S. Secretary of State noted his personal ties to the country. (His wife, Teresa, was born and raised in the country.) Said Kerry:

Mozambique is a longstanding partner of the United States. Together, our countries are working to ensure peace, progress, and shared prosperity for all. We are especially proud of our joint efforts to strengthen democracy, promote economic growth, and combat the scourge of wildlife trafficking and other transnational crimes.

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar (formerly known as the Malagasy Republic) is located on the fourth-largest island in the world, off the east coast of the African continent in the Indian Ocean. It gained independence from France in 1960 and its 2012 population was about 22 million.

The Malagasy people first arrived from Borneo sometime between 350 BCE and 500 CE. Anthropologists believe this makes Madagascar one of the last land masses to be settled by humans.

Secretary of State Kerry said in a congratulatory independence day message to the people of Madagascar:

This year’s anniversary carries special significance as the first since Madagascar’s return to democratic rule.

We encourage the newly elected government to show its commitment to the Malagasy people by governing with transparency and respect for human rights and the rule of law. In times of crisis, we worked with you to advance the health and well-being of all your citizens. Now, in times of hope and opportunity, we look forward to deepening our partnership for peace and shared prosperity.

Djibouti
The smallest country by land area in Africa, Djibouti occupies a total area of just 8,958 square miles (23,200 square kilometers). It borders Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia and is the home of the only U.S. military base in sub-Saharan Africa, Camp Lemonnier.

First known during the colonial era as French Somaliland, it became the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas in 1967, ten years before Djibouti became independent of France in 1977. Its current population is about 811,000.

To celebrate independence day, shopkeepers decorate their premises with the national colors (blue, green, and white) and the red star of the Djiboutian flag. The people also mark the day with parades, fireworks, concerts, and dances.

This year, at least one foreign dignitary is visiting Djibouti to commemorate the holiday:

Somalia’s Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari has started a three-day official visit to Djibouti where he will meet members of the government and Members of the Parliament.

Speaker Jawari accompanied by MPs from Somalia Federal Parliament has received a cordial welcome at Djibouti’s International Airport on Tuesday afternoon where he spoke to the local media.

New Africa Book of the Day - 20 June 2014

In the Name of the People: Angola's Forgotten Massacre, by Lara Pawson

Release Date: June 25, 2014
Publisher: I.B. Tauris

On 27th May 1977, a small demonstration against the MPLA, the ruling party of Angola – led to the slaughter of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people. The protestors were supporters of the MPLA, however the ruling elite feared this new 'factionalism' might lead to a coup d'état. The events of May 1977 are little talked of in Angola today – and virtually unknown outside the country.

In this book, journalist Lara Pawson tracks down the story of what really happened on that fateful day. In a series of vivid encounters, she talks to eyewitnesses, victims and even perpetrators of the violent and confusing events of the 27th May and the following weeks and months. From London to Lisbon to Luanda, she meets those who continue to live in the shadow of the appalling events of 40 years ago and who – in most cases – have been too afraid to speak about them before. Pawson investigates not only the unwritten story of the 27th May - one of the biggest taboos in Angolan contemporary history – but she also challenges long-held assumptions about political opposition in Angola, as well as the MPLA, Cuba and the former President Agostinho Neto.

Despite Angola's enormous oil wealth, poverty and racial division remain live problems for most of its people. This book contributes to a deeper understanding of modern Angola – its people and its politics; past, present and future.

Journalist Lara Pawson writes for The Guardian and has been a Writing Fellow at the Wits Institute of Social & Economic Research, at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She is also on Twitter.

New Africa Book of the Day - 9 April 2014

A History of Zimbabwe by Alois S. Mlambo

Release Date: April 7, 2014
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

There is currently no single-volume history of Zimbabwe that provides detailed coverage of the country's experience from precolonial times to the present. This book examines Zimbabwe's precolonial, colonial and post-colonial social, economic and political history and relates historical factors and trends to more recent developments in the country.

Zimbabwe is a country with a rich history, dating from the early San hunter-gatherer societies. The arrival of British imperial rule in 1890 impacted the country tremendously, as the European rulers developed and exploited Zimbabwe's resources, which gave rise to a movement of African nationalism and demands for independence. This process culminated in the armed conflict of the 1960s and 1970s, a war of liberation that ended with Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.

The 1990s were marked by economic decline and the rise of opposition politics. In 1999, Mugabe and his party embarked on a violent and chaotic land reform program that disrupted the country's prosperous agricultural sector and plunged the nation's economy into a downward spiral.

Political violence and human rights violations made Zimbabwe an international pariah state, with struggles continuing to this day. This book is targeted primarily at students of Zimbabwean history, but will be useful to both scholars of Zimbabwean history and those unfamiliar with the country's past.

Alois S. Mlambo has been professor of history at the University of Pretoria since 2004. He is co-editor (with Brian Raftopoulos) of Becoming Zimbabwe. A History from the Pre-colonial Period to 2008 (Weaver Press, 2009) and co-author (with E.S. Pangeti) of The Political Economy of the Zimbabwean Sugar Industry, 1920-1990 (UZ Publications, 1996).

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