http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/sub_saharan-africa Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sun, 05 Apr 2026 01:32:56 -0400 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 01:32:56 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1731/newspaper-coverage-of-the-mau-mau-movement-a-constructivist-argument By Esme Trahair - On February 14th, 1965, just one week before he was assassinated, Malcolm X delivered a speech in Detroit. He spoke about his beliefs concerning segregation and civil rights, and made a point of contextualizing the civil rights movement globally. Toward the beginning of the speech, he mentioned the Mau Mau in Kenya, and stated that they had "played a major role in bringing about freedom for Kenya, and not only for Kenya but other African countries," adding that "what [they] did frightened the white man."[1] He was not the only civil rights leader to speak of this movement,[2] and in fact,... Wed, 21 Mar 2018 02:47 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1731/newspaper-coverage-of-the-mau-mau-movement-a-constructivist-argument http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1720/before-drones-us-covert-action-in-africa-during-the-congo-crisis By Drew A. Calcagno - A man named Patrice Lumumba led the nation's independence struggle, starting as the head of a local anti-colonial movement and eventually growing to be the first democratically-elected prime minister. Lumumba was under no delusion that Belgium and the greater West would continue to exploit the Congo if given the chance. Due to this philosophy, he expressed in famously charismatic terms that the Congo would progress only if it fully divorced itself from the colonial yoke. Through his magnetism, Lumumba found great allies as well as great enemies. His approach was rich with revolutionary diction... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1720/before-drones-us-covert-action-in-africa-during-the-congo-crisis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1692/the-effects-of-institutional-and-political-instability-on-civil-war-in-south-sudan By Michael DeFeo - Political and military instability plague South Sudan, but economic depression and mass starvation have resulted from the civil war as well. Cutting off oil production sent the economy into a recession it has not recovered from. International sanctions designed to force the government to provide aid to its people, combined with political upheaval have decimated the South Sudanese economy. Corruption amongst political and military elites has diverted foreign aid to just a few kleptocrats rather than the starving population. Even in relatively stable regions, food insecurity is rampant. Controversy... Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:30 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1692/the-effects-of-institutional-and-political-instability-on-civil-war-in-south-sudan http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1544/imagining-ethiopia-the-contrasting-views-of-ethiopian-power-progress-and-significance By Benyam T. Alemu - The ancient civilization of Ethiopia has captivated the West and served, across centuries, as an inspiration for much of Africa. As a regional power in Eastern Africa, the nation is a strategic pathway into the Horn of Africa and guiding force in continental diplomacy. Ethiopia has been an imperial force imposing its will on neighboring nation states and also a firm symbol of resistance against colonialism. Interestingly enough, despite all of its influence on the world, Ethiopia has correspondingly shrouded itself in mystery. The Ethiopian mystique has seductively toyed upon the visions of the... Sun, 26 Feb 2017 10:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1544/imagining-ethiopia-the-contrasting-views-of-ethiopian-power-progress-and-significance http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania By Samuel W. Singler - Following the failure of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) in the 1980s, and the liberal triumphalism caused by the end of the Cold War, development discourse underwent a significant transformation. Key to the new development paradigm was the promotion of “good governance,” stressing the role of governments in providing a sound legal and institutional framework for economic growth and development, and conversely locating the failures of past development programmes in the “poor governance” of aid recipient states (World Bank, 1992: 9). According to the good governance... Wed, 01 Feb 2017 11:53 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1511/the-role-of-female-quotas-and-female-activism-in-passing-gender-based-violence-legislation-in-sub-saharan-africa-south-africa-as-a-case-study By Gina Starfield - In the 1900s, gender-based violence was commonplace throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Surveys conducted in the region revealed that over 40% of Ugandan, Zambian, and Kenyan women, and 60% of Tanzanian women experienced regular physical abuse.2 Over 80% of married Nigerian women reported being verbally or physically abused by their husbands.3 In most countries, however, state assistance and legal protections were non-existent or nascent and very limited. In South Africa, for example, an abused woman could only seek state assistance through a "peace order." She could submit a complaint of abuse to... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1511/the-role-of-female-quotas-and-female-activism-in-passing-gender-based-violence-legislation-in-sub-saharan-africa-south-africa-as-a-case-study http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1556/applying-the-centrifugal-organizational-model-for-pastoralists-and-other-competing-communities-on-the-ethiopian-landscape-and-the-shift-to-agriculture-after-1975 By EliSabeth Noe - For the past four decades, pastoralist activities have been pushed to marginal areas in several regions of Ethiopia. This change was initiated by the Agrarian Land Reform Proclamation of 1974. Pastoralist activities prior to the agrarian reforms were strongly connected to the Earth and developed symbiotically. A connection to the Earth through symbiotic relationships has been shown to foster sustainability. This paper applies the centrifugal organizational model, originally synthesized in the field of plant community ecology, to the changing environment and pastoralism in Ethiopia, demonstrates... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1556/applying-the-centrifugal-organizational-model-for-pastoralists-and-other-competing-communities-on-the-ethiopian-landscape-and-the-shift-to-agriculture-after-1975 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development By Cynthia Kwakyewah - In their search for a new development paradigm, many African governments and international organizations have reverted to cooperatives, a distinct business model that manifest a turbulent history ranging from pre-colonial to colonial and post-independence Africa. Owing to their ethical and democratic features as well as their dual pursuit for social and economic yields, cooperatives have come to be perceived as the solution to the enigma of underdevelopment. But a critical examination indicates that African cooperatives face profound encumbrances deriving from their historical background and the... Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1414/angola-1990-2000-oil-democracy-and-a-successful-failed-state By Eric Wilcox - Four decades after independence from Portugal, Angola remains a country with significant barriers to good governance and social development. Although the state's constitution established a multiparty democracy in the early 1990s, measures of high poverty and low state provision of public goods, in addition to high levels of corruption from the Angolan executive government headed by President José Eduardo dos Santos, do not equate with the proclaimed status of a democracy. Through an analysis of Angola's attempts at and challenges in democratization, particularly in the decade of the constitutional... Mon, 23 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1414/angola-1990-2000-oil-democracy-and-a-successful-failed-state http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1376/the-resource-curse-in-nigeria-comparing-the-security-of-offshore-and-onshore-oil-production By Mary L. Kleinpeter - Developing states with large natural resource industries have an inclination to become over-reliant on one source of capital, causing other industries to fail, promoting corruption, and stimulating crime. Nigeria is one such case, as their booming oil industry has lead to the creation of new militant groups who target petroleum production sites to either loot oil, kidnap for ransom, or damage infrastructure. In the past decade, major international drilling companies such as Royal Dutch Shell have begun to focus their drilling operations offshore in the Niger Delta in result of the increasing attacks... Wed, 09 Mar 2016 01:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1376/the-resource-curse-in-nigeria-comparing-the-security-of-offshore-and-onshore-oil-production http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1577/effects-of-cultural-factors-on-aids-epidemics-in-sub-saharan-african-countries-from-2005-2010 By Lee Walter - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has ravaged sub-Saharan Africa in the decades since its first recorded case. The disease has reached epidemic levels in many regions, with millions of new cases diagnosed each year. This paper examines the effects of several variables on the infection rates of AIDS in six African countries across six years and tests the hypothesis that widespread misconceptions surrounding AIDS, e.g. the misconceptions that AIDS can be cured by intercourse with a virgin and that AIDS can only be transmitted among homosexuals, affects AIDS rates more than other variables... Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1577/effects-of-cultural-factors-on-aids-epidemics-in-sub-saharan-african-countries-from-2005-2010 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1216/transitional-justice-and-religion-an-examination-of-faith-based-actors-in-kenyan-civil-society By Maddie Powell - First, the paper examines civil society’s response to post-election violence that occured in 2007-2008, with a key focus on the response of faith-based actors. In this instance, the International Criminal Court indicted Kenyatta, Ruto, and others for their involvement in the violence. The formation of a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission also followed the incident.  Second, the paper turns to the very recent case of the Kenyan government offering amnesty to Shabaab militants after the brutal Garissa University College attack in April 2015. This section of the paper focuses... Wed, 14 Oct 2015 11:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1216/transitional-justice-and-religion-an-examination-of-faith-based-actors-in-kenyan-civil-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1055/from-retribution-to-restoration-in-sierra-leone-fambul-toks-drive-to-heal-post-civil-communities By Pratik Raghu - Between 1991 and 2002, the small West African coastal state of Sierra Leone was rocked by a brutal civil war, which killed, injured, displaced, and traumatized millions of men, women, and children. In the aftermath of the conflict, local political elites combined with intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations to establish the international-domestic Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC); they hoped that these hybrid bodies would respectively bring the war’s chief perpetrators to justice and address victims’ needs while creating... Tue, 14 Jul 2015 04:28 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1055/from-retribution-to-restoration-in-sierra-leone-fambul-toks-drive-to-heal-post-civil-communities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1534/should-agoa-be-renewed-in-2015 By Benjamin S. Osenbach - On May 18th, 2000, the United States enacted the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), dramatically expanding trade between itself and Sub-Saharan Africa over the following decade. Yet whereas previous studies in the literature have often sought to confirm the significance or investigate the welfare effects of AGOA, this article considers the incentives generated by AGOA in relation to its sustainability, particularly in light of its impending expiration on September 30, 2015. Drawing upon a review of the relevant literature, these effects are considered in terms of AGOA's rules of origin... Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1534/should-agoa-be-renewed-in-2015 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/942/boda-boda-the-impact-of-motorbike-taxi-service-in-rural-uganda By Gian Luca Gamberini - Rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa often suffer from a lack of access to transportation. This study analyzes the impact of a motorbike taxi service called Boda Boda in two villages in southern Uganda, and specifically queries how access to this transportation system can increase general welfare levels. I use econometric tools to analyze quantitative data. Binary probability regressions show counterintuitive behaviors like high sensitivity to distances only in regard to accessing non-productive activities like health infrastructure. Poisson regressions show that the likelihood of undertaking... Thu, 20 Nov 2014 10:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/942/boda-boda-the-impact-of-motorbike-taxi-service-in-rural-uganda http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1192/us-policy-toward-africa-application-of-us-africa-command-signals-africas-increasing-strategic-importance By James DeTemple - The U.S. has a responsibility to defend its security interests globally and be ready respond to emerging crises anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. The global U.S. military command and control structure divides the world into various geographic regions for the employment of U.S. military forces in support of the U.S. national security strategy. It is an international reality that reflects U.S. regional policies, including U.S. policy toward Africa. The relatively new USAFRICOM is one of six U.S. Department of Defense geographic commands – the U.S. Africa Command (Africa), U.S. Central... Sat, 01 Nov 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1192/us-policy-toward-africa-application-of-us-africa-command-signals-africas-increasing-strategic-importance http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/900/hiv-positive-youth-empowerment-in-swaziland-an-evaluation-of-the-social-stigma-surrounding-hiv By Sahil Aggarwal - UNAIDS reports the antenatal HIV prevalence rate—the prevalence of HIV in unborn children—to be approximately 38% in Swaziland, Africa (UNAIDS 2012), the highest rate in the world (Root 2010). Diagnosed through an HIV antibody test or virological analysis, clinical progression of HIV infection is often divided into four stages based on symptoms observed in children (Table 1) (World Health Organization 2007). Disease progression through the stages into AIDS or death is reduced through antiretroviral medications, which have shown long term reversals in the infection’s effects on... Wed, 04 Jun 2014 09:57 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/900/hiv-positive-youth-empowerment-in-swaziland-an-evaluation-of-the-social-stigma-surrounding-hiv http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1483/india-and-nigeria-similar-colonial-legacies-vastly-different-trajectories-an-examination-of-the-differing-fates-of-two-former-british-colonies By Caroline Cohn - The nations of Nigeria and India both have exceptionally diverse populations, endured the deliberate divide-and-rule strategies executed by British colonizers who sought thereby to exacerbate existing differences, and experienced peaceful transfers from colonial rule to independence. Despite these key similarities in certain aspects of their colonial and decolonization experiences, India and Nigeria have had very different levels of success in their efforts to create and maintain politically stable nation-states. Today, India is distinguished from other post-colonial independent nations for its... Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1483/india-and-nigeria-similar-colonial-legacies-vastly-different-trajectories-an-examination-of-the-differing-fates-of-two-former-british-colonies http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1484/natural-resources-and-prolonged-conflict-the-case-of-sierra-leone By Nina Assadi - Why did Sierra Leone experience such a protracted civil war between 1991 and 2002? Sierra Leone has been beset with challenges since achieving independence from Britain in 1961, in particular its brutal civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of almost a third of the total population. Yet Sierra Leone is now one of the more stable countries in West Africa due to its recently re-established democratic government and increasingly transparent, peaceful, and credible elections since 1996 following a series of turbulent regime transitions. This has finally resulted... Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1484/natural-resources-and-prolonged-conflict-the-case-of-sierra-leone http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1200/the-forgotten-continenent-the-story-of-the-uss-return-to-africa By Marina Tolchinsky - When President Eisenhower created the Bureau for African Affairs within the U.S. State Department in 1958, the intent was clear: to prevent the spread of communism. Never before had there been an office within the U.S. government that was solely responsible for developing U.S. foreign policy towards countries in Africa. The U.S. Bureau for Africa was born from the Cold War, and anti-communist rhetoric shaped much of its early policies. As the U.S. engaged in proxy wars to prevent the spread of communism on the continent, African issues gained a new importance to U.S. foreign policy. However, when... Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1200/the-forgotten-continenent-the-story-of-the-uss-return-to-africa http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/716/democracy-up-close-in-somaliland-reflections-of-an-international-election-observer By Dustin R. Turin - In May 1991, Somaliland emerged as a self-declared independent state in the aftermath of the failure and subsequent collapse of Siyad Barre’s Somalia. Although ethnically and linguistically Somalilanders are undifferentiated from their counterparts in southern Somalia, the northwestern region of Somalia has achieved an important distinction: while Somalia remains fundamentally anarchic, with no substantial national government to speak of, Somaliland is conversely peaceful, democratic, and remarkably safe by comparison. The de facto state held successful national elections in 2003 (presidential... Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:05 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/716/democracy-up-close-in-somaliland-reflections-of-an-international-election-observer http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1207/a-call-for-ecologically-informed-policy-to-address-sex-work-evidence-from-kenya By Léa Steinacker - With the recognition that sex workers constitute a key population at higher risk for the acquisition and dissemination of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has come an appreciation of the central role that they might assume in policy solutions to the global HIV epidemic. Since then, the activist approach and to some extent, the academic gaze have shifted from mere disease control to a more comprehensive accounting of sex workers’ lives. Policies and strategies for interventions, however, have largely lagged behind. Most interventions treat sex workers as a focal point of an infection... Thu, 01 Nov 2012 06:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1207/a-call-for-ecologically-informed-policy-to-address-sex-work-evidence-from-kenya http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1623/worlds-of-potential-funding-for-community-based-organizations-in-nairobi-kenya By Emily Hoerner - Despite a proliferation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) in Kibera, the largest informal settlement in Kenya, conditions for residents remain bleak. CBOs are uniquely positioned to catalyze change by creating local initiatives for common problems. However, most Kibera CBOs routinely lack access to the kind of funding that could make their programs successful on a larger scale (i.e., in more than just one localized neighborhood of Kibera). This study examines how CBOs in Kibera gain access to funding, either through grants or individual donations... Thu, 31 May 2012 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1623/worlds-of-potential-funding-for-community-based-organizations-in-nairobi-kenya http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1240/hot-cocoa-agricultural-economics-and-the-ivorian-civil-wars By John Biberman - The recent International Criminal Court arraignment of former president Laurent Gbagbo on charges of crimes against humanity marks the culmination of a decade of conflict in Côte d'Ivoire--, one of the most protracted periods of strife in West African history. Following the 1993 death of longtime leader Félix Houphouët-Boigny, or "Le Vieux," the country gradually descended into a largely broken state, divided by two civil wars. The conflict has caused Côte d'Ivoire, whose economic capital Abidjan was once called "the Paris of Africa", to lose its designation as one of Africa... Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1240/hot-cocoa-agricultural-economics-and-the-ivorian-civil-wars http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1243/the-consequences-of-rape-during-conflict-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo By Elizabeth Dettke - "I rape because of the need. After that I feel like a man." These are the words of a rebel soldier who ruthlessly roams the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in search of his next victims. Rape has been used in the past during warfare to weaken populations and ruin communities and family bonds but never to the extent witnessed in the DRC today. Literally, tens of thousands of women have been raped and this number is most likely largely underestimated. The conflict has been called Africa's First World War and one of the deadliest since World War II with the death toll reaching 5... Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1243/the-consequences-of-rape-during-conflict-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/579/somali-piracy-causes-and-consequences By Miles G. Kellerman - These accusations are actually quite legitimate. The United Nations estimates that illegal fishing companies from Europe and Asia rob Somali coastlines of over $300 million a year, mostly in the pursuit of yellow tuna.[17] In addition, a 2005 UN Environmental Report highlighted a long history of illegal dumping off the coast of Somalia, most notably from “'Ndrangheta”, an Italian criminal organization.[18] According to the report, it costs European companies $2.50 to dispose of one ton of waste off the horn of Africa, as opposed to $250 a ton to dispose of such material cleanly in... Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:58 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/579/somali-piracy-causes-and-consequences http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/563/somali-refugees-in-kenya-security-deficiencies-and-public-health-concerns-as-a-result-of-ineffective-policy By Samuel L. Aronson - Somalia is home to roughly 9 million people, the overwhelming majority of whom are ethnic Somalis (UN Statistics Division 2010). The country has been plagued with conflict and disorder beginning just years after it attained independence. Following the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991 and the chaos that subsequently ensued, Somalis migrated rapidly from inside the boundaries of Somalia and settled in various nearby locations within East Africa. The largest recipient of Somali refugees in Africa is Kenya, with an influx of thousands more every month for roughly the last twenty years. Officially... Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/563/somali-refugees-in-kenya-security-deficiencies-and-public-health-concerns-as-a-result-of-ineffective-policy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/554/the-influence-of-social-political-and-economic-factors-on-the-development-and-form-of-zulu-religious-activity-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries By Melissa JL. Alvaro Mutolo - Eventually these bantu-speaking people would come to populate and dominate practically all the arable land in South Africa (Prozesky 1995:5). As ancestors of the Zulu, this migration is significant. Already from their earliest forbearers the Zulu had inherited a history of domination and power. This dominative power reached its peak in the 19th century with the creation of the Zulu Kingdom, a powerful centralised territory of warriors and kings. In the process of creating this state the Zulu had usurped smaller tribes and conquered their lands leading to a social crisis known as the mfecane (... Tue, 26 Jul 2011 06:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/554/the-influence-of-social-political-and-economic-factors-on-the-development-and-form-of-zulu-religious-activity-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/520/the-state-of-democracy-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo By Marissa B. Goldfaden - The country presently known as the DRC initially achieved independence from its Belgian colonizer in 1960. Tensions were escalating between Prime Minister Lumumba and President Kasavubu; the latter dismissed the former from office in 1960. The following year, Prime Minister Lumumba was assassinated. Then, in 1965, President Kasavubu was overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup. The infamouse Joseph-Desire Mobutu came to power, a position he maintained until 1997. The First Congo War was fought from 1996-1997, followed by a Second Congo War that lasted from 1998-2003. The Ituri conflict[1] endured throughout... Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:43 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/520/the-state-of-democracy-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/401/identity-in-conflict-race-and-violent-crime-in-south-africa-in-the-context-of-contemporary-insurgencies By Ethan D. Steyn - The issue of violence and ethnicity in criminal and war environments has many facets, and this article attempts to contextualize forms of violent crime in South Africa that involve identities within the theoretical discourse on contemporary warfare, with a specific focus on the functioning of white and black identities. Comparing crime with war is a familiar analogy in South Africa: from Koos Kombuis in the song “Reconciliation Day” (Bloedrivier, 2008) to J.M. Coetzee’s novel, Disgrace (1999), to Etienne van Heerden’s 30 Nagte in Amsterdam (2008), many artists have likened... Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:42 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/401/identity-in-conflict-race-and-violent-crime-in-south-africa-in-the-context-of-contemporary-insurgencies