About.com African History

The Afrikaner Broederbond: What Was It?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:10:37 +0000

In June 1918 disaffected Afrikaners were brought together in a new organization called Jong Suid-Afrika (Young South Africa). The following year its name was changed to the Afrikaner Broederbond (AB). The organization had one main aim: to further Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa - to maintain Afrikaner culture, develop an Afrikaner economy, and to gain control of the South African government. Find Out More...

See Also: Apartheid FAQ

The Afrikaner Broederbond: What Was It? originally appeared on About.com African History on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 00:10:37.

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Biography: Sonni Ali

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:10:00 +0000

The West African monarch who ruled Songhai from 1464 to 1492. Sonni Ali expanded a small kingdom along the Niger River into one of medieval Africa's greatest empires.

There are two main sources of information about Sonni Ali. One is in the Islamic chronicles of the period, the other is through Songhai oral tradition. These sources reflect two different interpretations of Sonni Ali's role in the development of the Songhai Empire. Find out more...

Biography: Sonni Ali originally appeared on About.com African History on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 00:10:00.

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How Many Slaves Were Taken from Africa?

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:10:00 +0000

Information on how many slaves were shipped from Africa across the Atlantic to the Americas during the sixteenth century can only be estimated as very few records exist for this period. But from the seventeenth century onwards, increasingly accurate records, such as ship manifests, are available. Find out more about how many slaves were taken from Africa and where they came from...

How Many Slaves Were Taken from Africa? originally appeared on About.com African History on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 00:10:00.

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This Day in African History -- Britain, France Bomb Egypt

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:10:36 +0000

On 31 October 1956, following a 12 hour ultimatum to Egypt and Israel, British and French forces bombard military airfields near Cairo in the Suez Canal Zone. Colonel Nasser calls it "an attack on the rights and dignity of Egypt." US officials, convinced that they are working in collusion with Israel, censure Britain and France during a UN Security Council debate, requesting that "all UN members refrain from the use of force or threat of force and refrain from giving aid to Israel."

For more on the Suez Crisis
• Timeline: The Suez Crisis
• The Tripartite Invasion, 1956
• Key Events in the Decolonization of Africa: Suez Crisis

This Day in African History -- Britain, France Bomb Egypt originally appeared on About.com African History on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 00:10:36.

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This Day in African History -- The Rumble in the Jungle

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:10:15 +0000

The Rumble in the Jungle was the boxing match which took place on 30 October 1974 at the May 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), between the current world heavyweight champion George Forman and former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.

Don King, in his first outing as a professional boxing promoter, raised a match purse, to be shared equally by the contestants, of $10 million. President Joseph D�sir� Mobutu (actually he had renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko in '72) of Zaire thought it a good investment - international publicity for Mobutu and Zaire. Don King had promised both Forman and Ali a prize purse of $5 million to take part.

World Heavyweight champion George Forman was a phenomena, he had never lost, and had knocked out 37 of his 40 opponents. His previous eight fights had all lasted less than six minutes. Muhammad Ali, on the other hand was considered past his prime. But Ali was a commensurate performer, and soon had the whole of Africa behind him. The fight had to be postponed for five weeks after Forman's sparring partner accidentally injured his eye. Ali used the time to build up a compulsive propaganda campaign against Forman.

When the match came, Ali taunted Forman, "Is that all you got? My grandma punches harder than you do." Forman was also suffering from the heat and humidity. In round eight, with a flurry of well timed blows, Ali achieved the unthinkable - a knockout.

Michela Wong notes in her book In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz that "that the organizers of the world heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Forman chose Kinshasa as venue for a 'Rumble in the Jungle' in 1974 ... was as much a celebration of budding black pride as a sporting event."

This Day in African History -- The Rumble in the Jungle originally appeared on About.com African History on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 00:10:15.

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The Nilo-Saharan Language Group

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:10:00 +0000

The Nilo-Saharan Language group is one of the four major language groups in Africa as identified by anthropologists and linguistic historians. The group was originally defined in 1963 by the American linguist and anthropologist Joseph Greenberg but debate continues today as to whether it is actually a language group in its own right, or a sub-group of the wider spread Niger-Congo group. Of the four language groups it exhibits the largest linguistic drift, and is often used to perpetuate the Euro-centric explanation for the spread of iron working from north Africa through trade rather than independent development by sub-Saharan cultures. Find out more about the Nilo-Saharan Language Group.

The Nilo-Saharan Language Group originally appeared on About.com African History on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 08:10:00.

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A Few Words From Gabon ...

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:10:23 +0000

"We must form a united front against the exploitation of man by man; we must cure ourselves of our complexes by a supranational awareness, a national consciousness. Our ridiculous diversions are profitable only to the great powers, which exploit our weaknesses."

Gabriel L�on M'Ba, first president of Gabon (17 August 1960 to 28 November 1967), as quoted in Osei Amoah's A Political Dictionary of Black Quotations, published in London, 1989.

"These summits are a waste of time. All anyone does is talk. Sometimes, sitting there, listening to all the talk, I think I will scream."

El Hadj Omar Bongo, president of Gabon since 1967, as quoted in David Lamb's The Africans, published in New York, 1985.

A Few Words From Gabon ... originally appeared on About.com African History on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 00:10:23.

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This Day in African History � Second Battle of El Alamein

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:10:51 +0000

Rommel's forces had been brought to a standstill by an equally exhausted Eighth Army at El Alamein in July 1942. Rommel had made an attempt to cut through Allied lines at the end of August (the Battle of Alam Halfa) but the newly installed commander of the Eighth Army, Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgommery, caught Rommel's troops in a well prepared killing ground and Rommel was forced to withdraw.

It was now the Allies turn, after intensive preparation, Operation Lightfoot was launched on 23 October 1942, the first part of a comprehensive plan to push Rommel out of Egypt. To the South, close to the Qattara Depression (which blocked any flanking movements) the 44th and 50th Divisions mounted a diversionary attack. To the north, after an intense artillery barrage, the 1st South African, 2nd New Zealand, 9th Australian, and 51st (Highland) Divisions attacked German and Italian lines.

It would take more than a week of continuous fighting before Rommel's defenses were weakened enough for a breakthrough and the second part of the Allied plan, Operation Supercharge, could be put into effect.

This Day in African History � Second Battle of El Alamein originally appeared on About.com African History on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 00:10:51.

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This Day in African History � Jomo Kenyatta Arrested

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:10:57 +0000

Following the assassination of Chief Waruhui (he was speared to death in broad daylight on a main road on the outskirts of Nairobi) and a month of open hostility, the British authorities in Kenya are finally reacting to the Mau Mau Rebellion. On 21 October 1952 a State of Emergency was declared, the Mau Mau were named as terrorists, and on the following day Jomo Kenyatta, the president of the Kenya Africa Union, was arrested for alleged Mau Mau involvement.

Kenyatta was charged with managing the Mau Mau society in Kenya and held incommunicado at a remote district station of Kapenguria (no telephone or rail connections). On 8 April 1953 Jomo Kenyatta was sentenced to seven years hard labor.

More on the Mau Mau Rebellion
• Timeline: Mau Mau Rebellion

More on Jomo Kenyatta
• Jomo Kenyatta Biography
• Jomo Kenyatta Quotes

This Day in African History � Jomo Kenyatta Arrested originally appeared on About.com African History on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 00:10:57.

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Death of Explorer Sir Richard Burton

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:10:11 +0000

Richard Burton (1821-1890) was not only a great explorer but also a great scholar (he produced the first unabridged translation of The Thousand Nights and a Night). His most famous exploit is probably his dressing as an Arab and visiting the holy city of Mecca (in 1853) which non-Muslims are forbidden to enter. In 1857, he and John Hanning Speke set off from the east coast of Africa (Tanzania) to find the source of the Nile. At Lake Tanganyika Burton fell seriously ill, leaving Speke to travel on alone.

Later in life, Burton became British Consul to Fernando Po (now the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea), then Santos (in Brazil) and finally Damascus. Burton died of a heart attack on the morning of 20 October 1890.

Death of Explorer Sir Richard Burton originally appeared on About.com African History on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 00:10:11.

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