It's a Continent

Following Germany's defeat in WW1, Cameroon was split and handed over to France and Britain - with the majority of the country under French rule alongside a small British minority. Upon reunification, this uneven split has lead to the country facing a socio-political issue involving minority English speakers and the declaration of the self-declared state Ambazonia.

Western Sahara is often described as Africa’s last colony. Since 1884 the people of Western Sahara, the Sahrawis, have been fighting to regain access and ownership of their country from their former coloniser Spain, and most recently Morocco. The United Nations describes Western Sahara’s current situation as an ‘incomplete process of decolonisation,’ however, their ability to bring it to an end has yet to yield positive results.

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was a divisive figure, as he represented very different things to different people. We begin the first episode of season two by discussing what motivated Gaddafi's Pan-Africanist ideas, as well as the impact of Arab colonisation in Northern Africa and the idea behind the term "sub-Saharan Africa".

On the 6th March 1957, Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule, changing its name from the Gold Coast. In this episode we discuss the events leading to independence - from the mistreatment of African soldiers fighting for Allied forces in WW2, to a new constitution.

Wangari Maathai was a distinguished environmentalist born in Kenya during British colonial rule. As a well-educated black woman, she used her knowledge and experience to educate and mobilise others in her community to fight for change, but faced numerous challenges: from discrimination at work to threats from the Kenyan government.

Quite often – and misleadingly, Liberia is referred to as one of the only two African countries that were not colonised. Whilst Liberia was not carved up by Europeans in the Scramble for Africa, the country was actually founded by the American colonisation society, and many freed black Americans were sent to live in Liberia, despite living in America for generations.

Robert Gabriel Mugabe led Zimbabwe for almost four decades, and within that period he went from being a hero who helped free his country from colonial rule to an authoritarian who did whatever it took to stay in power. In this episode, we discuss the rise and subsequent fall of this Zimbabwean leader.

After a brutal genocide in 1994, Rwanda came back to be a thriving and sustainable country within a short space of time. Considering Rwanda’s difficult history comprising of colonialism and genocide, it’s encouraging to see one million people lifted out of poverty, women being elevated in society and life expectancy doubling.

From 1880-1920 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium. Within that time period, the atrocities committed under his rule led to the loss of 10 million Congolese lives, half of the country's population. In this episode, we explore the lead-up and subsequent rule of King Leopold II and the impact this had on the DRC.

Thomas Sankara was the president of Burkina Faso from 1983-1987. He remains an inspiration to young Africans and those committed to a pan-Africanist future. His progressive policies, when it came to women’s rights, sustainability, education, and healthcare, were innovative and ahead of his time.