Worldcrunch
For centuries, European colonial powers and Arab traders kidnapped millions of Africans as slaves. Local tribes in Benin and other West African countries often helped and became rich themselves. Now the descendants of the slave traders are coming to terms with this troubling history.
An international police operation of African and Caribbean officers is set to begin in Haiti to help local police overwhelmed by armed gangs. It’s a mission with a historic backstory, but this force may be inadequate to deal with the scale of the problem.
Updated Feb. 9, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. The invasion of Benin, also known as the Punitive Expedition, took place on this day in 1897 by an expeditionary force sent by the British government. What was the reason for the invasion of Benin? The invasion was carried out as a punishment for the killing of a […]
In Benin, Senegal or Mali, marabouts and traditional healers offer solutions which range from alternative medicine to downright quackery.
GULF OF GUINEA – In the dark of night, dozens of oil wells are spitting orange flames. They are the only things to be seen on this jet-black sea. This area south of Nigeria is one of the largest offshore oil fields in the world. There are no lights on the deck of the Latouche-Treville […]
Italians teach locals in Burkina Faso both the recipe for pizza, and the formula for a successful small business. Is this how foreign aid is transformed into sustainable development?
A rare encounter in West Africa with the supreme leader of the global animist faith, which mixes prophecy and ancient tribal rites with a modern quest for religious tolerance Voodoo festival, Ouidah (Tracy Longacre) OUIDAH – “In 2011, don’t dress in red,” says Daagbo Hounon Houn II, considered the supreme leader of voodoo. “Whoever does […]