The Indian Journal of African Studies (IJAS) has been published since 1992. It is a blind peer-reviewed journal that publishes original work contributing to the understanding of African issues and India–Africa relations. It is a multidisciplinary journal. Original research papers or review articles may be submitted for consideration. Publisher: University of Delhi, Department of African Studies Frequency: Biannual Coverage: 2023 – current Language: English Journal Status: Active Collections: Social Sciences & Humanities | Social Sciences and Humanities (excl. T&F) | Open Access
AFRICA AND ASIA: CULTURAL SISTERS, COOPERATION STRANGERS UP TO THE 21st CENTURY
Studies have shown strong cultural links and similarities between the African and Asian continents, ranging from historical links, religious beliefs, linguistic affinities, to music and dance, among others. Even in more conspicuous indicators like dressing mode and „melaninated‟ skin, one can easily see the link and similarities between the Africans and the Asians. However, it is quite disheartening to realise that despite the strong historical, linguistic and cultural inter-connectivity between the two continents, there have been no strong relations and cooperation between them (Africa and Asia) when compared to the relations and cooperation that each of these two continents has with other continents of the world, especially Europe and America. Hence, this study examines the cultural and historical affinity as well as the similarities between Africa and Asia, and assesses their level of relations and cooperation in the present capitalist and West-dominated world. Data from primary and secondary sources were utilised for the study and historical methods of data gathering and interpretation were adopted. The paper holds that the continued activities of Asian countries in Africa, driven by their quest for natural and mineral resources could turn out to be „another scramble for Africa‟, hence, proper management through more mutually beneficial cooperative arrangements becomes imperative. The paper concludes that nations cannot cooperate unless they first relate. Therefore, the paper recommends that Afro-Asian relationships should be geared towards sustaining and promoting the shared historical values and potentials of both continents in the areas of tourism, education, trade, and culture.
Africa, Asia, Cooperation, Cultural affinity.
HEAL-STREAM DIPLOMACY: RECIPROCAL CIRCULATION OF TRADITIONAL HEALING SYSTEMS BETWEEN INDIAN AND AFRICA
The historical connections between India and Africa reveal a pattern of circulation of indigenous knowledge between the Coasts on the either side of the Indian Ocean. The political engagements and commerce have always been highlighted as the core dimensions of relations between the regions and the exchange of indigenous healing systems or other cultural practices as a byproduct of the former. The concerns regarding the affordability and accessibility of modern medicines to a large population in the countries lacking adequate modern medicine facilities has contributed towards the resurgence in the confidence in the traditional practices of healing. The persistent health challenges as rising healthcare costs, deficient health services or mounting burden of lifestyle diseases has renewed the focus of the traditional healing systems to be integral to any country‟s health system. The increasing efficacy of the traditional medicines in recent times has prompted it to become an integral part of contemporary South-South cooperation. Thus, the collaboration in traditional medicines strengthens the healthcare system within the country and has the potential to become a soft power tool for extending the influence on the other countries. Circulation of traditional healing systems have a potential to become a core soft power diplomacy tool for global cooperation in the contemporary times. Here is introduced a new concept of “Heal-Stream Diplomacy” to mean circulation of traditional healing systems using indigenous or traditional healing knowledge to build international bridges indicating its dynamic nature. The paper argues that the traditional healing systems have been circulated between and among the coastal communities on the either side of the Indian Ocean littoral through the Indian Ocean trading networks for a long time and in contemporary times streaming through digital platforms; and at each interaction it evolved and adapted to local situations. The paper examines the continued importance of traditional medicines and healing practices in the contemporary times. The paper concludes that being a tool of soft power diplomacy, collaboration in traditional healing Systems (THS) can advance strategic diplomatic objectives of both India and Africa.
Heal-Stream Diplomacy, Traditional Medicinal knowledge (TMK), Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), Ayurveda, Mganga, AYUSH
HANDICRAFTS AS CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC SOFT POWER: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDIA AND AFRICA
The handicrafts represent both cultural and economic soft power in the case of regions of India and Africa. It attempts to transcend the romanticisation or the mere description of the problem, putting the handicrafts into the context of theoretical discussions of soft power and indigenous knowledge, and critically but attentively using the empirical evidence in the form of credible government reports, multilateral institutions, and peer-reviewed literature. Instead of presenting a shallow statistical comparison, the present paper provides a more contextual and analytical approach to bring out similarities and differences in institutional structures, cultural definitions, and economic integration of handicraft as cultural and ecological soft power. By doing so, it would seek to add to a more sophisticated understanding of how the mundane practices of cultures, like handicrafts, have a globalised perception and influence in small but long-lasting ways.
GEOCULTURAL COLLABORATION OF AFRICA-BRAZIL AND MUTUAL DEVELOPMENT UNDER BRICS
Geocultural synergies and complementarities among BRICS member states in general and Brazil & African countries are focusing on the BRICS role in Africa‟s development. It defines how an integrated partnership between the BRICS nations and Africa can lead to sustainable economic development by Geocultural regional integration. The industrialisation projects should achieve a mutually beneficial outcome for BRICS and the Africa continent. Africa‟s growth rate of the past decade shows the enormous potential nurturing the immense consumer base. The export opportunities will be immense once they reach a certain level of development. The growth rate that Africa has attained is more than the result of the resource boom and is promising diverse long-term growth amongst these countries. These synergies have enhanced by recent BRICS expansions to 11 members, including Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Uganda, under Brazil‟s 2025 presidency. NDB has approved “$40 billion over 120 projects, including $7 billion in Brazilian models for African renewables and agro-hubs”. The Rio Declaration drives Brazil-Africa trade surges (such as $169 billion in agriculture exports) toward sustainable mutual development by giving priority to AfCFTA integration, local currency commerce (which lowers costs by 5%), and Global South reforms. This dynamic collaboration uses a common anti-colonial past to promote fair development in a multipolar globe.
Development, Geoculture, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Climate Change, Terrorism.
FROM AID CONDITIONALITY TO DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP: INDIA’S LINES OF CREDIT IN EAST AFRICA AND THE POLITICS OF SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
Development finance within the post-Second World War international order has been largely shaped by Western donor-led aid regimes characterized by policy conditionality, structural adjustment, and governance prescriptions. These approaches have been widely criticized for constraining national policy autonomy and reproducing dependency in African states. Against this backdrop, India‟s development engagement with East Africa represents a historically grounded and normatively distinct alternative rooted in post colonial solidarity, South-South cooperation, and the rejection of hierarchical donor-recipient relations. This study examines India‟s Lines of Credit (LoCs) in East Africa to analyze how they operationalize a development partnership model and provide an alternative to Western conditional aid frameworks. Anchored in the conceptual framework of the Development Compact, articulated by Arjun Sengupta and further elaborated by Milind Chakrabarti. This paper portrays India‟s development finance within the political economy of South-South cooperation. It argues that India‟s LoCs reflect a long standing post-colonial development philosophy that prioritizes sovereignty, national ownership, and demand-driven cooperation. Extended under the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) and implemented by the Export-Import Bank of India, LoCs are concessional loans, project-based instruments directed primarily toward productive sectors such as infrastructure, energy, transport, agriculture, and industrial development. Focusing on East African countries including Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, the study demonstrates that India has emerged as a significant development partner and an alternative in the region. Substantial LoC commitments aligned with national development strategies such as Ethiopia‟s Growth and Transformation Plans and Kenya‟s Vision 2030-underscore recipient-state agency in project selection and implementation. The study also underscores the importance of capacity building initiatives, particularly the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, which strengthens development partnerships by focusing on human resource development in tandem with financial engagement.
Development finance, Development compact, Post-colonial solidarity, Concessional loans, Recipient-state agency
SMILING THROUGH THE BLUES: HUGHES’ SIMPLE TALES OF COMPLEX TRUTHS
Langston Hughes‟ Simple Speaks His Mind (1950) is a brilliantly sharp and witty exploration of race, gender, and societal inequality, channelled entirely through the perspective of Jesse B. Semple or simply, “Simple.” With his signature blend of humour as a weapon and blunt honesty as his guide, Hughes masterfully invites readers into the vibrant, yet complex world of 1950s Harlem. Simple searches life‟s most challenging landscapes, from the trials of love and the complications of marriage to the formation of personal identity, all set against the persistent backdrop of racial and economic struggles. His unvarnished, streetwise perspective offers a deeply refreshing and essential view for the reader. Through Simple‟s eyes, Hughes executes a piercing critique of prevailing cultural expectations, the nature of personal empowerment, and the inherent power of language itself. This article contends why Hughes‟ masterpiece maintains such a strong resonance even today. By documenting the everyday life, struggles, and trenchant observations of African American life, Hughes‟s Simple offers profound insights that continue to shed light on the ongoing fight for social equality. The work preserves a crucial historical voice while remaining fiercely relevant to contemporary dialogues on equity and truth. It is a work of enduring social commentary wrapped in an accessible and profoundly human package.
Langston Hughes, Simple Speaks His Mind, Harlem Renaissance, Cultural Identity, Humour and Satire, Language as Resistance
DECENTRALIZATION IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS AND CONSTITUTIONAL REALITY
The Democratic Republic of Congo‟s (DRC) 2006 Constitution enshrined ambitious decentralization provisions– creating 26 provinces, elected local assemblies, and mandating that provinces retain 40% of domestic revenues – as a break from decades of centralization under Mobutu Sese Seko. This paper seeks to examine why have these formal decentralization provisions largely failed in practice? The qualitative, document-based policy analysis of publicly available official sources (World Bank, IMF, IGC, UN, etc.), reveals that the constitutional-legal framework has been undermined by weak administrative capacity, political resistance from the center, and inability to enforce constitutional mandates. Further, insufficient institutional capacity and deliberate political obstruction by central elites have produced a persistent gap between law and practice. Effective decentralisation requires substantive legal and fiscal reforms coupled with capacity building and people‟s empowerment to ensure that people are brought back in democracy and governance became citizen centric. This is fundamental to societal transformation , substantive democracy and sustainable development.
Decentralisation, Democratic Republic of Congo, Constitution, Governance, Civil Society, Administrative reforms
Analyzing Foreign Direct Investment Disparities in Africa: A Regional Perspective:
Africa has enormous unexplored markets, a young and expanding population, and immense natural resources, all of which are being used by several African governments to enhance the business climate and attract international investors. Africa has seen both positive and negative trends in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the recent decades, with some nations witnessing higher flows while others struggling to attract large international investments. FDI is majorly concentrated in industries such as natural resources, telecommunications, and infrastructure, but there is significant interest in sectors like agriculture, renewable energy, and technology as well. This research discusses patterns of inward FDI in Africa from 1990-2024 highlighting a persistent challenge despite notable economic and institutional advancements on the continent: inadequacy and inconsistency in inward FDI. This shortfall poses a hurdle for emerging economies reliant on steady FDI streams to foster private sector growth and advance SDGs.The extant literature studies Africa as a whole and undermines the significance of its regional diversity. This paper thus looks at the regional heterogeneity of North, East, West, Southern, and Central Africa.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Africa.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FLOWS IN AFRICAN ECONOMICS: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
This research investigates Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in African economies from 2000 to 2025 through a detailed bibliometric study. The research applies bibliometric tool Biblioshiny interface to analyze Scopus-indexed academic publications. which reveal intellectual and conceptual and social structures of FDI discourse focused on Africa. The analysis of 500 research documents revealed important publication patterns together with prominent authors and leading journals and influential institutions and main contributing countries. The temporal analysis demonstrated that publications about FDI in Africa increased substantially after 2010 because of rising academic and policy interest in FDI‟s role in African economic development. The main keywords in the research were economic growth, Africa, investment, development and FDI which demonstrate a strong thematic interest in how investments affect economic change. The research collaboration networks between African countries and China and the United States and the United Kingdom were evident in the country connections. The thematic analysis showed that sustainability and infrastructure investment have become new research directions. This bibliometric research both tracks the historical development and current research areas of FDI studies in African settings while offering essential knowledge for researchers and investors and policymakers who need to understand African FDI flow patterns and discover new research paths.
Foreign Direct Investment, Africa, Bibliometric Analysis, Economic Development, Scopus.
ROLE OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN THE AFRO INDIAN SIDDI COMMUNITIES’ HEALTH SYSTEM: AN INTERFACE BETWEEN TRADITION, SPIRITUALITY, AND MEDICINE
The Afro-Indian Siddi community, one of the country‟s unique and distinct tribes living in several states like Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and others, is part of India‟s rich cultural diversity. When Africans first arrived in India through Arabs, Portuguese, and as traders, they became the masters of the sea, and later rose to power to become rulers. Apart from their many ideas, they brought with them indigenous knowledge of medicine and healthcare rooted in their ancestral traditions. Having a diasporic origin, the Siddis use a healthcare system that combines local customs and Indian rituals with indigenous African knowledge, which has been passed down for generations, although currently, they have their own knowledge of healthcare. This study explores how the Siddis‟ African heritage and traditional knowledge have been entwined with Indian local cultural and medical systems over centuries, as well as their traditional health beliefs and ethnomedical practices, providing a unique perspective on cross-cultural health traditions. The methodology of the study is focused on six field visits in the last one year and around 50 interviews, among a few interactions with the Siddi communities of the Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts of Gujarat and Ankola, Yellapur, Ankola, Sirsi and Haliyal talukas of Karnataka. Identification of key informants was done to examine healthcare practices and beliefs of the key informants who possessed traditional medicinal knowledge. Some traditional medicinal knowledge of the community members include Ruksana Chotiyara of Sirwan (Gujarat) and Laxmi and Jjuma Siddi of Ankola (Karnataka) who employ local herbs and plant-based medicines to cure diseases such as childbirth support, orthopedic diseases, and others. Their healing practices centre on medicinal plants such as Tulsi, Ashoka, Til, Sonamuki and Harda. The study highlights how these practices not only address immediate healthcare needs but also serve as a reflection of the indigenous knowledge systems of the Siddi community, highlighting their culturally rooted approaches to healthcare. By acknowledging and integrating such indigenous systems, we can remove the local problems of the community and address them through traditional healing practices.
Afro-Indian Siddis, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Ethnomedicine, Traditional Healthcare Practices, Cross-Cultural Healing, Healing practices.
INDIA-NAMIBIA LINKAGES: PARTNERING IN URANIUM SECTOR
In light of India‟s growing nuclear energy program and changing internatio nal nuclear governance, this study explores the strategic aspects of IndiaNa mibia collaboration in the uranium sector. The article is structured into five main sections. The first section outlines India‟s nuclear energy trajectory, highlighting its three-stage nuclear programme, rising electricity demand, and the structural constraints imposed by limited domestic uranium reserves. It also discusses the historical impact of India‟s exclusion from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and international nuclear trade regimes on the growth of its civilian nuclear sector. The second section examines India‟s reintegration into the international nuclear order after the 2008 Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver. It focuses on nuclear liability frameworks, safeguards agreements, and civil nuclear cooperation agreeme nts that continue to influence foreign involvement in India‟s nuclear industry . The third section provides a comprehensive overview of the uranium industry in Africa, mapping key producing regions, emerging mining frontiers, and the geopolitical significance of African uranium in the global nuclear fuel cycle. Particular attention is given to the political economy of uranium extraction and the strategic competition among external powers for secure supplies. The fourth section focuses specifically on Namibia‟s uranium sector, examining its production capacity, regulatory regime, environmental governance, and growing role as a major global supplier. The final section evaluates the prospects and limitations of India–Namibia uranium cooperation. It highlights strong political symmetry and historical ties while critically assessing legal constraints arising from Namibia‟s commitments under the Pelindaba Treaty and India‟s non-NPT status.
African Uranium Resources, Global Nuclear Governance, India–Namibia Relations, Non-Proliferation Regime, Nuclear Energy Policy, Uranium Sector.
CONTENTS 1. Analyzing Foreign Direct Investment Disparities in Africa: A Regional Perspective: Jyoti Gupta & A. S. Yaruingam.................... 2. Geocultural Collaboration of Africa-Brazil and Mutual Development under BRICS: Suresh Kumar & Parma Khannawalia ........................................................................................ 3. Handicrafts as Cultural and Economic Soft Power: A Comparative Study of India and Africa: Gajendra Singh and Abhishek Kumar............................................................................ 4. Africa and Asia: Cultural Sisters, Cooperation Strangers: Up to the 21st Century: Etuk Akaninyene Ufot and Ihuoma Chinonso .............................................................................................. 5. Heal-Stream Diplomacy: Reciprocal Circulation of traditional healing systems between Indian and Africa: Rashmi Kapoor .................................................................................... 6. India-Namibia Linkages: Partnering in Uranium Sector: Sandipani Dash and Anubha Srivastava............................................... 7. Role of Indigenous Knowledge in the Afro Indian Siddi Communities‘ Health System: An Interface between Tradition, Spirituality, and Medicine: Manish Karmwar and Anushka Srivastava ....................................................................... 8. Foreign Direct Investment Flows in African Economics: A Bibliometric Analysis: Manoj Kumar Sinha and Manish.................... 9. Decentralization in Democratic Republic of Congo: Constitutional Provisions and Constitutional Reality: Pravin Kumar Jha and Aabhankita....................................................... 10. Smiling Through the Blues: Hughes‘ Simple Tales of Complex Truths: Geeta Rani................................................................ 11.From Aid Conditionality to Development Partnership: India‘s Lines of Credit in East Africa and the Politics of South-South Cooperation: Hajari Lal Bairwa and Tannu Kumar Meena.......................................................................................
Today we pay tribute and celebrate life of Prof. KK Virmani, an exceptional teacher, mentor, and researcher whose dedication to knowledge has inspired many of us. He was one of the scholars of the first batch of MA in African Studies of the Department of African Studies. He was appointed in the Department of African Studies as a Lecturer in Swahili Language where he taught till 1999. He pursued Swahili language course at SOAS, England. For his research he visited several African countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Zambia. His contribution to the Department has been immense. As an avid researcher he actively contributed to the Journal of African and Asian Studies published by the Department as early as 1966. During his tenure as Head, he launched a journal focused on African issues titled Ind-Africana in 1988, which was later replaced in 1992 by the current Departmental publication, the Indian Journal of African Studies. He has six remarkable books and numerous scholarly articles to his credit through which he made a lasting contribution to the field of African Studies and Swahili language and to the world of learning. But his true legacy goes beyond publications. As a teacher, he encouraged curiosity and critical thinking. As a mentor, he guided students and colleagues with patience, wisdom, and generosity. Many of us here have benefited not only from his knowledge, but also from his guidance and encouragement. His work and values remind us that education is not only about sharing information, but about inspiring minds and shaping futures. In his continued journey to the other world, he continues to educate and transform the lives of many as his family honouring his wishes donated his eyes to the Guru Nanak Eye Hospital and his body to the Army Hospital. Today, with gratitude and admiration, we celebrate this legacy and the lasting light he has given to so many. Rashmi Kapoor (With inputs from Mrs. Mohini Virmani, wife of Prof. K.K. Virmani)
Research on Africa has become even more important as contemporary Africa is not a development case study or a localized academic pursuit but has evolved into setting the global agenda through collective leadership. African continent in the 21st century is moving towards becoming a most important engine of the global economy because of its demographic advantage, resource reserves, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that is turning out to be a largest zone of free trade. Understanding Africa‘s demographic centrality as a consequence of its lowest median age and harnessing that cohort is the way towards global stability and innovation. The global green transition is impossible without Africa because of its mineral reserves that are enabling sustainable supply chains. Africa is on its way towards becoming a geopolitical agency as besides her growing influence in multilateral fora, the permanent seat of the African Union at the G 20 has structurally changed the global governance. It is able to negotiate with multiple powers on its own terms that demonstrates active non-alignment. African indigenous knowledge and African time-tested traditional practices are providing compelling alternatives to the already established systems. The continent‘s advantages or failures are no longer localized. The research in African studies has moved beyond ―problem-solving or ―aid-centric models to focus on the ways African agency is rewriting global systems.The collection of research paper in the present volume addresses some of these interconnected issues of African continent that is moving towards the realization of Agenda 2063 The research paper on “Analyzing Foreign Direct Investment Disparities in Africa: A Regional Perspective” aims to examine patterns of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa from 1990 to 2024, focusing on both its growth and persistent shortfalls despite economic and institutional improvements. The research emphasizes the uneven distribution of FDI across the continent and explores regional differences in North, East, West, Southern, and Central Africa. Ultimately, the paper investigates how inconsistent FDI inflows affect the development of emerging economies and their progress toward sustainable development goals. The paper “Geocultural Collaboration of Africa-Brazil and Mutual Development under BRICS” explores how BRICS member- states, particularly Brazil in partnership with African nations, can leverage geocultural synergies to promote sustainable economic development. It emphasizes that integrated industrialization projects and regional collaboration can generate mutually beneficial outcomes,tapping into Africa‘s growing consumer base and long-term growth potential. Recent BRICS expansion and financial support, including investments in renewables and agro-hubs, enhance these opportunities. By prioritizing local currency trade, AfCFTA integration, and shared historical experiences, the collaboration aims to foster equitable development within a multipolar global framework. This research paper ―Handicrafts as Cultural and Economic Soft Power: A Comparative Study of India and Africa‖ examines how handicrafts in India and Africa serve as instruments of cultural and economic soft power, situating them within discussions of indigenous knowledge and global influence. Using evidence from government reports, multilateral institutions, and scholarly literature, it analyzes institutional, cultural, and economic aspects rather than relying on simple statistics. The research highlights how everyday cultural practices can subtly shape perceptions and maintain lasting influence worldwide. This study titled ―Africa and Asia: Cultural Sisters, Cooperational Strangers Up to the 21st Century‖ aims to explore and emphasize the historical, cultural, and linguistic connections between African and Asian societies, highlighting similarities in social practices, religious beliefs, languages, music, dance, and traditional attire. Additionally, the research examines the implications of growing Asian involvement in Africa, particularly in trade and natural resource exploitation, and considers how these interactions could be managed to avoid unequal partnerships. Finally, the study recommends strategies to strengthen Afro-Asian relations by promoting mutual benefits in areas such as tourism, education, trade, and cultural exchange, thereby sustaining the shared historical values and potentials of both continents. The paper “Heal-Stream Diplomacy: Reciprocal Circulation of traditional healing systems between Indian and Africa‖ investigates the long-standing exchange of traditional healing knowledge between India and Africa along the Indian Ocean, highlighting its historical and contemporary significance. It emphasizes the growing role of indigenous medicine in strengthening healthcare systems and addressing modern health challenges. Introducing the idea of "Heal-Stream Diplomacy," the study frames the circulation of traditional healing practices as a tool for fostering international cooperation and enhancing soft power. Ultimately, it explores how collaboration in these systems can advance both public health and diplomatic interests in the present day. This study titled “India-Namibia Linkages: Partnering in Uranium Sector aims to analyze the strategic dimensions of India–Namibia cooperation in the uranium sector within the context of India‘s expanding nuclear energy program and evolving global nuclear governance. It seeks to examine India‘s nuclear energy trajectory, including its three-stage program and reliance on imported uranium, alongside the country‘s reintegration into international nuclear frameworks post-2008 NSG waiver. The research also explores Africa‘s uranium landscape, with a focus on Namibia‘s production capabilities, regulatory environment, and role in global supply chains. The study “Role of Indigenous Knowledge in the Afro Indian Siddi Communities’ Health System: An Interface between Tradition, Spirituality, and Medicine” examines the Afro-Indian Siddi community, tracing how their African heritage has merged with Indian cultural and medical traditions over centuries. It aims to document the Siddis' traditional healthcare practices, beliefs, and ethnomedical knowledge passed down through generations. Using field visits and interviews with key community members in Gujarat and Karnataka, the research highlights the use of medicinal plants and local remedies to address health issues. The study emphasizes understanding and integrating indigenous healing systems to strengthen culturally rooted healthcare solutions for the community. This research paper ―Foreign Direct Investment Flows in African Economics:A Bibliometric Analysis” examines Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in African economies from 2000 to 2025 through a bibliometric analysis of Scopus- indexed publications using the Biblioshiny tool. It identifies key publication patterns, influential authors, journals, institutions, and countries, highlighting a sharp increase in research after 2010. The study also reveals collaboration networks between African countries and major economies such as China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Overall, it provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution and current trends in FDI research in Africa, offering insights for researchers, policymakers, and investors. The research paper ―Decentralization in Democratic Republic of Congo: Constitutional Provisions and Constitutional Reality examines why the 2006 Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo‘s decentralization measures have not been successfully implemented. It explores the gap between the constitutional provisions and the reality shaped by weak administrative capacity, central government resistance, and poor enforcement. It also considers what legal, fiscal, and governance reforms, along with citizen empowerment, might be necessary to make decentralization effective and strengthen democracy and sustainable development. The article ―Smiling Through the Blues: Hughes’ Simple Tales of Complex Truths‖ raises questions how Langston Hughes uses the character of Simple to critique racial, gender, and economic inequality in 1950s Harlem. Through Simple's humor and honest opinions, Hughes shows how everyday issues like relationships and identity are connected to larger social problems.The work also raises questions about cultural expectations and shows how language can be a powerful tool for speaking out. Overall, it makes readers think about why these issues are still relevant today and how the struggle for equality continues. The paper “From Aid Conditionality to Development Partnership: India’s Lines of Credit in East Africa and the Politics of South-South Cooperation” investigates whether India‘s financial engagement in East Africa constitutes a substantive departure from traditional Western aid models. Drawing conceptually on Arjun Sengupta‘s Development Compact, it evaluates the design and implementation of India‘s Lines of Credit under the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme, administered by the Export-Import Bank of India. Rather than focusing on conditionality, the analysis explores whether these instruments enable recipient-led project selection and reinforce domestic development priorities. It ultimately assesses the extent to which India‘s approach reflects a more reciprocal and sovereignty-sensitive model of cooperation in the region.
African Studies is currently being reconfigured through critical reassessments of inherited knowledge systems, the rise of decolonial perspectives, and the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches that engage both local contexts and global dynamics. The contemporary geopolitical developments, especially the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war 2026,highlight Africa‘s evolving position within fluctuating international relations. The ripple effects of this conflict extend into African contexts, influencing political orientations, energy dependencies, disruptions in trading networks, diplomatic alignments, foreign aid pauses, supply chain interruptions and regional security considerations. There is a necessity of situating African experiences within broader global frameworks while recognizing the continent‘s active role in shaping these interactions. Since its inception, the Department of African Studies has emphasized an interdisciplinary approach to understanding Africa‘s multifaceted realities. In alignment with this vision, the Journal prioritizes historically grounded and analytically rigorous scholarship that draws from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Particular attention is given to critical examinations of political systems, economic transformations, social systems, cultural practices, indigenous knowledge systems, and the lived experiences of the natives. This publication is devoted to advancing original and critically engaged research that contributes to more pluralized understandings of Africa across temporal and spatial dimensions. The articles assembled in this volume exemplify both methodological robustness and conceptual innovation, reflecting the dynamic evolution of the field. We acknowledge with gratitude the continued engagement of our authors, reviewers, advisory board members, and readership, whose collective efforts continue to foster impactful academic discourse.
Siddis of Patthar Kuan (Ahmedabad): A DiasporicConnect From Africa
Civil Society in Egypt: A Critical Analysis
Egypt is constitutionally known as a Republic, however, in practice it is an authoritarian state. The president, as elected head of the state has absolute power to take decisions with regards to administering and running the state. This extends to undermine the provisions created by the constitution for citizens’ rights. As a result, there is little room for any public discourse and civil society activities. This article is an analysis of the civil society growth and prospect under successive regimes in post-colonial Egypt to argue that Egyptian society is largely shaped by the state centric political culture.
Poor Leadership and Underdevelopment in the AfricanSubcontinent: An Evaluation of Selected Factors
Africa is considered the poorest continent in the world, despite the fact that it is the richest in natural resources. Africa suffers from chronic maladministration and a lack of effective leadership. Governance and poor leadership are becoming the identities of the African subcontinent. Leadership issues in Africa are always viewed in the context of development. The lack of leadership is really a challenge in the 21st century, as the people of the African subcontinent must understand that honest leadership is very important for the socio-economic and political development of society. In this present paper, the study has been conducted based on the literature available on the reasons behind faulty leadership. Such faulty leadership is responsible for poverty and economic backwardness. In essence, the study is qualitatively oriented and mainly uses secondary data for analysis. This article primarily evaluated the factors responsible for poor leadership and the challenges related to it. The study also looked at the importance of democracy and attempted to find a link between healthy democracies, strong leadership, and African development crises.
Penal Transportation and Colonial Atrocities on the Andaman’s and Robben Island
This paper aims to trace the history of two penal transportation sites: Andaman's Islands of India and Robben Island of South Africa. Those who opposed British colonial rule and expansion were sent to the Andaman and Robben Islands through penal transportation. Both islands were used as places of Banishment, exile, and penal settlement during the colonial and imperial expansion of the British empire. The objective of this paper is to understand how that Island and the people imprisoned there were used by the British and the role of those detained as political prisoners or convicts on those islands. The interconnected histories of Robben Island, the Andaman Islands, and the convicts transported between them demonstrate the global dimensions of colonial oppression and resistance. Robben Island stands as a symbol of South Africa's struggle against colonial legacy, while the Andaman Islands represent a site of resistance to British imperialism. In 1979, the jail was declared a National Memorial dedicated to the nation in the presence of the former Andaman political prisoners. Robben Island became a tourist spot, and in 1999, it was declared a World Heritage site as it had an essential role in the political history of South Africa
Africa in G-20, Global South and the Environmental Matrix
The implications of African integration into the G-20 and its positioning in the Global South for global environmental governance are significant. This paper focuses on sustainable development discourses within the G-20, in particular, whether Africa's unique set of challenges (socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities, rapid demographic change) shapes its role differently. Presuming Africa welcomes human rights, the rule of law, and transparency, then its participation in the G-20 may offer it opportunities to push an environmental agenda including such urgent issues as climate change and public goods like biodiversity protection and resource depletion that without exception hit Africa harder than other regions. As a part of the G-20, Africa is empowered to demand and advance sustainable development pathways that respond to its imperatives while also addressing world environmental needs. Moreover, the study outlines the interface of Africa's involvement in the G20 with larger geopolitical dynamics of cooperation between North and South and South-South. Although Africa's inclusion in the G20 again unpacks the potential for multilateral action, the capacity of Africa to genuinely influence global environmental policy processes remains tenuous, reflecting an ongoing bias to power and representation. The analysis highlights the importance of inclusive governance mechanisms that represent the interests of the regions of Africa and supports equitable involvement in the development of global sustainability norms
Role and Challenges of Primary Sector in the Structural Transformation in Africa
This paper examines the primary sector’s performance, preferment, and challenges in structural transformation in the African economy. A systematic research has been done with the help of secondary data by using United Nations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD), EXIM Bank and World Bank reports. Being either under-developed or developing nations, the primary sector mostly dominates the majority of African countries, which indeed is vital for embarking on its autonomous growth. The empirical evidence suggests that other developing countries with a large reliance on the primary sector show a positive effect on the nation’s economic efficiency within the context of sustainable development, but a fundamental challenge in Africa’s sustainable development is reducing its rampant poverty. Most underdeveloped African economies aren’t able to devote the required skilled resources to their primary production. Africa faces a complex mix of developmental problems within the primary sector, which are vast and multifaceted. A few of these include- the challenge of lesser devotion towards resources to the primary production; challenges of crawling technological adaptations and dependency on traditional harvesting & irrigation methods; less cost-effective agricultural techniques of the contemporary era with respect to inexpensive & unskilled farmers, etc. These challenges as well as their concomitant trade-offs, have to be strategically addressed to improve the prospects for sustained growth and development.