International Dialogue & African Perspectives

Speculative-fiction author Rafeeat Aliyu speaks to writer, photographer and activist Masiyaleti Mbewe about a vision of the African future that Mbewe draws from her life and experiences in various African countries, including Zambia, where she was born, and Namibia, where she’s currently based.

Wakanda, the fictional home-country of the superhero Black Panther, might be set in Africa, but the terms of its representation were crafted in Hollywood. The child of Marvel and Disney, birthed by American director Ryan Coogler, is not, strictly speaking, an African project. Yet the movie sparked a special interest across the continent.

Queer African migrants who come up against the xenophobic and homophobic attitudes that are prevalent in South African society often experience the same kinds of social and economic marginalisation they had hoped to escape in their home countries.

Wondering why many Nigerians still embark on long and winding journeys through corrupt officials, barbed wire and deadly seas to reach Europe, Adaobi Nwaubani interrogates the role of religious beliefs in peoples' decision to migrate.

The Middle East has become a popular – and notorious – destination, particularly for East Africans. In the face of sharp increases in human trafficking, with young women being lured into exploitation by false promises of employment, Rosebell Kagumire calls on the Ugandan government to adopt an effective and victim-centred approach.

Aly Tandian asks why and how Senegalese embark on long and winding journeys through corrupt officials, barbed wire and deadly seas to reach Europe, untangling a complex web of social, economic and political dynamics at play.

Brazil and Argentina have become part of the ever-changing geography of African migration. Regis Minvielle chronicles the precariousness of African migrants’ lives as the two countries reconsider the generous immigration policies that were created during their boom years.

In Kenya, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is seeking to break new ground. In a clear departure from the humanitarian aid approach of the past, a new initiative aims to promote self-reliance among encamped refugees and local host communities alike. Although supportive of its ideas, Felicity Okoth is quick to identify a number of policy and political obstacles to its implementation.