Although the Ethiopian Transitional Government has been attempting since 1991 to set up new national and regional structures of administration and cooperation that may eventually lead to some form... Show moreAlthough the Ethiopian Transitional Government has been attempting since 1991 to set up new national and regional structures of administration and cooperation that may eventually lead to some form of locally entrenched, ethnic-based democracy, these are not yet fully in place in K„fa region in southern Ethiopia. This paper analyses the possibilities and constraints of the Ethiopian model by highlighting the increasing ethno-political tensions in this 'marginal' area, notably between the Dizi and the Suri in the Maji area. It examines the political and ecological factors which played a role in the recent upsurge of violence, and discusses the prospects for intervention and change. The paper is based on fieldwork carried out in the area during 1992 and 1993. Notes, ref Show less
Rural household travel patterns have been largely ignored in African transport studies. Over the past ten years, however, village-level surveys have been undertaken which reveal the preeminence of... Show moreRural household travel patterns have been largely ignored in African transport studies. Over the past ten years, however, village-level surveys have been undertaken which reveal the preeminence of female porterage in rural transport activities. Donor agencies are now focussing efforts on "appropriate" transport technology interventions to directly enhance rural mobility and to indirectly improve agricultural productivity. Preliminary evidence, however, suggests that men rather than women are the main benficiaries of appropriate transport technology. This paper asks why and suggests a number of methodological refinements to future rural transport studies to generate the necessary information for devising programmes with a higher likelihood of effective assistance to rural women transporters. The paper reviews the findings on rural household transport demand emanating from surveys and literature reviews in East and West Africa. Show less
This report is a historical-anthropological study of the survival strategies of urban women in the town of Bamenda in West Cameroon, insofar as they are related to changing access to land. The... Show moreThis report is a historical-anthropological study of the survival strategies of urban women in the town of Bamenda in West Cameroon, insofar as they are related to changing access to land. The emphasis is on historical developments from the sixties on, a period in which the commercialization and urbanization of Bamenda has accelerated. The author inquires into the present importance of land as a source of income for women, and examines the alternatives that are developed in situations of land shortage, such as in a densely populated quarter of Bamenda town. Although theoretically urban women have more economic sources at their disposal than just land (such as trade or formal employment), various ideological and socioeconomic forces seem to cooperate in preventing them from exploiting these sources to the full. The author examines these obstructive factors and looks into the strategies adopted by women to acquire access to economic resources. For this purpose, she compares the situation of 'big' business women to that of small women traders in Bamenda. One of women's strategies is to start a court action to defend or claim their rights to land. In order to understand the character of their conflicts special attention is paid to the development of legal pluralistic land tenure systems in western Cameroon and the specific land rights of women Show less
Sub-Saharan Africa is steadily becoming less rural in character. For decades development thinking has prescribed industrialization as the virtuous path leading away from economic dependence on... Show moreSub-Saharan Africa is steadily becoming less rural in character. For decades development thinking has prescribed industrialization as the virtuous path leading away from economic dependence on agriculture. The present paper rejects the view that rural or even national industrialization has taken place or is likely to take place in sub-Saharan Africa in the immediate future. The author argues that the preconditions for this happening are largely absent. She proposes an alternative perspective centred on the process of 'de-agrarianization' and attendant rural employment generation. De-agrarianization is defined as a process of economic activity reorientation, occupational adjustment and spatial realignment of human settlement away from agrarian patterns. The most overt manifestations of this process are a diminishing degree of rural household food and basic needs self-sufficiency, a decline in agricultural labour effort relative to nonagricultural labour in total national labour expenditure, a decrease in agricultural output per capita relative to nonagricultural output, and a shrinking proportion of population residing in rural areas. A research programme on de-agrarianization and rural employment generation in Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa and Nigeria is proposed. (Abbreviated and revised version in: World Development, vol. 24, no. 1 (1996, pages 97-111). Show less
This article is an editorial introduction to the five contributions to a two-day Dutch-Belgian workshop on ethnicity in Africa (Leiden, The Netherlands, December 1991) selected for publication in... Show moreThis article is an editorial introduction to the five contributions to a two-day Dutch-Belgian workshop on ethnicity in Africa (Leiden, The Netherlands, December 1991) selected for publication in the present issue of 'Afrika Focus'. It highlights various aspects of the study of ethnicity which emerge from the papers in question: the deconstruction of the ethnic group as a group, the characterization of ethnicity as a cultural process primarily determined by an underlying struggle for power, the dynamism of ethnicity as a phenomenon subject to constant change, ethnic social stratification and the role of elites. The papers suggest that current approaches to African ethnicity have tended to overemphasize the formative influence of the colonial State at the expense of continuity with precolonial processes of group formation. They also suggest that there is a case for a reassessment of the limits to the political manipulation of ethnic consciousness, and the exploration of the explanatory value of local cultures considered over considerable time periods. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum Show less
Breemer, H. van den; Bergh, R.; Hesseling, G.S.C.M. 1993
Ce rapport présente un aperçu de la littérature sur la démocratisation en Afrique au sud du Sahara (1989-1992). D'abord, les auteurs évoquent un certain nombre de traits dominants de la vie... Show moreCe rapport présente un aperçu de la littérature sur la démocratisation en Afrique au sud du Sahara (1989-1992). D'abord, les auteurs évoquent un certain nombre de traits dominants de la vie politique en Afrique qui forment l'arrière-plan nécessaire à comprendre les changements actuels concernant la démocratisation. Ensuite ils résument le débat scientifique sur la démocratie en Afrique dans la période 1960-1989, qui a ses racines dans les mouvements d'indépendance et se concentre sur l'échec des modèles Westminster/Élysée. Ils décrivent les arguments tels qu'ils ont été employés pour légitimer l'État à parti unique et, finalement, l'État sans parti. Au cours des années 70 on s'inquiéta de la répression grandissante et de l'évolution stagnante dans les pays africains. Ce n'est qu'au cours des années 80 que l'attention se tourna vers la société civile. Dans le contexte économique et politique radicalement changé à la fin des années 80, on attache une plus grande valeur à la démocratie. La question fondamentale de savoir si la démocratie est un concept universel ou purement occidental, et les différentes définitions de la démocratie, ont conduit à des discussions sur l'État et la société civile, la fonction du multipartisme dans la démocratisation, "good governance", la démocratie et le droit et la démocratie et le développement. Finalement, les auteurs font le bilan du processus de démocratisation actuel en Afrique. Show less
The present article offers a descriptive survey of the most important plants used by the Southeast Surmic-speaking Me'en in southwestern K„fa, Ethiopia, based on information gathered over a period... Show moreThe present article offers a descriptive survey of the most important plants used by the Southeast Surmic-speaking Me'en in southwestern K„fa, Ethiopia, based on information gathered over a period of 14-months field research (1989-1991). Data covering the Me'en name of each plant, the scientific name, if known, and/or the Amharic equivalent and a brief description of the plant's use are presented in tabular form. The following categories are distinguished: plants used for house building and household utensils, plants used for clothing, magical plants, famine plants, medicinal plants, and ritual plants. The emphasis is on medicinal and ritual plants. Show less
The Suri, also known as Surma, are agropastoralists living in the semiarid lowland area of the Kafa Administrative Region of Ethiopia. The Suri language belongs to the South-East Surmic (SES)... Show moreThe Suri, also known as Surma, are agropastoralists living in the semiarid lowland area of the Kafa Administrative Region of Ethiopia. The Suri language belongs to the South-East Surmic (SES) language group within the Eastern Sudanic family of Nilo-Saharan. The Suri-English vocabulary presented here was compiled during research carried out in southwestern Ethiopia, particularly in the village of Makara, between December 1991 and June 1992, and in October 1992. It incorporates two unpublished wordlists, the 200-word list of the Institute of Language Studies of Addis Ababa University, and the 500-word list compiled by M.L. Bender. Bibliogr., notes, ref Show less
External factors - the change in the international climate following the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the publication at almost the same time of the World Bank's report 'From crisis to... Show moreExternal factors - the change in the international climate following the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the publication at almost the same time of the World Bank's report 'From crisis to sustainable growth', in which the Bank for the first time linked aid to the question of "governance" - undoubtedly played a role in the decline of the one-party State in Africa. But the deeper causes of the current wave of democratization lie in the buildup of pressure over the past few decades for a new form of political accountability, to replace that of patronage politics. Most African governments have responded to the forces of change by conceding to demands for multiparty rule, simultaneously attempting to control the process. President Moi of Kenya, re-elected president in a multiparty election, is a case in point. In a few cases, heads of State have refused to make any compromises at all, with appalling results (Liberia, Somalia). In those countries where some degree of democratization has taken place, it is hard as yet to discern any improvement in regard to governance. Political parties continue to be formed in terms of clientelism and there is little to choose between rival parties, as a comparison of the contrasting cases of Kenya and Zambia illustrates. Democratization has not recast political constituencies in a new mode (though religion may form the base for new forms of political recruitment in the years to come). Notes, ref Show less
Na een korte bespreking van enige thema's in het onderzoek van staatsvorming in pre-koloniaal Afrika, analyseert de auteur staatsvorming in de 18e en 19e eeuw in het gebied van de Kafue/Zambezi... Show moreNa een korte bespreking van enige thema's in het onderzoek van staatsvorming in pre-koloniaal Afrika, analyseert de auteur staatsvorming in de 18e en 19e eeuw in het gebied van de Kafue/Zambezi waterscheiding in Centraal Westelijk Zambia (met name de vorming van de Nkoya en Lozi staten) tegen de achtergrond van koloniale en post-koloniale ontwikkelingen in termen van de articulatie van de productiewijzen. Hij bespreekt de uitbuitende relatie tussen vorstenhoven en plaatselijke gemeenschappen, die zich manifesteert in processen van incorporatie en etnicisatie. In tegenstelling tot de heersende opvattingen die culturele and structurele continu‹teit tussen vorstenhoven en de plaatselijke gemeenschappen benadrukken, stelt de auteur dat er bij de staatsvorming in Zambia sprake was van een absolute breuk met de sociale organisatie en culturele ideologie van de voor-statelijke plaatselijke dorpssamenleving. Deze transformatie slaagde weliswaar in de Lozi staat, maar dit was niet het geval in de Nkoya staten. In dit verband benadrukt de auteur de centrale rol van geweld (inclusief rituele moord). Een en ander kan ook relevant zijn voor de beoordeling van het huidige geweld in Zuidelijk Afrika. Bibliogr., noten Show less
This bibliography concerns the existing scientific literature on different aspects of rural employment. It contains 301 references, listed in alphabetical order by author. The references are either... Show moreThis bibliography concerns the existing scientific literature on different aspects of rural employment. It contains 301 references, listed in alphabetical order by author. The references are either of a general nature or concern the situation in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Also included are subject and country indexes. The introduction provides some background information on employment generation in rural areas. Show less
This paper examines the interface between work conditions of rural women in Africa and Western perceptions and interventions to address them. From a schematic review of Western attitudes towards... Show moreThis paper examines the interface between work conditions of rural women in Africa and Western perceptions and interventions to address them. From a schematic review of Western attitudes towards African rural women's work, the paper moves on to consider donor intervention directed at improving rural women's status. The central question posed is how external donor agenciescan extend beyond localized project efforts to provide the material foundation for facilitating widespread change in women's working day of a self-determing nature. A 'homestead economics' approach is suggested as a catalyst for change. In this programme, women's labour constraints rather than income generation is given precendence. Furthermore, teenage girls would be specially targetted for training and income generating activities, with emphasis on creating new economic and social expectations. It is argued that changes in young women's attitudes and skills could have a far-reaching effect Show less
Le 14 juin 1993, le peuple du Malawi s'est prononcé par référendum pour l'abolition du système du parti unique et pour l'introduction d'une démocratie pluripartite. Comment se fait-il que, en cette... Show moreLe 14 juin 1993, le peuple du Malawi s'est prononcé par référendum pour l'abolition du système du parti unique et pour l'introduction d'une démocratie pluripartite. Comment se fait-il que, en cette période pénible pour le Dr H. Kamazu Banda qui règne sur le pays depuis 30 ans, son entourage ait engagé une jeune guérisseuse qui a été appelée non seulement pour ouvrer pour la santé personnelle du président, mais pour 'guérir' la nation tout entière? Le succès de la guérisseuse en question, Linley Mbeta, très connue au Malawi, est lié à la forte montée du mouvement chrétien-fondamentaliste de 'ceux qui sont nés une seconde fois' que l'on constate au Malawi à partir des années 1970. C'est une représentante d'une tradition puritaine dont faisaient également partie les mouvements anti-sorcellerie des années 1930 et 1940. Tandis que l'on croit au Malawi que le pouvoir politique des 'anciens' repose sur l'association à des forces occultes, les mouvements puritains sont dirigés par des jeunes qui ne sont pas encore 'contaminés' par la manipulation des forces occultes. L'idéologie puritaine procure à ses fidèles la certitude d'avoir accès à des forces spirituelles bien supérieures à celles dont disposent leurs rivaux. C'est cette certitude-là qui doit avoir séduit le vieux dictateur. Show less
La zone de Kantindi, canton de la Région des Savanes, est l'une des plus peuplées du Togo, avec un mode de vie principalement agraire: la commercialisation du coton et de l'arachide fournit les... Show moreLa zone de Kantindi, canton de la Région des Savanes, est l'une des plus peuplées du Togo, avec un mode de vie principalement agraire: la commercialisation du coton et de l'arachide fournit les trois quarts des revenus et les produits vivriers couvrent soixante-dix pour cent de la consommation alimentaire. Les conditions de vie y restent cependant difficiles. La sous-nutrition y est chronique, l'approvisionnement en eau déplorable, le revenu insuffisant et les ressources des habitants dépendent pour une part des envois d'argent des émigrés. Se fondant sur des documents d'archives et des enquêtes menées à Kantindi, l'auteur montre comment, au cours de la colonisation allemande, puis française, et après l'indépendance, s'est réalisée l'intégration de cette région enclavée dans l'économie de traite ouest-africaine et dans l'État togolais moderne. Il établit un lien entre cette intégration et le mode de vie à Kantindi et fait appel aussi bien à l'analyse anthropologique qu'à la géographie, l'économie et l'histoire. Show less
De invoering van Structurele aanpassingsprogramma's (SAP's) in Afrika is vaak gepaard gegaan met een versterking van de autoritaire tendensen van de Afrikaanse regimes. De levensstandaard en... Show moreDe invoering van Structurele aanpassingsprogramma's (SAP's) in Afrika is vaak gepaard gegaan met een versterking van de autoritaire tendensen van de Afrikaanse regimes. De levensstandaard en werkgelegenheid van de stedelijke arbeiders zijn door de SAP's ernstig aangetast. In dit overzicht van de rol van vakbonden in de SAP's en in democratiseringsprocessen wordt het verzet van een aantal vakbonden tegen de invoering van de SAP's ge‹llustreerd aan de hand van het vakbondsverzet in Zambia, Ghana en Nigeria. De vakbonden in Zambia zijn in staat geweest het SAP te saboteren, terwijl het vakbondsverzet in Ghana gering was; een tussenpositie in het vakbondsprotest tegen SAP's wordt ingenomen door Nigeria. Hoewel de interne democratie binnen de vakbonden vaak niet optimaal was, heeft een aantal vakbonden zich toch ingespannen voor het bereiken van een zekere mate van participatie in het ondernemings- en regeringsbeleid. Gedurende de invoering van de SAP's hebben steeds meer vakbonden zich verzet tegen het toenemend autoritarisme van de machthebbers. Met name vakbonden in Zambia hebben een sleutelrol gespeeld in de strijd om grotere democratisering. De mate waarin vakbonden een actieve rol kunnen spelen is afhankelijk van twee factoren. De ene factor is de mate van autonomie die vakbonden hebben behouden ten opzichte van de regering. Vakbonden in Engelstalige Afrikaanse landen zijn daar beter in geslaagd dan vakbonden in Franstalige Afrikaanse landen. Een tweede factor is de aard van het regime (militair of civiel). Show less
The Mijikenda are a Bantu people living in the hinterland of southern Kenya. This paper examines two key resources of Mijikenda agriculture that have undergone profound transformations during the... Show moreThe Mijikenda are a Bantu people living in the hinterland of southern Kenya. This paper examines two key resources of Mijikenda agriculture that have undergone profound transformations during the period under study (1850-1985): land and labour. External pressures and internal processes have completely changed the availability, administration and productivity of these two resources. During the last two centuries, the Mijikenda have been transformed from shifting cultivators into traders, have changed their settlement pattern, modified land tenure rules, adopted new crops like maize and coconut, and taken up modern techniques. The paper is based partly on the experience of four years (1981-1985) fieldwork among Mijikenda farmers in the area around Kaloleni. Show less
