The destructive borders of European self-interest
MIGRATION: At the entrance to the Sahara, Agadez, Niger, reveals the human cost of EU migration policy.
Niger
The lives of others
AFRICA: Karim Sayad’s 2G is an intimate portrait of former people smugglers from Niger.
Colonial past, today
AFRICA: An exploration of rare archival material that unveils the significance of Algeria’s fight for independence and its implications for modern-day Africa.
The last public servant
IRAQ: Former UN Secretary-General Hans Blix’s fact-finding mission in Iraq became an issue of war and peace, with his words becoming the most crucial for those trying to stop it.
Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad
AFRICA: In Norway, interest in the Sahel region is increasing. With Gaddafi’s fall in 2011, the strength and number of rebel groups in the region increased. After the start of the global war on terror in 2001, more and more countries have become interested in this vast area. But aren’t the Islamists primarily fighting against the West?
The colour of the sky
CAMEROON: A group of children carve out their own worlds amid the dangers of armed conflict.
Muslim elites, exercise of power, and terror
AFRICA: What can a book say about Boko Haram or the porous border between present-day Cameroon and present-day Chad? Or about the pre-colonial Kingdom of Kanem-Bornu?
Volker Schlöndorff – Full of hope for Africa
ENVIRONMENT: «It’s about changing mindsets», says Volker Schlöndorff. Jokingly, the German veteran director refers to his new documentary on agronomist Tony Rinaudo’s reforestation projects in Africa as propaganda.
French warriors and Norwegian soldiers in the Sahel
MALI: If anyone in the Norwegian government would have read this book, they would never have sent soldiers to the French military force in Mali.
Divorce is as common in Niger as in Norway
DIVORCE: Despite variations in bride prices, getting married in Niger can be costly, and women are obligated to repay the bride price in the event of a divorce.
Democracy in French-speaking Africa
AFRICA: France has strangely managed to preserve hegemony over its former colonies, including the dissemination of knowledge. This book is a much-needed exception, providing the background for understanding the recent coup in Mali.
Crises are good business
AFRICA: A considerable number of consultants and commissioned researchers have profited from the crises in the African belt. Sahel has emerged as a crucial area for not only Norway but also for the EU and the USA.