In August 2023, I assumed the role of director of the Centre for African Studies (CAS) at the University of Cape Town. Among the responsibilities I inherited was hosting the inaugural launch meeting of the African Humanities Association (AHA) in December of that year.
This milestone event continued the legacy of pan-African scholarly efforts, such as the establishment of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) in 1973, which sought to amplify the contributions of African scholars on the global stage.
A Contentious Moment in December
By the time of the December launch, global attention was fixed on the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack. The subsequent destruction of educational institutions and targeted killings of scholars in Gaza by Israeli bombings had deeply unsettled the academic community.
In this context, a senior member of the AHA organizing committee proposed a motion of solidarity with scholars in Gaza. However, objections within the executive committee prevented the motion from advancing. Instead, the individual read a personal statement during the plenary session, and a compromise was reached to post the statement on the AHA website for voluntary endorsements.
Debating Solidarity
The decision not to issue a collective statement was met with concern by scholars, including renowned Tanzanian intellectual Issa Shivji. He invoked the radical spirit of earlier pan-African efforts led by figures like Samir Amin, who emphasized the need for Africans to write their own narratives in postcolonial contexts.
Two key objections arose during deliberations. First, some viewed the Gaza issue as divisive, potentially undermining unity in a fledgling association. Second, others questioned the selective focus on Gaza, citing numerous conflicts across Africa—such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan, and northern Mozambique—that also warranted attention. This “whataboutism” raised important questions about the visibility of African struggles versus global conflicts.
Complexities of Solidarity
While the loss of civilian lives in Gaza and Africa share the tragic commonality of human suffering, the nature of these conflicts differs fundamentally. Gaza represents an anticolonial struggle against a settler-colonial state, making “Free Palestine” a coherent political demand. In contrast, conflicts in the DRC and Sudan stem from unresolved postcolonial issues, including contested citizenship, resource control, and governance failures.
Conflating these struggles under broad calls for solidarity risks oversimplifying the unique political, historical, and social dimensions of each conflict. The postcolonial challenges in Africa require nuanced responses that go beyond solidarity statements to include rigorous research, contextual understanding, and actionable solutions.
Moving Forward
The task for African scholars is twofold: to stand in anticolonial solidarity with Palestinians while addressing the invisibilization of African conflicts through scholarship and advocacy. This dual approach can honor the historical legacies of figures like Frantz Fanon, who urged anticolonial movements to fully decolonize societies and “dare to invent” the future.
Ultimately, avoiding a competitive calculus of solidarity can ensure that African challenges are addressed with the depth, urgency, and visibility they deserve, without diminishing the significance of other global struggles.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of afronewswire.com.
