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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

🆕 How do rituals shape state legitimacy? Mohamed Gibril Sesay examines oath-taking in Sierra Leone, showing how ritual practices influence perceptions of authority, accountability, and justice. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

🆕 How does local context shape digital government reform? Abubakari, Agyemang, Clottey, and Arko examine digitalisation across three Ghanaian local governments, showing how resources and local conditions shape reform outcomes. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

🆕 How can infrastructure projects shape regional cooperation? Yasmine Mahssoun and Chafii Jabal examine the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline and its potential to strengthen interstate cooperation between Nigeria and Morocco. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Celebrating Africa Spectrum at 60 🎉 ➡️ As part of our 60th anniversary campaign, we asked former Editors-in-Chief of Africa Spectrum to reflect on what makes the journal distinctive and important within African Studies. #AFR60yrs Thread 🧵

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

🆕 Can common-pool resources remain self-governed under rapid urbanisation? Aklilu Fikresilassie Kabiso, Eoin O'Neill, and Finbarr Brereton examine how urban growth is reshaping resource governance around Ethiopia's Lake Hawassa. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de @maxinerubin.com

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Africa Spectrum is pleased to be at the joint SGAS/VAD Conference 2026 in Basel. As the flagship African Studies journal of the @giga-hamburg.de, we look forward to engaging with scholars, authors, and readers from across the global African Studies community. #VAD2026 #SGAS2026 @maxinerubin.com

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German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) @giga-hamburg.de · 13/08/2026

New issue of Africa Spectrum out! As international humanitarian #aid declines, the humanitarian efforts of the #diaspora have become increasingly important. This special issue examines the nature of such efforts by the #Somali diaspora in Africa. ➡️Have a look: www.giga-hamburg.de/en/press/new...

giga-hamburg.de

New Africa Spectrum 2/2026

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

🆕 Are border residents a security threat or a security resource? Baami and Torsu show how border communities in Ghana contribute to intelligence gathering, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution, yet remain largely overlooked in border governance. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

🆕 Has climate change become a "single story" in explanations of insecurity? Dengiyefa Angalapu and Ernest Toochi Aniche argue that climate-security framings can oversimplify conflict dynamics in Nigeria and overlook other key drivers of insecurity. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

🆕 How did African academic publishing become so dependent on external actors? Kitchen and Mills trace the rise of an "extraverted" publishing economy shaped by donors, multinational publishers, and enduring inequalities in knowledge production. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261468822 @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

🆕Obadia Okinda Miroro explores how belonging, migration experiences, and social media shape crisis giving among Somalis in Nairobi. The study highlights the growing role of digital technologies in connecting people to crises and mobilising support. doi.org/10.1177/00020397261467770 #SpecialIssue

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

🆕 How do migrants claim belonging in a border town? Wonder Juniper explores how community radio shapes the citizenship practices of Zimbabwean traders in Musina, South Africa, introducing the concept of "bordered voices." 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

🆕 What can Somali giving practices teach us about humanitarianism? Thabani Mutambasere argues that humanitarian action is shaped by relationships, obligations, and transnational networks as much as by formal institutions. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

🆕 Why do women's land rights remain limited despite legal reforms? Millicent Awialie Akaateba and Agumah Sebastian Mbabugri examine how customary practices continue to shape women's access to land in Ghana despite statutory protections. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

🆕 What are the cultural costs of development? Rachel King, Amanda Esterhuysen, and Dineo Skosana examine how mining, infrastructure, and renewable energy projects have driven burial disturbance and reburial in South Africa. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

🆕 Book Review: How did Transsion become Africa's leading mobile phone company? Rochat reviews Miao Lu's The Transsion Approach, highlighting how adaptation to local markets helped shape the firm's success across Africa. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

🆕 How do weaker states navigate great-power competition? Vigne and Van Hoeymissen examine how the DRC balanced relations with China, the US, and the EU, showing how hedging can help preserve autonomy amid insecurity and geopolitical rivalry. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261466687 @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

🆕 How do youth movements reshape democratic space? Han examines how marginalised youth in post-2011 Tunisia reclaimed streets and public spaces to challenge political exclusion and demand socio-economic justice. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261462573 #specialissue @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

🆕 Introduction to the Special Issue: Giving in Somali Diaspora Humanitarianism in Africa Nauja Kleist and Mark Bradbury introduce research on Somali diaspora humanitarianism and crisis relief across Africa. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261460467 @giga-hamburg.de @naujakleist.bsky.social

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

🆕 How does Islamic ethical thought shape socio-political life in Northern Nigeria? Fahm and Ibrahim show how Islamic ethical frameworks shape ideas of leadership, community resilience, and social repair amid governance, insecurity, and inequality. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261452691

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

🆕 How did Ghana frame diaspora engagement during the Year of Return? Kutor, Oklikah, Saaka, and Arku examine how Ghanaian media framed the initiative through tourism, investment, branding, and emotional connection with diaspora communities. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261448904 @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

🆕 Can women’s land ownership strengthen climate adaptation and food security? Wegenast, Hänze, and Haer show that joint land ownership in Tanzania improves food security and diet diversity among households facing extreme weather events. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261450226 @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

🆕 How does prolonged displacement shape identity and belonging? Rudolf and Tufa examine the Amiche in Ethiopia, showing how protracted exclusion and displacement produced a distinct identity shaped by stable liminality and permanent in-betweenness. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261446238

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

🆕 How is legitimacy negotiated in contested land governance systems? Awoh examines land governance in Kom and Bali, Cameroon, showing how traditional authorities use hybrid strategies to maintain legitimacy and mediate land conflicts. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261446002 @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

🆕 How do telecom companies shape humanitarian response in Somalia? Chonka examines how Somali telecom firms use CSR narratives around connectivity, empowerment, nationalism, and piety amid conflict and humanitarian crises. 🔗doi.org/10.1177/00020397261443322 #specialissue @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

🆕 How do corporations and communities negotiate access on resource frontiers? Yang examines Chinese bauxite mining in Guinea, showing how corporate strategies and community repertoires interact to renegotiate access, compensation, and rights claims. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/00020397261443317

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

🆕How has France’s image shifted in Malian media? Zhuang analyses 822 Maliweb articles (2017–2024), showing how anti-French narratives gained prominence after the 2020 political rupture, reshaping public discourse and highlighting African media agency. 🔗 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

➡️ Here is her editorial pick: Struggles over Resource Access in Rural Tanzania, by Mathew Bukhi Mabele & Ulrike Müller-Böker 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... 🔔 We’ll be sharing more reflections from our editors in the coming weeks. @giga-hamburg.de @maxinerubin.com @marthacj.bsky.social

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

🆕 How do communities organise aid during crisis? Mohamed, @naujakleist.bsky.social, and Kanyinga examine how Somali WhatsApp groups function as spaces for coordinating drought relief, extending kinship-based support into digital humanitarian action. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Maxine Rubin @maxinerubin.com · 13/04/2026

Here is one of the articles that I selected for the Editors' Picks series that we're doing as part of our celebration of Africa Spectrum's 60th anniversary!

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Maxine Rubin @maxinerubin.com · 01/04/2026

I was so happy to see Martha picked this article! It stood out to me too - it was very interesting and, as Martha says, a bit outside of what we usually receive. We were happy to publish this excellent scholarly work.

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

➡️ Here is her editorial pick: “West African Pidgin: World Language Against the Grain”, by Kofi Yakpo. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... CC: @giga-hamburg.de @sagepub.com @maxinerubin.com @miasa-ug.bsky.social

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Interested in reviewing one? Please email our Book Review Editor, Seulgie Lim. ➡️Access the full list & submission details in our new newsletter: bit.ly/4ur8rXt CC: @maxinerubin.com @miasa-ug.bsky.social @grauvogelj.bsky.social

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Celebrating Africa Spectrum at 60 🎉 Former Editor-in-Chief Leonardo Arriola (2019–2023) highlights three articles from his tenure that stood out to him for their conceptual clarity, empirical strength, and timely contributions to key debates in #Africanstudies. Thread 🧵 CC: @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Celebrating Africa Spectrum at 60🎉 @maxinerubin.com & @marthacj.bsky.social reflect on the journal's presence over six decades. They highlight efforts to decolonise knowledge production, expand African-based scholarship & map the road ahead. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de @sagepub.com

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

🆕Lotfi Sour analyses Russia’s multi-layered strategy in the Sahel through the “Matryoshka” model. The author argues that Russia’s engagement in Sahelian states is not only opportunistic but a deliberate effort to reshape regional power dynamics. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... CC: @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

🆕 @edle100.bsky.social, @peteralalbrecht.bsky.social & Karuti Kanyinga examine Somali diaspora humanitarianism in Nairobi's Eastleigh & Mogadishu. They argue 'altruistic' acts of giving reinforce hierarchies, reciprocal obligations & claims to legitimacy. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

📕Ada Johnson-Kanu reviews Nicholas Kerr's "Electoral Commissions and Democratization in Africa", praising it for challenging single-dimensional approaches to studying electoral administration. It also shows how minor administrative failures can threaten democratic legitimacy. 🔗 bit.ly/4cNEQRF

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Maxine Rubin @maxinerubin.com · 25/02/2026

Another set of exciting picks from our past Editor-in-Chief, Julia Grauvogel! I am fortunate to work with @grauvogelj.bsky.social at the @giga-hamburg.de. Drawing on her experience as Editor-in-Chief of Africa Spectrum, she’s always generous with advice and ideas.

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Maxine Rubin @maxinerubin.com · 20/02/2026

Here's the first of our "Past Editors' Picks" posts 👏 🤓 ⬇️ We are also fortunate to still benefit from the support of @he-mel.bsky.social and @mehler.bsky.social who readily provide advice when we ask and generously act as peer reviewers when asked despite their busy schedules! 🌟

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Celebrating Africa Spectrum at 60🎉 To mark the anniversary, our former & current Editors-in-Chief have chosen articles from their tenures that stood out to them. We'll be sharing their reasons for the selection later. For now, explore the full list 👉 bit.ly/4tFNacs @giga-hamburg.de @sagepub.com

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Maxine Rubin @maxinerubin.com · 04/02/2026

It is exciting to announce that this year is Africa Spectrum's 60th anniversary! We've had a lot of fun planning some things to celebrate the journal's 60th year, so keep an eye on our socials to stay up to date!

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

👏 We’re pleased to welcome our former Associate Editor, Dr. Kendra Dupuy, in her new role as Co-Editor-in-Chief. She is an Assistant Professor at Western Washington University, researching energy, natural resources, environmental management & climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

📢Calling past authors! Want to publish with The Conversation (@africa.theconversation.com) & reach broader, non-academic audiences? ➡️ Explore @sagepub.com's tips on writing high-impact submissions that link research to public debate through clarity, evidence, & relevance. Link in the comments👇

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

🆕 Suzanne Francis, Michael Francis & Andrew Okem examine how the ≠Khomani San Living Museum in South Africa resists development logics, reclaims and reconnects with the past & centers reparative justice beyond imposed “traditional/modern” binaries. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... CC: @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

🆕Daniel Kwame Blija et al. analyse migrant housing pathways in #Ghana, showing how translocal migrants in Kumasi rely on ethnic networks, arguing for housing policies that recognise migrants’ dual lives shaped by home ties & urban housing markets. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... CC: @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

🆕 Eria Serwajja & Muhamed Lunyago examine how "informal" land demarcation systems in post-war northern #Uganda's Acholi subregion help de-escalate land conflicts, showing how community-led initiatives foster peaceful coexistence & conflict resolution. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

🆕Valentine Opanga & Detlef Müller-Mahn examine land cartels in #Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, showing how they sustain authority & shape urban development through performative politics that mask systemic failures. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... CC: @giga-hamburg.de @sagepub.com

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Africa Spectrum @africaspectrum.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

🆕Yusra Abdullahi examines how Somali-Ugandans in #Uganda navigated the COVID-19 crisis through mutual aid grounded in Soomaaliniimo, highlighting the prominent role played by religious leaders & women-led initiatives when state infrastructure fell short. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0002... @giga-hamburg.de

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