Newcomer Juma Sharkan as the ‘Liberian Girl’ Soldier is a Revelation

by Sabo Kpade Liberian Girl is about a 14-year-old called Martha set during the second Liberian civil war (1999 – 2003) which brought Charles Taylor to power. To escape advancing rebels Martha and her grandma Mammie Esther flee into the bushes but are captured by members of the Small Boy’s Unit, a feeder arm of… Read More

Do They Know New Africa At All?

by David Wood I always ask myself a couple of questions before starting this column. One is whether l can write an incisive, perceptive, eloquent yet occasionally witty piece about a contemporary issue without invoking Diane Abbott’s ‘divide and rule’ maxim and making negative observations about fellow members of our African diaspora. Apart from UKIP’s… Read More

The Rite to Mutilate Children

by Greta Solomon The unspoken practice of female genital mutilation is undermining efforts to create safe motherhood in the developing world. Amber (not her real name) was officially welcomed into her Ethiopian community at the age of eight, when her mother pinned her down and instructed a professional circumciser to slice off her genitalia. Battling… Read More