Gisèle Rabesahala (1929-2011)

Gisèle Rabesahala, a political and human rights activist and councilwoman, was born Marie Gisèle Aimée Rabesahala on May 7, 1929, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, which had been a French colonial possession since 1896. Her father was a non-commissioned French army officer, and Rabesahala spent her childhood … Read MoreGisèle Rabesahala (1929-2011)

Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno
(1984- )

Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno is the Chairman of the Transitional Military Council of Chad (de facto President). Déby is the son of the former President of Chad, Idriss Déby. He was born on April 4, 1984, in the capital city of N’Djamena and is known … Read MoreMahamat Idriss Déby Itno
(1984- )

Sankore Mosque and University (c. 1100- )

Sankore Mosque and University is the oldest continuously-operating institution of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is believed that the mosque and university were erected in the 1100s C.E. (Twelfth Century) by Berbers who settled in the Timbuktu region of modern-day Mali. Mansa Musa I, … Read MoreSankore Mosque and University (c. 1100- )

Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana (1949- )

Afro-German politician, human rights activist, and scholar Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana was born in Bamako, Mali, but grew up in Dakar, Senegal, the daughter of a Cape Verdean mother, Dona Joaquina Semedo-Lopès, who was Christian, and a Guinean father who was Muslim. Her early experience with nationalities and religions greatly influenced the course of her life. A … Read MorePierrette Herzberger-Fofana (1949- )

Zhou Enlai’s African “Safari” (1963-1964)

Zhou Enlai’s first tour of Africa, popularly known as Zhou’s “Safari,” was a series of state visits to ten independent African countries, undertaken between December 1963 and February 1964 by the Chinese Premier. These visits, which occurred during a period when many countries were gaining … Read MoreZhou Enlai’s African “Safari” (1963-1964)