Back in 1874, when Belgium’s King Leopold II first received what he considered reliable confirmation of the vast untapped natural resources of Africa, he wasted no time in proclaiming his intentions to his cousin Queen Victoria: "I have sought to meet those most interested in bringing civilization to Africa," he told her, adding, "There is an important task to be undertaken there, to which I would feel honoured to contribute."
No one asked him to contribute anything, of course. He bought, financed and ran the Congo Free State entirely as a private possession, in the teeth of opposition from his own ministers back home in Belgium, and ruled roughshod over the roughly 10 million inhabitants of the land he was expropriating. To the limited extent he thought about it at all, he thought those inhabitants would be happy to trade their ceaseless unpaid toil for the chance to wear western clothes, contract western diseases, and learn the Bible front to back.
That combination of lunging greed and complacent bigotry set the pattern for the waves of imperial conquest that would wash over Africa at the height of the Victorian era and beyond, with a whole host of western powers – France, Germany, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and so on – all vying with each other for colonial possessions on the continent.
It was the rightly-named "scramble for Africa," and it's the subject of Empires in the Sun, the compact and authoritatively acerbic new book by historian Lawrence James, who wrote an excellent book about the British Raj in 1997 and yet another about the British Empire in general in 1999, and who is therefore well-versed in the evils and hypocrisies that always accompany imperialist adventures. The wilful self-delusion that is the foremost prerequisite of such adventures opens the book: "British, French, German and Italian imperialists had convinced themselves and their countrymen that they were sharing the moral, cultural, scientific and technical benefits of Europe's intellectual and industrial revolution," James writes. "The French coined the expression mission civilisatrice to describe this mass export of the 18th- and 19th-century Enlightenment."
The protracted story of that mission civilisatrice is grimly familiar. Thomas Pakenham wrote a definitive account of its first half-century nearly 30 years ago in his The Scramble for Africa; it takes up several depressing chapters of John Reader's magisterial 1998 book Africa: A Biography of the Continent; it's traced from its prehistoric deep roots in Martin Meredith's 2014 The Fortunes of Africa; and it's followed down to the present-day in Tom Burgis's biting 2016 book The Looting Machine – to name just a few titles.
The amazement of James’s book is its fierce concision: in fewer than 400 pages, he takes readers act-by-act through the earliest days of the scramble (Cecil Rhodes, "Doctor Livingstone, I presume," and all the other familiar stories), through the convulsions Africa felt when it was dragged piecemeal into two world wars that didn’t concern it in the slightest, and through the upsurge of patchwork nationalism and Cold War manoeuvrings that followed in the wake of the Second World War, when British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan could dolefully remark, "Africa may become no longer a source of pride or profit to the Europeans who have developed it, but a maelstrom into which all of us will be sucked."
If the maelstrom had a motto, it was throughout this long sordid story the motto of the Boer National Party of South Africa in the heyday of its strength: "die kaffer op sy plek" – the black man in his place. Slavery, apartheid and vicious opportunism fill the pages of Empires in the Sun, and James chronicles it all with a near-perfect balance of broad strokes and telling specific details.
At regular intervals the bumbling malevolence of the colonial powers is laid bare; when James recounts the inept spying activities of former Senegalese soldier "agent Joe" in 1930s Paris, for instance, he quips, "Inspector Clouseau would have sympathised."Such moments of grudging levity balance a litany of horror, slaughter and exploitation. The Italian intrigues in Abyssinia, Mau Mau insurrection, the Algerian War of Independence, the atrocities of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin ("Once it became clear that Amin was Africa’s Caligula, western aid dried up and he turned to the Russians, who gave him $100 million in arms," we’re told. "They too dropped him, exasperated by his utter unreliability"), the multifaceted oppressions of South African apartheid … James tells all these well-known stories in a lean and fast-paced cadence that allows him to cram a great deal of detail into a small amount of space.
Despite the well-known dramatics of the "scramble" in its early decades, Empires in the Sun actually grows stronger in its storytelling in the later stages of the tale. Simmering underneath the Cold War strategising that kept the French, British, Russians and Americans occupied in a dozen African countries, there were stronger forces at work, fires of long-suppressed nationalist fervour flaring up in every corner of the continent.
Lightning-rod emblems of these nationalist drives stand out in James’s story, figures like Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser, whose victory in 1956’s Suez Crisis temporarily put him in the spotlight of the grand international chess game being played by the world’s superpowers in Africa. "Soviet propaganda exploited Nasser’s success for all it was worth," James writes.
"Using the General Assembly of the United Nations as his platform, [Soviet premier Nikita] Khrushchev affirmed his support for colonial liberation movements with his characteristic knockabout rhetoric."
In addition to everything else, Nasser and figures like him were harbingers of a changing world. In 1960, James reminds his readers, one-third of the General Assembly’s 99 representatives came from former colonies or protectorates, a number that would increase in the following decade. And the nationalist drives of such former colonies were often intertwined with religious drives: James is an excellent guide to the complexities of the continent’s Muslims living under Christian rule, for instance, and the ways they could manifest themselves in the fighting that is the book’s near-constant theme.
"Faith eliminated the soldier’s natural fear of death, which made the jihadi a formidable and terrifying adversary," James writes. "After several encounters with jihadic warriors in Senegal during the 1850s, General Faidherbe concluded that: ‘It is in the name of the Prophet that our worst enemies march against us.’"
The story of South Africa, in the standout chapter "The Last Days of White Africa", stands as emblematic of the story's waning decades. The broad outline of South Africa's ruthless implementation of apartheid to impose the will of three million whites on over 14 million blacks is filled in with excellent, economical precision. The slowly-growing international anti-apartheid movement brought social and economic pressure to bear on the white leadership of the country, an international revulsion typified by one British Methodist: "I could not look a black man in the face again if I were to accept this as an inevitable evil in which I could have no part except to acquiesce to it."
By bloodshed or bitter arbitration or by pompous declaration, the bushfire fights for independence change one nation's name after another. Abyssinia becomes Ethiopia; Tanganyika becomes Tanzania; Southern Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe; South West Africa becomes Namibia, and so on. These changes are etched in blood and desperation, fought by an alphabet of acronyms and abbreviations like SWAPO, ANC, MPLA, UNITA, and FNLA. Slowly, with agonising, stuttering reluctance, former colonial powers like France and Britain realise that the days of their power in Africa are fading beyond reclamation. The subtlety of Empires in the Sun is at its sharpest in its refusal to assign its blame simply along lines of colour or patriotism. Idi Amin is far from the only murderous fraud and grifter to take advantage his own people's yearning to be free of the European yoke, and there are colonial agents and even missionaries who stand out in these pages for their humanity rather than lack of it.
James takes his story right down to the present day and leaves it on the brink of current headlines. "The struggle for mastery in southern Africa was over; henceforward Africans everywhere were in charge of their own affairs," he writes. "Whether or not this was a happy ending has yet to be seen."
Empires in the Sun wisely offers no predictions.
Steve Donoghue is managing editor of Open Letters Monthly.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Sunday's Super Four matches
Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan
Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
