Author: Jaclynn Ashly
-
Moving the Talai: How the British tried, and failed, to eliminate the native prophets of the Rift Valley
The evidence of colonial Britain’s attempt to eliminate the Talai a century ago is only now coming to light, as the last of the survivors seek ... -
“After the dam, nothing is good”: How Ethiopia’s mega project devastated centuries of survival strategies
Until recently, indigenous groups in the Omo Valley planted crops, foraged, hunted, fished, herded animals, and shared food. Now they face starvation. Over thousands of seasons ... -
“We were rich, now we’re poor”: Life after record droughts in Somaliland
Without measures to build long-term resilience, fears are growing that once prosperous herders will end up depending on aid. Khader Daheir Muhammad Egal used to be ... -
Rocks in a hard place: Lalibela priests raise fears amid war and weather
Cracks are widening along Ethiopia’s ancient rock-hewn churches. Fighting has come perilously close, but rain is the bigger threat. For the past decade, Father Gebez Sahilu ... -
Marking Mawlid, the Muslim festival full of diversity, dhows and donkeys
For the past 132 years, thousands have gathered in Lamu annually for Quran-reciting competitions, dance, music, and free healthcare. Earlier this month, thousands of pilgrims across ... -
“We thought he was dead”: Tigrayans speak of torture in detention
Many Tigrayans have been forcibly disappeared in recent months. Now some who have been released tell their stories. Tigrayans recently released from a military camp in ... -
Tigrayans in Ethiopia fear becoming “the next Rwanda”
As hate speech and targeting of Tigrayans escalates in Addis Ababa, many are terrified and some are planning to flee. Yared* has not left his apartment ... -
Tanzania: Remembering ujamaa, the good, the bad and the buried
Julius Nyerere and his African socialist policies are regarded with great pride in Tanzania, but not by all who experienced them first-hand. Ali Hassan Mohammad was ...
