News & Events

The ASC has launched an information portal on the 2014 outbreak of Ebola (EVD, Ebola Virus Disease) in Africa. On the portal, you will find information from international health organizations like the World Health Organization and Doctors without Borders, government institutions of several (African) countries, news feeds and maps of the outbreak. The information portal will be updated regularly. Also have a look at the list of Frequently Asked Questions.

ASC researcher Klaas van Walraven just published an article in Politique Africaine about the putsch by Seyni Kountché in Niger in 1974, which led to the fall of President Hamani Diori. The French were accused of involvement because Diori had had disagreements with them. During his research in the Paris archives, Van Walraven made a fascinating discovery: not only were the French not involved in the putsch, they actually started up measures for an airborne operation to save President Diori, code-named “Plan Somme”. Read the interview with Van Walraven about his discovery.

The Week of the Afrikaans novel will take place from 19 – 26 September in The Netherlands and Vlaanderen (Belgium). Five South African writers that publish in Afrikaans will make a tour of the Low Lands. The authors are Etienne van Heerden, Irma Joubert, Sonja Loots, Kirby van der Merwe and Marita van der Vyver. The ASC Library has numerous books by these authors in its collection. On Friday 26 September a symposium will be organized at the Faculty of Humanities of Leiden University.

On the occasion of the retirement of Robert Ross, Professor in African History at Leiden University, his successor and former student Jan-Bart Gewald wrote a valedictory note. Robert has been in Leiden since 1976, first as coordinator and (later) professor in African History. He has taught in the BA degree course Languages and Cultures of Africa, and the MAs (including the Research MA) on African Studies. Most of all, Robert has been a long-standing friend of the ASC!