Africa & Global Power

Following the demise of Pope Francis, soon a new Pope will ascend the throne of Saint Peter. But who is a Pope, What are his role, power, duties and obligations? Who is a Pope? A Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the Vicar of Christ on Earth. He is the Successor of Saint Peter, whom Jesus appointed as the visible leader of His Church (cf. Matthew 16,18–19). He is not a king in worldly terms, but he bears a divine office that involves spiritual leadership over more than a billion Catholics. How is the Pope elected? After a pope dies or resigns, the College of Cardinals meets in a conclave inside the Vatican. They vote in secret until a candidate receives at least two-thirds of the votes. Once a man accepts his election, he immediately becomes the Pope, no need for ordination (unless he’s not already a bishop). His first public act is usually the Urbi et Orbi blessing, "to the City and to the World." Pope's spiritual responsibilities. The Pope is the chief shepherd...

Historical context of the Continental System   The Continental System was a trade embargo initiated by Napoleon Bonaparte on November 21, 1806, with the Berlin Decree, during the Napoleonic Wars. Its primary objective was to weaken Britain's economy by cutting off its access to continental European markets, aiming to force Britain into submission by disrupting its trade, which was vital for its industrial and economic strength. The system was part of a broader strategy to counter Britain's naval blockade of French coasts, enacted on May 16, 1806, and was intended to establish French economic hegemony in Europe (Continental System - Wikipedia). The implementation required European countries under French control or influence to enforce the blockade, prohibiting British goods and commerce from entering the continent. This was reinforced by subsequent decrees, such as the Milan Decree of 1807, which extended the embargo to neutrals trading with Britain. However, enforce...

The history of SBJ Oshoffa, the founder of the Celestial Church of Christ, is marked by divine encounters. While praying in the forest, he had a vision of three creatures: a white flying monkey, a snake, and a yellow bird. He went on to perform numerous miracles, including raising the dèaď and healing a màd woman in Yaba. He was also blessed with 13 wives and 53 children, who lived together in love and harmony. Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa was born on May 19, 1909, in Porto-Novo, which was then the capital of the French colony of Dahomey (now Benin). He came from a Yoruba family with a mix of religious beliefs—his father, originally a Muslim, had converted to Methodism, while his mother practiced traditional religions and opposed Christianity. When he was just three months old, his mother left him and returned to Imeko, where her husband lived. Oshoffa’s father was a carpenter, a detail later seen as significant for someone who claimed to have received divine visitations from Jesus...

Oral Tradition posits the Aja people migrated to Southern Benin between the 12 th and 13 th centuries from the Tado region along the Mono River. Accordingly, three brothers were said to have inhabited this region namely Kokpon, Do-Aklin and Te-Agdalin who further split the region then later occupied by the Aja people. Subsequently, Kokpon took the capital city of Great Ardra ruling over the Allada kingdom; Do-Aklin established Abomey later capital city of Dahomey Kingdom; and Te-Agdanlin founded by Little Ardra (Ajatche) further called Porto Novo by the Portuguese expatriates and the current capital city of Benin. HISTORY OF THE AJA PEOPLE The predominant name of Aja people is Gbaya and their ancestral home was situated at Gbotu, north-west of the Naka near Buma. During the period under review, precisely, during Zubeir’s period, the Aja people were ruled by Nur al Angara representative of Suleiman but their tribal leader Mereke spent most of his time with this warlord. Followin...

                                                            EARLY LIFE Jan van Riebeeck was born in  Culemborg  on 21 April 1619, as the son of a surgeon. He grew up in  Schiedam , where he married a 19-year-old  Maria de la Queillerie  on 28 March 1649. She died in  Malacca , now part of Malaysia, on 2 November 1664, at the age of 35. The couple had eight or nine children, most of whom did not survive infancy. Their son  Abraham van Riebeeck , born at the Cape, later became  Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies . ENROLMENT TO VOC Jan van Riebeeck joined the  Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie - also referred to as VOC) in 1639 where he began as an assistant surgeon on a voyage to Batavia (today known as Jakarta) in th...

 Introduction The year 1582, starting on Monday (according to Julian Calendar) but start on Friday in Gregorian Calendar. 1582 saw the start of the Gregorian Calendar switch following the Papal bull Inter Gravissimas issued by the a pope of the Catholic Church. The Gregorian Calendar has been adopted by Spain, Portugal, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and present-day Italy. In most countries, the year continued as normal from Thursday, October 4; the next day became Friday, October 15, just like a startup of anew year starting on Friday. France followed two months later, letting Sunday, December 9 be followed by Monday, December 20. however, the complete conversion of the Gregorian calendar was entirely reinforced in 1923.                                                      Pope Gregory...

  Sengbe Pieh was born in 1814 in the village of Mani in Wes t Africa. He was a member of the Mende tribe. His father was a leader in the village. Sengbe learned from his father so that perhaps he could grow up to be a leader. The Mende people are a large tribe in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Sierra Leone and Liberia are in West Africa. They are both on the Atlantic Ocean. The Mende are an important group of people in West Africa today. Sengbe grew up and got married. He and his wife had three children. He was a rice farmer like most people in his village. He was an enslaved African who led a  revolt  on the  Amistad  coastal slave ship in 1839. He was later taken into custody in the  United States  but was freed by a decision of the  U.S. Supreme Court . The revolt came to be known as the  Amistad mutiny . ABDUCTION While in his 20s, he was captured by four Black strangers as he walked along a well-traveled path. His wife and three chil...