Africa: The Afterlife of Empire – Cape to Cairo, Darfur to Kivu

On Christmas Day in 1497, Vasco da Gama rounded the southern tip of Africa. He named the land he encountered Natalis–Portuguese for Christmas. Today, it is known as KwaZulu-Natal.

Da Gama’s voyage opened a new maritime artery linking Europe directly to India, bypassing the overland routes controlled by Arab and Ottoman intermediaries. It was not merely a navigational triumph; it was the opening chapter of Europe’s long, brutal engagement with Africa.

By 1652, a Dutchman, Jan van Riebeeck,…