By banning Twitter in Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari is running some serious risks. Jeff Conroy-Krutz argues that chief among them are the fact that, while only a minority of Nigerians use Twitter, they form part of the most vocal and politically active segment of the population. It’s not a constituency that Buhari can afford to annoy further. The ban could also have dire consequences for the country’s fragile democratic institutions. And it could further dent an economy that’s taken a big hit from COVID-19.

The novel At Night All Blood is Black, on France’s bestseller list since it came out in 2018, has won the International Booker prize for translated fiction. Written by Franco-Senegalese writer and academic David Diop, the book is about a Senegalese soldier who descends into madness while fighting for France in the First World War. Caroline D. Laurent explains how Diop’s main character, Alfa Ndiaye, becomes a symbol of the ambivalence of war and its destructive power. And how the author manages to reflect the violence perpetrated and experienced by all sides.

Nigerian televangelist, faith healer, and neo-Pentecostal pastor TB Joshua has died at the age of 57. Leader and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos, he was close to a number of African political leaders and a savvy user of social media and streaming to spread his message worldwide. He faced strong criticism for professing to heal all manner of illnesses, including HIV/Aids, as well as for the 116 deaths from the collapse of his church in Lagos State in 2014. Theology scholar Dion Forster explains Joshua’s huge influence and many controversies.

The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It’s a life source for every organism on earth. But the ocean’s wellbeing is at risk. People are taking more from it than can be replenished. This year’s theme for World Ocean Day focuses on showing how integral the oceans are to everyday life.

This interconnectedness goes back in time too. Isabel Hofmeyr connects the dots between the customs houses in colonial ports in southern Africa and censorship and and copyright. A more immediate issue is the fate of great white sharks off South Africa’s coast. Alison Kock and Charlene da Silva unravel the mystery about their sudden disappearance. And in previously published articles, we explore further the relationship between people and the marine ecosystems on the continent.

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