Nathaniel Powell
@natkpowell.bsky.social
Historian--France, Africa, etc. Honorary Researcher Lancaster University CWD, West Africa Analyst, Oxford Analytica. Author of "France's Wars in Chad" https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/frances-wars-in-chad/6B7D8F9C8A81E0A83028C24EA0CF8D28
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
This is going to go down as the dumbest war in the Western Hemisphere since Napoleon III decided that only a Habsburg princeling could save Mexico
November 13, 2025 at 11:01 PM
This is going to go down as the dumbest war in the Western Hemisphere since Napoleon III decided that only a Habsburg princeling could save Mexico
You know you're old when you remember watching Vladimir Guerrero Jr's dad play in the minors....
November 2, 2025 at 1:38 AM
You know you're old when you remember watching Vladimir Guerrero Jr's dad play in the minors....
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
Old: The US might illegally attack Venezuela.
New: The US might illegally attack Nigeria.
New: The US might illegally attack Nigeria.
November 1, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Old: The US might illegally attack Venezuela.
New: The US might illegally attack Nigeria.
New: The US might illegally attack Nigeria.
This is the worst kind of sensationalist narrative. It plays into hands of both jihadists and the junta. There's no evidence for it. Yes the security situation is getting far worse, and Bamako is facing growin gstrains, but JNIM is not on the brink of "taking over" Mali. www.wsj.com/world/africa...
Al Qaeda Is on the Brink of Taking Over a Country
If the jihadists succeed in taking Mali, it would become the first country run by the group. The U.S. has warned its citizens to leave the West African nation immediately.
www.wsj.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:07 PM
This is the worst kind of sensationalist narrative. It plays into hands of both jihadists and the junta. There's no evidence for it. Yes the security situation is getting far worse, and Bamako is facing growin gstrains, but JNIM is not on the brink of "taking over" Mali. www.wsj.com/world/africa...
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
there'd definitely problems with using military/war framings for electoral politics, but one thing it is good at is helping people keep is and ought separate. "The enemy has a strategic advantage that we must fight around" is rarely interpreted as "The enemy is correct and we should lose".
October 28, 2025 at 8:12 PM
there'd definitely problems with using military/war framings for electoral politics, but one thing it is good at is helping people keep is and ought separate. "The enemy has a strategic advantage that we must fight around" is rarely interpreted as "The enemy is correct and we should lose".
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
Militarizing Marriage is now OpenAccess!
Thanks to Ohio University Press (with the generous support of a Mini-Grant from RSP at WWU) for facilitating the process.
Now you can access tirailleurs sénégalais' conjugal relationships across French Empire at the speed of a download.
Thanks to Ohio University Press (with the generous support of a Mini-Grant from RSP at WWU) for facilitating the process.
Now you can access tirailleurs sénégalais' conjugal relationships across French Empire at the speed of a download.
Militarizing Marriage
Following tirailleurs sénégalais’ deployments in West Africa, Congo, Madagascar, North Africa, Syria-Lebanon, Vietnam, and Algeria from the 1880s to 1962...
www.ohioswallow.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Militarizing Marriage is now OpenAccess!
Thanks to Ohio University Press (with the generous support of a Mini-Grant from RSP at WWU) for facilitating the process.
Now you can access tirailleurs sénégalais' conjugal relationships across French Empire at the speed of a download.
Thanks to Ohio University Press (with the generous support of a Mini-Grant from RSP at WWU) for facilitating the process.
Now you can access tirailleurs sénégalais' conjugal relationships across French Empire at the speed of a download.
Looks like fairly credible reports of a serious coup plot foiled in Nigeria. The conventional wisdom has been that coup risks there are lower than rest of region, despite its history. This might have to be revised... www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlin...
How suspected officers allegedly planned to hit top Nigerian officials - Sources
Key officials targeted for assasination include President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, our source ...
www.premiumtimesng.com
October 19, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Looks like fairly credible reports of a serious coup plot foiled in Nigeria. The conventional wisdom has been that coup risks there are lower than rest of region, despite its history. This might have to be revised... www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlin...
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
Freikorps Federalists
October 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Freikorps Federalists
I've been covering Madagascar daily for work, and one consistent worry has been that the military or political class would capture the Gen Z movement. This coup wasn't necessary and will solve none of Madagascar's problems. But good riddance Rajoelina. www.jeuneafrique.com/1730939/poli...
Madagascar : des militaires annoncent prendre le pouvoir
Un peu plus tôt dans la journée, l’Assemblée nationale malgache avait voté une motion d’empêchement à l’encontre du président Andry Rajoelina, qui avait tenté de la dissoudre.
www.jeuneafrique.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I've been covering Madagascar daily for work, and one consistent worry has been that the military or political class would capture the Gen Z movement. This coup wasn't necessary and will solve none of Madagascar's problems. But good riddance Rajoelina. www.jeuneafrique.com/1730939/poli...
Jesus Christ. How can you moan about "anti-French sentiment" in Africa when you pull off shit like this.
www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
Crise à Madagascar: le président Andry Rajoelina a été exfiltré par un avion militaire français [Info RFI]
Le président malgache Andry Rajoelina a été exfiltré par un avion militaire français le 12 octobre 2025, est en mesure de confirmer RFI. Un accord avec le président Emmanuel Macron aurait permis cette...
www.rfi.fr
October 13, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Jesus Christ. How can you moan about "anti-French sentiment" in Africa when you pull off shit like this.
www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
They pretend to write, we pretend to grade?
I strongly urge everyone to not just read this warning from @marcwatkins.bsky.social, but heed it, and be vocal and forceful pushing back against using AI to grade student writing. This must be anathema if we're going to have a world where learning means something. substack.com/inbox/post/1...
The Dangers of using AI to Grade
Nobody Learns, Nobody Gains
substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 6:35 PM
They pretend to write, we pretend to grade?
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
From Jeffrey Paller's wonderful "This Week in Africa" newsletter
October 10, 2025 at 1:55 PM
From Jeffrey Paller's wonderful "This Week in Africa" newsletter
It's nice to be quoted by Thomas Deltombe in the
@newleftreview.bsky.social
on France's memory politics and, in the case of the Duclert Report and Rwanda, how they limit accountability and facilitate closer military ties with a profoundly authoritarian regime. newleftreview.org/sidecar/post...
@newleftreview.bsky.social
on France's memory politics and, in the case of the Duclert Report and Rwanda, how they limit accountability and facilitate closer military ties with a profoundly authoritarian regime. newleftreview.org/sidecar/post...
Thomas Deltombe, The Secret War — Sidecar
France and Cameroon.
newleftreview.org
October 3, 2025 at 3:34 PM
It's nice to be quoted by Thomas Deltombe in the
@newleftreview.bsky.social
on France's memory politics and, in the case of the Duclert Report and Rwanda, how they limit accountability and facilitate closer military ties with a profoundly authoritarian regime. newleftreview.org/sidecar/post...
@newleftreview.bsky.social
on France's memory politics and, in the case of the Duclert Report and Rwanda, how they limit accountability and facilitate closer military ties with a profoundly authoritarian regime. newleftreview.org/sidecar/post...
If you're looking for (potential) good news in these dark times, look to Madagascar where corrupt autocrat Andry Rajoelina might get overthrown. www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
Madagascar: la Solidarité syndicale se joint à la mobilisation et appelle au départ de Rajoelina
Les syndicats de travailleurs de Madagascar accentuent la pression sur le président Andry Rajoelina, une semaine après le début du mouvement de contestation inédit qui secoue actuellement la Grande Îl...
www.rfi.fr
October 2, 2025 at 9:24 AM
If you're looking for (potential) good news in these dark times, look to Madagascar where corrupt autocrat Andry Rajoelina might get overthrown. www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
It's always interesting see when governments mismanage their own election rigging. Gabon's authorities have messed up the recent legislative polls so badly that the public electoral body has had to denounce them. www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
Au Gabon, l’organe de contrôle ACER fustige la mauvaise organisation des élections
Au Gabon, les critiques sur la mauvaise organisation des élections législatives et locales du samedi 27 septembre se multiplient. Outre les candidats malheureux et plusieurs partis politiques, c’est…
www.rfi.fr
October 1, 2025 at 11:33 AM
It's always interesting see when governments mismanage their own election rigging. Gabon's authorities have messed up the recent legislative polls so badly that the public electoral body has had to denounce them. www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/2...
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
The endgame for all of this is constructing a military that will obey orders when ordered to fire on citizens. That's the throughline to half of what Trump is doing.
yeah, this is hegseth straightforwardly announcing that it is free play time for bigots in the ranks. and together with his comments on standards, he clearly wants to purge as many women, black and brown people as he can from the armed services. a white man's military.
Hegseth: "We are overhauling an inspector general process that has been weaponized, putting complainers and poor performers in the driver seat. We are doing the same with the equal opportunity policies. No more frivolous complaints, no more anonymous complains ... no more walking on eggshells."
September 30, 2025 at 1:10 PM
The endgame for all of this is constructing a military that will obey orders when ordered to fire on citizens. That's the throughline to half of what Trump is doing.
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
We could just write the same about the US right now.
An apt US intelligence analysis of Zaire, March 1979.
September 29, 2025 at 3:14 PM
We could just write the same about the US right now.
An apt US intelligence analysis of Zaire, March 1979.
September 29, 2025 at 3:08 PM
An apt US intelligence analysis of Zaire, March 1979.
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
Really good piece by @tangibihan.bsky.social
challenging reporting in some French media (notably Jeune Afrique) over Mali's internal junta dynamics and alleged tensions. It also illustrates a broader point that analysts should probably take to heart. 1/
www.worldpoliticsreview.com/mali-junta-m...
challenging reporting in some French media (notably Jeune Afrique) over Mali's internal junta dynamics and alleged tensions. It also illustrates a broader point that analysts should probably take to heart. 1/
www.worldpoliticsreview.com/mali-junta-m...
A Mysterious Military Purge in Mali Belies the Junta’s Unity
Despite the rumors about recent arrests of military officers, Mali’s junta has been characterized more by unity than by divisions.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com
September 17, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Really good piece by @tangibihan.bsky.social
challenging reporting in some French media (notably Jeune Afrique) over Mali's internal junta dynamics and alleged tensions. It also illustrates a broader point that analysts should probably take to heart. 1/
www.worldpoliticsreview.com/mali-junta-m...
challenging reporting in some French media (notably Jeune Afrique) over Mali's internal junta dynamics and alleged tensions. It also illustrates a broader point that analysts should probably take to heart. 1/
www.worldpoliticsreview.com/mali-junta-m...
Possibly the only honest thing the man has ever done. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/u...
Trump Is Renaming the Defense Department the Department of War
www.nytimes.com
September 5, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Possibly the only honest thing the man has ever done. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/u...
I'm finally digging into some of the results of the
@fesonline.bsky.social's2025 "Mali Mètre" survey published in May. The results are striking. Eg a large majority see the overall situation of the country as improving:
@fesonline.bsky.social's2025 "Mali Mètre" survey published in May. The results are striking. Eg a large majority see the overall situation of the country as improving:
August 29, 2025 at 11:04 AM
I'm finally digging into some of the results of the
@fesonline.bsky.social's2025 "Mali Mètre" survey published in May. The results are striking. Eg a large majority see the overall situation of the country as improving:
@fesonline.bsky.social's2025 "Mali Mètre" survey published in May. The results are striking. Eg a large majority see the overall situation of the country as improving:
The French almost certainly weren't involved in coup-plotting here (and it's not even clear there was coup-plotting at all). But, one issue I want to explore one day is the alleged French role in a huge range of African coups from the 1960s onwards. www.jeuneafrique.com/1715667/poli...
Arrestation d’un agent de la DGSE au Mali : coulisses d’une affaire sensible
Paris argue de l’immunité diplomatique de son agent pour le faire libérer. Celui-ci a été interpellé le 14 août à Bamako, en marge de la purge qui a visé une dizaine d’officiers maliens. Révélations.
www.jeuneafrique.com
August 20, 2025 at 9:54 PM
The French almost certainly weren't involved in coup-plotting here (and it's not even clear there was coup-plotting at all). But, one issue I want to explore one day is the alleged French role in a huge range of African coups from the 1960s onwards. www.jeuneafrique.com/1715667/poli...
Reposted by Nathaniel Powell
i think it is hard for some people to really their heads around the reality that kennedy is staunchly anti-vaccine and thinks that people should suffer through disease and that those who die deserved it and that those who survive are a better order of human being
August 5, 2025 at 10:54 PM
i think it is hard for some people to really their heads around the reality that kennedy is staunchly anti-vaccine and thinks that people should suffer through disease and that those who die deserved it and that those who survive are a better order of human being