The Golden Age of the Zulu Empire

As part of the “Region & Heroes” program, Africa Without Borders, in partnership with Merhaba Derneği, organized a session dedicated to the Zulu Empire, recognized for its military discipline, its warrior wealth and the figure of its founding king, Shaka Zulu. The program began with a poem recited by Mr. Mamadou Daouda Korka Sow, followed by an in-depth presentation by Dr. Souandaou Athoumani Ali on the Zulu Empire: from the origin of the people speaking the Nguni dialect to their settlement in the KwaZulu-Natal region. Dr. Athoumani Ali described the evolution of the Zulu clan, which transformed into a powerful and structured kingdom in the region. The Zulu Empire was particularly distinguished by its important military reforms and several major conflicts: the war against the Boers (Afrikaners), the confrontation with Swaziland for the purposes of territorial expansion, and the Anglo-Zulu War, made up of five battles, the most famous of which remains that of Isandhlwana. The last battle led to the fall of the Empire and the colonization of Zulu lands by the British Empire. The speaker also presented the cultural and political heritage of the Empire. The session continued with a presentation on the people speaking Bantu languages: their origins, their different ethnicities and languages, as well as their diffusion across the African continent. To close the program, a poem in Somali language was recited by Ms. Ayaan Mohamed Abdi, then a Kahoot quiz made it possible to test the knowledge acquired on the Zulu Empire. Gifts were given to the winners in a friendly atmosphere