THE CONTROVERSIAL LEGACY OF COLONIAL ASKARIS

Askari is a common word used throughout East Africa, but the word has dark origins. Askaris described native African soldiers and Indian soldiers, who served in European colonial militaries throughout Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. Their service extended to other parts of the continent over time. Askaris were used in other ways, such as in the Scramble for Africa, the Herero and Namaqua genocide, the suppression of the Maji Maji Rebellion, the East Africa Campaign of World War I, the East African Campaign of World War II, and in the Pacification of Algeria, among other conflicts.

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