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5 African Countries That Retained Their Colonial Names

Published

12 months ago

October 26, 2024

Names are an important part of who we are, and that is true for African countries with their names often reflecting history and culture.

Many African countries were once colonised by European powers, who named them during that time.

Some countries changed their names after they became independent, choosing something that felt more connected to their identity. But other countries decided to keep the names from the colonial era.

Here are five African countries that retained their colonial names:

Nigeria

The name Nigeria comes from the Niger River, which flows through the country. It was coined on January 8, 1897, by British journalist Flora Shaw. The neighbouring Republic of Niger also takes its name from the same river.

Nigeria gained partial self-governance in 1954 and full independence from the United Kingdom on October 1, 1960, as the Federation of Nigeria. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa became the country’s first Prime Minister, while Queen Elizabeth II remained the ceremonial head of state as Queen of Nigeria.

Mali

Mali came under French colonial rule in 1892. By 1893, the French had appointed a civilian governor for the territory, known as Soudan Français (French Sudan), but resistance to their rule persisted. By 1905, most of the region was firmly under French control.
French Sudan was managed as part of the Federation of French West Africa and provided labour for France’s coastal colonies. In 1958, the territory, now called the Sudanese Republic, gained complete internal autonomy and joined the French Community. In early 1959, the Sudanese Republic and Senegal formed the Federation of Mali. On March 31, 1960, France agreed to grant the Federation of Mali full independence. On June 20, 1960, the Federation of Mali became an independent nation, with Modibo Keïta as its first president.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, got its name from 15th-century Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra, who was the first European to map Freetown harbor. The original Portuguese name “Serra Lyoa” (meaning “Lion Mountains”) referred to the hills surrounding the harbor. On April 27, 1961, Sierra Leone gained independence from British colonial rule. The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won the general elections in 1962, with the All People’s Congress (APC) emerging as the primary opposition party.

Guinea

Guinea officially gained independence from France on October 2, 1958, after a referendum on the French Fifth Republic’s constitution on September 28 of that year. Ahmed Sékou Touré, a member of the Malinké ethnic group and a leftist leader, was appointed the first president by the Constituent Assembly.
The country is named after the Guinea region, which extends from the Gulf of Guinea into tropical forested areas and reaches the Sahel. The term “Guinea” comes from the Portuguese word “Guiné,” which emerged in the 15th century to describe lands inhabited by African people south of the Senegal River.
In 1978, Guinea’s official name changed to the People’s Revolutionary Republic of Guinea, and in 1984, after the death of Sékou Touré, the country was renamed the Republic of Guinea.

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Cameroon

The area now known as Cameroon was originally called “Rio dos Camarões” (River of Prawns) by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century, due to the large number of shrimp they found in the Wouri River. This name evolved into “Cameroon” during British and French colonial rule. In 1884, the region became a German colony known as Kamerun.
After World War I, it was divided between France and the United Kingdom under League of Nations mandates, with France governing 4/5 of the territory and the UK administering the remaining 1/5.
Cameroon gained independence from France in 1960 and from the UK in 1961.

Related Topics:African Countries Countries

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US Revokes Visas Of Foreigners Who Mocked Kirk’s Assassination

Published

1 day ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

The United States has revoked the visas of several foreign nationals who publicly mocked or celebrated the killing of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The State Department said the decision followed an internal review of social media posts deemed “offensive and contrary to U.S. values,” adding that the country “has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.”

Kirk, 31, co-founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA and a strong ally of former President Donald Trump, was shot dead during a political rally on 10 September.

His killing drew widespread condemnation across the political spectrum, with many describing the act as a targeted attack on free speech.

According to U.S. authorities, at least six individuals from Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, and Germany had their visas revoked after making comments online that celebrated Kirk’s murder or insulted his supporters.

Examples cited by officials included posts calling Kirk a racist who deserved it, and messages mocking grieving Americans.

“We will not tolerate foreigners who promote or celebrate acts of violence against U.S. citizens,” a State Department spokesperson said.

The move underscores Washington’s growing use of immigration powers to respond to online behaviour perceived as threatening or disrespectful towards the country.

The Department said it continues to monitor social media content for evidence of incitement or endorsement of violence.
Civil liberties advocates, however, have questioned the decision, arguing that revoking visas for social media comments could set a worrying precedent.

Officials maintained that the visa cancellations were lawful, limited in scope, and aimed at protecting national integrity.

“Freedom of speech does not extend to foreigners seeking the privilege of entry while glorifying violence,” the spokesperson added.

The United States has increased visa scrutiny in recent years, requiring applicants to disclose social media handles and online activity.

The policy, officials say, is designed to prevent extremist sympathisers or those expressing hostility towards the country from entering its borders

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Israeli PM Netanyahu Back In Court For Graft Trial

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1 day ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was back in a Tel Aviv court on Wednesday for the latest hearing in his long-running corruption trial, which opened in May 2020.

The prime minister kept a smiling face as he and his entourage of several ministers from his conservative Likud party were heckled by protesters en route to the tribunal.

It comes after US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that the Israeli premier should be pardoned in his three separate corruption cases.

His latest appearance at the Tel Aviv court also follows the return of the hostages taken by Hamas as part of Trump’s US-brokered plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In one case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods, including champagne, cigars and jewellery, from billionaires in exchange for political favours.

In two other instances, Netanyahu is also charged with attempting to negotiate better press coverage from two Israeli media outlets. He has denied any wrongdoing, claiming to be the victim of a political plot.

During his current term, which started in late 2022, Netanyahu has proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say sought to weaken the courts.

Those prompted massive protests that only abated after the onset of the Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

In an address on Monday to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Trump told the chamber that Netanyahu should receive a pardon in the graft cases.

“Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump joked, before asking his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog: “Why don’t you give him a pardon?”

The Israeli premier is also subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on suspicion of ordering war crimes in his government’s assault on Hamas militants in Gaza.

Netanyahu holds the record for the most years spent at the head of Israel’s government, having served 18 years in several stints as premier since 1996.

AFP

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FULL LIST: US Set To Carry Out Four Executions This Week

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1 day ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

A Florida man convicted of murdering two women he hired for sex was put to death by lethal injection on Tuesday, one of four executions to be carried out in the United States this week.

Samuel Smithers, 72, was sentenced to death in 1999 for the 1996 killings of Christy Cowan and Denise Roach in Tampa. They had been beaten and strangled and their bodies were found in a pond.

Smithers was executed at a Florida state prison at 6:15 pm (2215 GMT), the 14th execution in the southern state this year.

Another convicted murderer was also put to death by lethal injection in the midwestern state of Missouri on Tuesday.

The execution of Lance Shockley, 48, was carried out at 6:13 pm (2313 GMT) for the 2005 murder of a police sergeant, Carl Graham.

Graham was gunned down in an ambush at his home. The officer had been investigating a fatal car accident involving Shockley at the time.

Shockley maintained his innocence but his appeals were rejected by numerous courts, including the Supreme Court. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe rejected his clemency request on Monday.

Two other executions are scheduled this week.

Charles Crawford, 59, is to be put to death by lethal injection in Mississippi on Wednesday for the 1994 rape and murder of Kristy Ray, a 20-year-old college student.

Richard Djerf, 55, is to be executed by lethal injection in Arizona on Friday for the brutal 1993 murders of four members of a Phoenix family.

In a letter last month apologizing for the crime, Djerf said he was ready to die and would not seek clemency.

“If I can’t find reason to spare my life, what reason would anyone else have?” he wrote.

There have been 37 executions in the United States this year, the most since 2013, when 39 inmates were put to death.

Florida has carried out the most executions with 14, followed by Texas with five and South Carolina and Alabama with four.

Thirty-one of this year’s executions have been carried out by lethal injection, two by firing squad and four by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

The use of nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has been denounced by United Nations experts as cruel and inhumane.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.

President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and, on his first day in office, called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”