Overview

Written on the occasion of the Abruzzi Centenary celebrations in 2006, the essays collected in this book bear testimony to the extraordinary interest of the Rwenzori massif, on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this interdisciplinary volume, contributions from leading Western and African scholars of Rwenzori history and culture provide fascinating insights into one of Africa's most complex and dynamic socio-political environments. The authors interrogate questions of vital concern in African Studies, throwing new light on issues around ethnicity and nation, modernity and tradition, violence and state formation, as well as the fluid interplay between language, culture and identity on the one hand, and the geography of the montane environment on the other. The studies in this book span a wide historical period, ranging from the pre-colonial past to contemporary postcolonial transformations, showing that societies in the Rwenzori region have not remained static, but have undergone major change. Drawn from the disciplines of anthropology, linguistics, political science, history, literary studies, musicology, religion and lexicography, the essays are indispensable reading for anyone interested in the Rwenzori Mountains in particular and African Studies in general.