Citizenship in Africa

[T]his book presents a detailed description of the legal mechanisms of citizenship and their impact on the continent, but does so in tandem with a strong historical and political understanding of the context in which these mechanisms have evolved and operated. This is its strength: it will appeal to legal scholars who want to understand the detail of legal process, but has relevance to a much wider audience — an audience that will hopefully heed its call to action. -- Lucy Hovil * Statelessness and Citizenship Review *
There is a growing literature within international human rights law about the right to nationality, but it is a topic that has received sparse attention from citizenship and nationality scholars. Bronwen Manby’s Citizenship in Africa: The Law of Belonging makes an important contribution at the intersection of these two literatures. Through a series of historical case tudies, Manby offers important insights that support a robust right to nationality. -- Angela M Banks, Arizona State University * The American Journal of Comparative Law *
A book that will be recognised as a standard-setter in an emerging field of study … a sophisticated, comprehensive research monograph with multiple dimensions. -- Jo Shaw, University of Edinburgh * Journal of Southern African Studies *
To call Manby’s book comprehensive is an understatement; she covers practically every legal dimension of citizenship and nationality policy, with examples and vignettes from every country, over a span of centuries. Each page itself is not only packed with empirical detail, the footnotes themselves constitute an entirely separate and engaging counter-melody of thought exercises and a treasure trove of additional primary sources and secondary analysis. This is a reference book invaluable to scholars seeking to better understand the history and politics of particular countries, colonial legal legacies, and to situate Africa within the broader global context of nationality and citizenship regimes. -- Elizabeth Iams Wellman * Journal of Modern African Studies *