Scientific Director & Chief Editor
Komla M. Avono (Ph.D.)
ISSN 2710-4699 Online
3 issues per year
Speaking Without Saying: The Power of the Word How in Rhetorical Questions in Émile Zola’s Germinal, Albert Camus’s La Peste, and Choderlos de Laclos’s Les Liaisons dangereuses
Abstract
This study is based on a linguistic, stylistic and pragmatic analysis of rhetorical questions, adopting a descriptive, analytical, and omparative approach. The analytical corpus is established through purposive sampling, whereby only occurrences found in interrogative sentences introduced by the interrogative adverb how are retained. Furthermore, only those interrogative structures whose primary function is not to elicit an answer, but rather to convey emotion, indignation, irony, or reflection, are included in the corpus for analysis. In French literature, the word how functions as both a linguistic and symbolic device whose meaning far exceeds its grammatical role as an interrogative marker. In Emile Zola’s Germinal, in Albert Camus’ La Peste, and in Choderlos de Laclos’s Les Liaisons dangereuses, it becomes the core of a discursive strategy in which questioning replaces assertion to provoke reflection, emotion, or persuasion. In Germinal, how expresses the silent revolt of characters confronted with social injustice and working-class misery. The interrogative form, often tinged with bitterness or indignation, serves as an implicit protest: to ask the question is already to denounce. Through its intonational and affective force, how transforms rhetorical questioning into an act of moral resistance, giving voice to a collective outcry against oppression. Conversely, in Laclos’s epistolary world, the word how becomes an instrument of manipulation and power. Beneath an appearance of innocence, it conceals a strategy of seduction or psychological control: the question feigns surprise in order to persuade or destabilize the interlocutor. This ambivalence grants how a performative dimension, allowing it to act upon the recipient while maintaining the guise of inquiry. Far from being mere interrogative statements intended to elicit an answer, these questions function as a rhetorical devise that invites readers to reflect on the human condition, suffering, solidarity, and the absurdity of existence. Thus, in the three works, the rhetorical how epitomizes the ability of language to “speak without saying”. It creates a tension between what is said and what is implied, revealing the expressive power of interrogation as a vehicle for social critique and symbolic authority.
Keywords:Rhetorical questions, modality, interrogation, performative
Social Responsibilities as Reflected in the Mottos of Sãaba, Blacksmiths of The Moogo
Abstract
The Sãaba form a distinctive social group within the Moaaga cutural community. constitute a social layer of the moaaga mosaic, long settled in Moogo. They are masters of fire who know how to work iron at the forge. Their social responsibility is multifaceted and can be understood through their collective mottos. Indeed, the collective mottos which are laudatory linguistic constructions of an identity nature reflect the major functions that blacksmiths fulfill in moaaga country. So, what are the social roles of the Sãya highlighted in the mottos? This reflection, which arises from the work of collecting a corpus of collective mottos of blacksmiths, aims to show the place occupied by this social entity in Moogo. It starts from the postulate according to which the blacksmith is considered in moaaga country as a transcendental being. The ethnolinguistic approach applied to the corpus reveals their functions as mediators, providers of sustenance, hearlers and civilizing agents of the Moogo.
Keywords:Mottos, blacksmith, Moose, social responsibility, ethnolinguistic
The Criticism of African and African American Novels: Between Contextualized and Contested Readings
Abstract
This paper examines how theoretical and ideological frameworks shape the interpretation of African and African American novels within a context marked by tensions among competing critical approaches. The central problem lies in the limitations of unilateral readings, whether Eurocentric or Afrocentric, formalist or contextualized, in the production of meaning and the reception of literary works. To address this issue, the study adopts a methodology based on a critical review of major literary theories, drawing on insights from sociocriticism, semiotics, narratology, and postcolonial theory. This approach enables an analysis of both textual structures and the historical, cultural, and ideological determinants that inform interpretation. The analysis highlights the decisive role of the reader in interpretive divergences and clearly distinguishes reception from understanding as two complementary levels of literary analysis. It further demonstrates that exclusive critical approaches tend to produce partial readings, whereas an interdisciplinary perspective provides a more comprehensive account of issues related to power, identity, and representation. The study ultimately argues that an integrated and contextualized approach is essential for capturing the complexity of African and African American novels and for producing more rigorous and well-grounded interpretations.
Keywords:Literary criticism, African and African American novels, sociocriticism, postcolonial theory, reader, reception
Mask Symbolism and Igbo Cosmology: A Study of the Egwugwu in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Abstract
In many African societies, the mask occupies a central place in the spiritual and social order. It functions as a marker of cultural identity in societies where masking traditions are ritually and socially institutionalized. In line with this perspective, this article analyses the representation of egwugwu masks in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, in order to shed light on their essence, symbolism and functions in Igbo cosmology. By mobilizing an ethnocritical approach, the study shows that the egwugwu, beyond their ritual dimension, structure the relationships between the visible and the invisible, the individual and the community, tradition and social order. It thus appears that Achebe’s text makes the mask a privileged mediator between the living, ancestors and deities. The article also examines the tensions generated by colonial intrusion and concludes that fictional novels, by showing the complexity of the Igbo mask, participate in the safeguarding and enhancement of African cosmologies in the world literary space.
Keywords:Igbo cosmology, egwugwu, mask symbolism, Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, African literature
Pseudo-anglicisms and Lexical Creativity in Contemporary Spanish Sports Speech
Abstract
The Spanish language is currently facing the entry of many anglicisms, in particular in the field of sport. But, in this article, we talk about pseudo-anglicisms. If through the mechanisms of lexical creation, the Spanish language created many pseudo-anglicisms, the first ones entered Spanish through French. These pseudo-anglicisms result from an excessive anglomania that encourages the uncontrolled use of anglicisms. The English morphemes man – recordman and ing – footing – are among the most obvious examples. The differences between English and Spanish lead also to adaptations that modify the morphology of English words such as friqui (<freaky), córner (<corner kick), penalti (<penalty kick). Finally, English speakers can sometimes be puzzled by some anglicisms whose meanings did change in Spanish such as speaker (used in the framework of sports events) whereas the corresponding English word is announcer.
Keywords:Anglicism, pseudo-anglicism, sports language, contemporary Spanish, lexical creativity, language contact
Mapping Trauma and Hope: Semiotics, Sexual Violence, and Reconciliation in Ahmat Dangor’s Bitter Fruit
Abstract
This paper combines Ferdinand de Saussure’s and Charles Sanders Peirce’s theories of the sign with recent developments in literary semiotics to analyze textual and symbolic patterns of trauma and hope in Bitter Fruit. It first situates Dangor’s text within the universe of signs by showing how characters’ traumatic experiences imbue it with historically grounded meanings. Then, in light of literary semiotics, it examines expressive glimpses of the provocative question of reconciliation and identity in the post-apartheid era to better analyze Dangor’s contribution to transitional justice discourse. Finally, the paper interprets the ambivalent meanings of signs, using Lydia’s and Michael’s journeys from psychological crisis to healing, to suggest that these sign systems map trauma and hope, while revealing Dangor’s commitment to imagining a more humane post-apartheid society.
Keywords:Achmat Dangor, identity, memory, post-apartheid, semiotics, trauma, Truth and Reconciliation Commision
The French Military Base Croci in Abéché: Defensive, Offensive, and Security Dynamics
Abstract
The French military presence in Chad calls for a discussion of the events that preceded the country’s independence process. It constituted an early foundation of the foreign and military policy that was subsequently established. The creation of the Croci military base in Abéché was intended to address logistical and security challenges in the vast regions of eastern Chad. The objective of this study on the French Croci base in Abéché is to enhance understanding of Chad’s military and security history. The methodology adopted consists of collecting information from key informants and supplementing or cross-checking it with data drawn from books and academic journals. Direct field observations were also conducted. These made it possible to identify and understand the main reasons behind the establishment of the Croci base in Abéché
Keywords:Agreements, French military base, defense, Abéché
From Cosmology to Space Technologies: Environmental and Ethical Issues Regarding Space Exploitation
Abstract
From mythological cosmogonies to technological astrophysics, and from geocentrism to heliocentrism, the aim of cosmology is to understand the universe’s origin, structure, evolution, and destiny. This article proceeds from the
hypothesis that space technologies—stemming from advancements in astronomy and astrophysics—have ambivalent effects on the environment. The central question is whether the tools and technologies associated with space exploration exacerbate the environmental crisis or offer a means to resolve it. The analysis employs a diachronic and quantitative approach combined with critical inquiry to trace the evolution of cosmological concepts over time, examine space-utilization technologies, and evaluate their environmental, ethical, and political implications. The findings indicate that, on the one hand, these technologies are assets for understanding and predicting environmental phenomena. On the other hand, through atmospheric and stratospheric pollution and the overexploitation of space, space technologies are detrimental to the environment. With the intensification of astrophysical and astronautical activities, space is becoming a geostrategic hub, a site for corporate conglomerates, and a zone for postmodern tourism. While the environmental benefits and risks of space activities are well known, the drive for power, profitability, and utilitarianism has overshadowed environmental concerns; consequently, the political, scientific, and ethical responses fall short of the urgency of the environmental crisis. Yet, the time to act is now.
Keywords:Cosmology, space technologies, orbital pollution, climate crisis, environmental ethics, stratosphere
Land Use and Flood-Related Health Risks in the Moundou Watershed, Chad
Abstract
This study analyses land-use dynamics and flood-related health risks in the city of Moundou. The main objective is to demonstrate the value of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in understanding the
interactions between urbanisation, the environment and public health. The methodology is based on a holistic-systemic approach combining the analysis of Landsat satellite imagery (1990, 2005 and 2020), topographic data (SRTM), household surveys (489 households) and health data from health centres, supplemented by bacteriological analyses of water samples. The results reveal a rapid and unplanned expansion of urbanised areas, accompanied by a decline in natural and agricultural spaces and increasing encroachment into floodplains. This spatial transformation has led to land sealing; disruption of water flows and an increase in flooding. Flooding contributes to surface water pollution and water stagnation, thereby contributing to the spread of waterborne and vector-borne diseases. Analyses show, in particular, a high prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases, typhoid fever and malaria, as well as the presence of Escherichia coli in drinking water. Health risks in Moundou result from a complex interaction between urban dynamics, natural constraints and socio-economic vulnerability. There is therefore a need for integrated risk management based on urban planning, improved sanitation infrastructure and disease prevention.
Keywords:Land use, Flooding, Health risks, GIS, Remote sensing, Urbanisation, Moundou
A Semiotic Study of Visuals from the 2025 Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) and the 2024 National Culture Week (SNC)
Abstract
Nowadays, many festivals celebrate culture. As a form of resilience, these events promote indigenous values that convey the fundamentals of culture. That is why so many festivals are emerging and emphasizing visual communication in their activities. In this sense, the visual elements of the 2025 Ouagadougou Pan-African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO) and the 2024 National Culture Week (SNC) serve as emblematic media given the scale of these festivals and their deep cultural roots. Based on this observation, the primary objective of this research was to reveal the intrinsic elements of these visual materials, which simultaneously symbolize a return to ancestral and African cultural values. The theoretical approach of the µ group to these visuals—the subject of this study—presents a culturally diverse African union, characterized by love for one’s neighbor and a continent of peace where social cohesion reigns. The analysis therefore aims to examine these visuals through their linguistic, plastic, and iconic signifiers, exploring their denotative and connotative dimensions that highlight this richness rooted in endogenous knowledge.
Keywords:Visual semiotics, iconic sign, plastic sign, linguistic sign, endogeneity
Evaluation of Youth Training in the Design and Operationalization of a Sexual and Reproductive Health Chatbot in Ouagadougou Partnership Countries
Abstract
In the countries of the Ouagadougou Partnership (OP), adolescents and young people under the age of 25 make up a large proportion of the population. The use of digital technologies to promote behaviors that support sexual and reproductive health is a promising high-impact practice. This article evaluates the effectiveness of a remote training program for 120 young people from the nine WP countries on the design and implementation of a chatbot on Sexual and Reproductive Health rights. The results suggest that the technology is perceived as accessible, interactive, and less expensive than a traditional mobile app (potentially cost-effective). More than 2,700 young people were reached by the program, with 14,500 messages exchanged via the chatbot, approximately 93% of participants improved their digital skills by the end of the training, with a completion rate of 75%.
Keywords:DSSR-BOT, chatbot, sexual and reproductive health, youth training, Ouagadougou Partnership, digital health
Inhabiting Stereotypes to Deconstruct Them: Strategies of Gender and Race Deconstruction in Calixthe Beyala’s L’homme qui m’offrait le ciel
Abstract
The early phases of canonization in modern African literature long privileged male voices. The emergence of women in the literary field from the 1980s onwards constitutes an unprecedented phenomenon. These women writers distinguish themselves and break with the themes developed by their male peers, taking it upon themselves to contest symbolic assignments and deconstruct gender and racial stereotypes. This study analyses the mechanisms of construction and deconstruction of these stereotypes in Calixthe Beyala’s L’homme qui m’offrait le ciel (2007), through the character of Andela, a Black, single, female writer and activist. Drawing on narrative semiotics and enunciative analysis, this reflection shows how the writing manages to deconstruct stereotypes by inhabiting them through the enunciative subjectivity of the ‘I’, novelistic polyphony, humour, irony, plurilingualism and transgressive aesthetics. The main finding is that Beyala’s deconstruction operates not through frontal denunciation but through strategic inhabitation of dominant representations, turning them against themselves.
Keywords:Stereotype, social gender, race, deconstruction, women’s writing
Cultural Practices, Bodily Autonomy, and Girls’ Unfreedom in Annor Nimako’s Mutilated
Abstract
This paper examines the cultural rationales used to legitimise female genital mutilation and the critique of their drawbacks in Annor Nimako’s Mutilated (2001). As a complex system of values, culture incorporates practices that have become increasingly contested in contemporary human rights and gender discourses, such as female genital mutilation. Given the dynamic nature of culture and its profound influence on social development, some cultural practices must be subjected to continuous critical evaluation to determine their impact on individual dignity and collective well-being. Thus, drawing on Feminist Literary Criticism and New Historicism, this article intends to show the relevance and value of the female genital mutilation to contemporary African societies. It also aims to claim the abolition of the studied practice once its obnoxiousness as well as its infringement on both the freedom and the holistic development of the targeted social group is corroborated.
Keywords:Bodily autonomy, counter-history, cultural reconfiguration, female genital mutilation, patriarchy
Brian Chikwava’s Harare North: A Pedagogy of Resistance in qn Exile Narrative
Abstract
Connecting Zimbabwe and England through an exile narration, Brian Chikwava’s Harare North is received with acclamations and excitement among critics, particularly literary critics. The unnamed protagonist, through his particular way of telling [his] transnational stories has attracted critical attention and given rise to analyses combining exilic, linguistic and identity issues among other interests. In this analysis though, emphasis is placed on the very protagonist and his narrative style with the objective of showing that the novel is a pedagogical material bringing to the forefront pragmatics of resistance; resistance being a space of negotiation across geographical locations. As a consequence, this work is elaborated through Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s postcolonial perspective which will shape the interpretation of the novel and recounted events throughout the analysis. This study is located within the terrains of decolonial discourses with the aim of resulting in possibilities of countering alterity among African migrants/exiles.
Keywords:Exile, heritage, identity, linguistic hybridity, resistance, Zimbabwean diaspora
The English Language and the Production of Endogenous Knowledge in Africa: Issues, Limitations and Perspectives for an Authentic African Science
Abstract
The globalization of science has established English as the dominant language of international scholarly communication, creating both opportunities and challenges for the development of African endogenous knowledge. This article examines how the use of English influences the production, dissemination, and recognition of indigenous African knowledge within the broader project of building an authentic African science. The study is based on a critical review of the literature, drawing on to publications published between 1986 and 2024, with a particular focus on Anglophone African contexts, including Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. The analysis reveals that English facilitates access to international journals, research funding, and transnational scientific networks, thereby enhancing the global visibility of African researchers. However, the review also identifies recurring mechanisms that constrain the development of endogenous knowledge, including linguistic gatekeeping in academic publishing, the decontextualization of indigenous concepts through translation, and the predominance of Western epistemological frameworks in research evaluation and dissemination. These dynamics often create tensions between international recognition and local relevance. To address these challenges, the article proposes a conceptual framework for authentic African science based on multilingual knowledge production, the integration of endogenous knowledge into research and higher education, and the promotion of bilingual scientific publishing. The framework positions English as a language of mediation rather than domination, enabling African researchers to engage with global scientific communities while preserving local cognitive and cultural traditions. The study concludes that the future of authentic African science depends on balancing international openness with the preservation of Africa’s linguistic and epistemic diversity. By identifying key mechanisms of exclusion and proposing a structured model for multilingual scientific practice, the article contributes to ongoing debates on language policy, knowledge decolonization, and the development of culturally grounded scientific
systems in Africa.
Keywords:English language, endogenous knowledge, Africa, African science, scientific production, decolonization of knowledge, academic multilingualism
Social Representations of the Causes of School Dropout among Parents, Students, and Teachers in Ipelcé, Burkina Faso
Abstract
School attrition rates have a negative impact on Burkina Faso’s education system despite efforts to provide a quality education. This observation prompted the present study, titled: “Social Perceptions of the Causes of School Dropout Among Parents, Students, and Teachers in Ipelcé, Burkina Faso.” Using a quantitative approach, our study aims to determine whether perceptions of the factors contributing to school dropout differ across social groups. The results obtained from questionnaires administered to a sample of social groups—including parents, students, and teachers—reveal that the perceptions formed are not necessarily the most common ones. Indeed, in the municipality of Ipelcé, social perceptions of the factors contributing to school dropout vary depending on the social category to which each individual belongs. In light of these differences, we have suggested measures to foster a better understanding and greater involvement of all stakeholders in the fight against school attrition.
Keywords:School attrition, social perceptions, educational stakeholders, Burkina
Social Habitualization of Wastewater Disposal Practices in Ivorian Public Spaces: The Case of Yamoussoukro
Abstract
Discharging wastewater into public spaces is a common practice in several Ivorian cities, despite its health and environmental implications. This article analyzes the social mechanisms that foster the legitimization and social habituation of this practice in Yamoussoukro. The study is based on qualitative research conducted with 180 individuals from six neighborhoods representing the city’s residential, economic, and evolving areas. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to gather their perceptions, experiences, and practices regarding the subject of the study. The results show that inadequate sanitation infrastructure and household economic constraints drive the reliance on informal wastewater disposal. They also reveal that the lack of sanctions, the collective normalization of behaviors, and their sociocultural transmission contribute to their acceptance and perpetuation. The article concludes that informal wastewater disposal in public spaces is not merely a matter of material constraints but is also part of a social construction process rooted in mechanisms of normalization, legitimization, and sociocultural transmission. Consequently, improving urban sanitation requires not only infrastructure investment but also efforts to raise awareness and transform social norms regarding the use of public space.
Keywords:Social habituation, wastewater, social norms, public space, Yamoussoukro
Exile, Identity Metamorphosis, and Colonial Traces on Nature: A Postcolonial Ecocritical Reading of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe
Abstract
Exile appears as a central issue in early modern drama and eighteenth-century fiction, reconfiguring both human identity and ecological landscapes. Grounded in postcolonial ecocriticism, this article examines William Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe through postcolonial ecocriticism in order to show how exile becomes a colonial threshold where displaced European subjects reconstruct authority by reorganizing island ecologies and subordinating indigenous figures. In The Tempest, Prospero’s symbolic performance of power is used to control the island and its autochthonous inhabitants, while in Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe’s authority is materially enacted through labor, agriculture, and spatial reorganization. Drawing on Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of mimicry and ambivalence, as well as Timothy Morton’s theory of dark ecology, the research depicts how exile functions as a place of marginalization where natural landscapes and indigenous people are subjected to colonial supremacy. The study ultimately reveals the involvement of exile in identity metamorphosis as well as the lasting effect of colonialism on environment and culture.
Keywords:Colonialism, dark ecology, exile, postcolonial ecocriticism
Documentation and Digital Archiving of Niaboua: Compiling a Lexical Database for Long-Term Preservation
Abstract
The disappearance of languages has been at the center of scholarly debate over the past decade, as languages around the world continue to vanish at an alarming rate. In the face of this accelerating linguistic loss, it is crucial to harness digital technologies to preserve endangered languages and safeguard their linguistic and cultural heritage. As part of this research, we developed an online lexical database accessible to a wide range of users. Providing open access to these Niaboua language resources will contribute to the advancement of scientific research in general and linguistic research in particular. Moreover, because the resources are available digitally, researchers will be able to consult and analyze them remotely, thereby reducing the need for repeated field visits.
Keywords:Digital technology, language extinction, niaboua, language preservation
The Punto Fijo Pact in Venezuela’s Political Development: Democratic Consolidation and Geopolitical alignment with the United States
Abstract
This article examines the Punto Fijo Pact, signed in 1958 by Venezuelan political leaders to establish the foundations of democracy in their country. Its objective is to assess whether the implementation of the Pact genuinely led Venezuela toward this democratic ideal or whether it merely constituted a political agreement that implicitly aligned the country with the United States. Based on a qualitative and analytical approach, the findings show that Venezuela experienced forty years of political stability and significant economic and social progress. However, within the context of the Cold War, the Pact became firmly embedded in the ideological and strategic vision of its powerful northern neighbor. As a result, political exclusion and economic dependence emerged, tarnishing the image of Venezuela’s young democracy.
Keywords:Pact, democracy, ideology, strategic, dependency