The Berlin curse in Tanzania:(re)making of the selous world heritage property

A critical analysis of the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania's UNESCO World Heritage Site, reveals striking parallels between contemporary border-making processes and colonial-era practices. The study highlights how both top-down and bottom-up mechanisms continue to shape internal borders, challenging the focus on state borders in African scholarship. It argues that these processes, akin to those sanctioned at the Berlin Conference, have significant material impacts on governance and ecology within post-independence Africa. The research calls for a deeper examination of sub-national borders, emphasizing their production by both internal and external forces.

Noe, C. (2019). The Berlin curse in Tanzania:(re)making of the selous world heritage property. South African Geographical Journal, 101(3), 379–398. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2019.1645039