ASKARI: AFRICANS FIGHTING FOR THE COLONIALISTS

Under colonial rule, Africans were used and exploited in all sorts of ways - including as soldiers in Europe's imperialist armies. The Askaris, as they were known, were often forced to fight to defend colonialism against their own interest for little in return. Those that refused faced brutal and often violent punishment. But some were also loyal to the powers they served, helping brutally to quash African resistance movements. That complicates how history preserves their memory. What do you think?