The longest way round: the history of the Italian Ethnological Mission in Equatorial Africa

Abstract

The Italian Ethnological Mission in Equatorial Africa is a research group founded in 1979 by Francesco Remotti, which has been active in ethnological research in Equatorial Africa for over 40 years. Specifically, it has focused its activities in Uganda for 20 years. The purpose of this article is to trace the history of the Mission and analyze the main research projects conducted within it. This allows both to reorder the investigation findings and to trace a shared history section of contemporary Italian ethnology. This research was conducted by consulting reports and scholarly literature, conducting interviews, and holding informal conversations with past and present members of the research team. What emerges is a complex and multifaceted history that spans more than four decades and can be divided into three main phases: the «first phase» (1979-1990) related to research carried out in what was then Zaire; the «second phase» (1991-2003) during which the Mission’s activities were multi-sited in different regions of sub-Saharan Africa; and the «third phase» (2004-present) in which research focused primarily on Uganda. The historical reconstruction, testimonies from interviews, and analysis of scientific literature produced over time all contribute to generating a comprehensive picture of the activities accomplished and deepening the main research themes addressed.