The ninth volume of UNESCO’s General History of Africa reopens the narrative of the continent’s past with a fresh and timely perspective. Building on the foundations laid by the previous volumes published between 1981 and 1999, this volume responds to the profound evolution of research over the past decades. Disciplines such as archaeology, genetics and environmental science have expanded the scope of inquiry, while memory, sustained in cultural practices and shared traditions, is acknowledged as essential to historical understanding. The result is a reimagined historiography, plural, dynamic and closely attentive to Africa’s global connections. This volume, organized into four sections, opens onto multiple dimensions of African and diasporic histories, from the ways they are written today and the foundations laid by earlier works, to the continent’s deep past and the transformative periods linking ancient and modern eras. African and diasporic histories are being reshaped through endogenous perspectives and cultural practices, reflecting on earlier volumes to provide the context that gives these reinterpretations their full weight. The volume traces the initial phases of human evolution, the emergence of complex societies, technological innovations, and spiritual evolutions, while addressing the realities of enslavement and resistance and the formation of diasporic networks that have long connected Africa to the wider world. Woven together, these threads create a coherent and compelling narrative, illuminating the past while inviting a renewed appreciation of Africa’s rich, enduring and far-reaching impact. Africa’s past demonstrates the depth and resilience of its societies, their achievements and struggles shaping the course of history and informing the world that follows. UNESCO Catno: 0000396045 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000396045