Shortly before defence studies scholar Professor Martin Revai Rupiya died at Zambia’s Copperbelt University, where he was executive director of the Dag Hammarskjöld Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, he was signing off his emails as “The Elder.” This was not due to hubris so much as his infectious sense of humour, and it was also a testament to his lengthy role as teacher and mentor to hundreds of students across Africa.
In 1999 he was my designated BA Honours in History dissertation supervisor. Although a towering figure — he was over 2m tall — he was a warm and gentle giant. After that first meeting, he took me under his wing, trained me in archival research and helped me find my way; I was also his paid student research assistant.
a pioneering work on the subject that had new ideas to address the horrors of landmines in affected areas, including a mine clearance programme that provides jobs for impoverished communities. Worth mentioning also is his, which he co-authored with Dan Henk, and was one of the first comprehensive studies of defence budgeting practices in Africa.