Africa After Colonialism

1. Africa After Colonialism

2. Nationalism • In the early 1900s, Africans gained a sense of Nationalism • Nationalists in Africa embraced an idea called, “Pan-Africanism,” which called for unifying all of Africa. A slogan emerged in the 1900s, “Africa for Africans • A negritude movement emerged during the 1930s, led by poet Leopold Sedar Senghor, which called for Africans to value their heritage and strengthen Pan Africanism

3. Winning Independence • By 1950 (after WWII), Britain and France were weakened and other nations, such as the Soviet Union and the United States spoke out against colonialism • In 1950, only Liberia, Ethiopia, Egypt and South Africa were independent nations • Between 1960-1975, Ghana, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, Angola, Mozambique gained their independence • Independence was won only after long periods and war, whereupon large numbers of Africans died • One type of warfare used by Nationalists in Angola and Mozambique was guerrilla warfare • Guerrilla warfare is when “small bands of fighters stage hit and run attacks against a large power”

4. Problems with Independence • After colonialism ended, newly independent African nations were not prepared to create their own governments and economies • In addition, the boundaries created by Europeans, in the Berlin Conference, stayed. So, even though the countries were independent, many times, rival tribes lived within the same boundaries • Because rival tribes lived within the same boundaries, civil war erupted in many African countries after they were granted independence • Ethiopia, Congo, Somalia, Liberia and Sierra Leone were among a few of the nations of Africa that had civil wars after independence was grated

5. Governments • In order to create stability, many African nations created military rule. The military rulers would get rid of corrupt leaders and restore order. However, the military rulers used very ruthless (cruel) tactics to stay in power. In addition, many of the military rulers became corrupt • Some African nations set up One-Party rule systems, whereupon people could vote on candidates, but they would be from the same party. Many Africans felt this was a way to prevent arguing between different political parties and create unity. • By the late 1980s, many African countries created democratic systems, whereupon numerous political parties ran against each other. This process of democratization helped remove ruthless leaders in many African nations

6. Economies • Some African nations adopted Socialist economies. Socialism means the government owns and operates major businesses and controls the economy. Many Africans felt that Socialism could help get rid of the inequalities in African society and spread the wealth more evenly. • Some African nations had mixed economies. African nations with mixed economies wanted to become more self-sufficient and not rely so much on foreign imports. The only problem was that these African nations did not have the capital (money) to create factories, so they had to allow multinational companies to come in and finance huge projects. Multinational corporations started to gain tremendous control and power over African nations • The main goal of most African nations was to no longer be dependent on imports; however, since Africans resources are unevenly distributed, most African nations had to continue importing oil. Moreover, since they couldn’t afford oil, the countries had to borrow money to pay for the oil. These countries then became indebt.

7. Changes AND Continued Challenges • Even after becoming independent, many African nations are burdened with debt, disease, a lack of food and dependence on imports • In addition, independence has led to changes in traditional African culture; in cities, people tend to live in nuclear families, traditional bonds of lineage have weakened, many children no longer accept arranged marriages, western ideas of individuality have spread in Africa, in urban areas women have more opportunities, there are more universities, computer technology has spread through many nations in Africa

8. Regional Organizations • Independent nations in Africa created regional organizations. One of these, which was formed in 1963, is called the Organization of African Unity (OAU). By 1991, all African nations except South Africa had joined the 0AU. The OAU was criticized for not being useful and meddling in the internal affairs of African countries. • In 2002, African created a new organization, the African Union (AU). The AU promoted good governments and human rights, in order to attract foreign investments • Other African regional groups are the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), which consists of 9 Southern African nations. SADCC focused on trade and the transportation of goods within Southern Africa; The Economic Community of West African States (ECWAS) has 16 nations and works on joint transportation and energy projects; upon independence African nations joined the United Nations (UN). Through the United Nations, African nations try to get access to technology, medicine, education and agricultural development. In addition, the UN has stepped in on numerous occasions to create peace when civil wars have erupted in Africa; Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries (OPEC) has many African nations, as well as nations in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. Members of OPEC have oil and try to regulate the price of oil by joining together.

12. Discussion Questions • Were Africans better off under the system of colonialism? • Can you attribute the spread of AIDS, debt, a lack of technology to colonialism? Why or why not? • What type of a government do you think would be most beneficial to most Africans? Why? • How could Africans become less reliant on imports?