Discuss the decolonisation of Africa

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The colonial powers have been blamed for balkanization of Africa i.e. dividing up of the continent into a large number of states must of them small and economically unviable. The partition of Africa has been compared with the creation of a number of weak states in South east Europe (the Balkans). This led to disunity in Africa by creating 50 separate states, they ruled Africa in terms of divide and rule.
The French balkanized West and Equatorial Africa. The French government in 1956 passed “Loi Cadre” which led to popularly elected national assemblies. The British had a better record in trying to unite rather than divide Africa e.g. there was a creation of central African Federation which was an attempt to overcome the balkanization of British central Africa into Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The East Africa High Commission was a major step forward towards economic unity in Kenya Uganda and Tanganyika.
Britain’s decolonization policies involved the unification of British Somaliland with Italian Somaliland and British Cameroon with French Cameroon. The Central African federation was an attempt at unity between white settlers and African nationalists but it broke up because of the growing force of African nationalism hence the British created Zambia and Malawi who demanded separate independence and seceded from a federation led by the white settlers.
In West Africa, the Ivory Coast Houphouët Boigny and French leader de Gaulle broke the proposed West African federation. In British West Africa, the African leaders broke up the common services such as the Br. West African Currency Board and the W.A. Court of Appeal. Leaders like Nkrumah and Sékou Touré tried the Ghana-Guinea union, Nyerere supported the East Africa Federation - but these were exceptions rather than the rule. The only attempt to overcome balkanization has been the unification of Zanzibar and Tanganyika to form Tanzania and that of the Cameroon.
The French government policy from 1945 tended to keep territories separate individual states to avoid a strong federation that would challenge French domination. The French favoured narrow regionalist nationalisms within each colony and encourage close contact between each particular colony and France to help maintain French domination. They deliberately encouraged the ethnic nationalism of the Mossi people of Upper Volta led by King Moro Naba.
When Charles de Gaulle returned to power in May 1958 he asked the colonies to vote Yes or No in a referendum. He asked them to unite with the French or pull out and stay alone and cut off all links with France. But Sékou Touré of Guinea preferred to severe links with France and get independence. He stated, “I will prefer poverty in freedom to riches in slavery.” He stood against de Gaulle of France. Nkrumah made financial support to Guinea to help in the initial stages of independence. He gave Touré a loan of £4,500,000 and they agreed to have closed economic ties.

jerop5614 answered the question on January 15, 2019 at 06:45

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Discuss the decolonisation of Africa

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