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The Elusive Scramble for Modern Africa: What must Continent Learn from History?

 

 "Africa my Africa; Africa The Land of proud warriors of the ancestral savannah; Your blood flows through my veins; Your black blood that irrigates the river fields; The river fields of your work; The work of your slavery; The slavery of your children; Africa tell me Africa."  These were the words of Senegalese Poet, Author, Philosopher, Philanthropist, Academic and Professor, the late Birago Diop. In this Poem, the late Birago Diop reminded Africa about her compelling sad historical evolution as an antidote that must used in redefining the socio-economical and socio-political dynamics of the continent in the changing world of our times.

With a new scramble for Africa that could be duped a historical repetition, when shall Africa arise from the natural slumber, and when shall Africa tell herself? These are the good questions that will continue to be rooted in to the annals of our history.

Historically the scramble for Africa dates back to the 19th century, when colonialism was the driving force that propelled world politics. Due to the proliferation of industrialization across the European peninsular, Africa became the center piece of a new scramble, resulting to the Partitioning of the whole continent, through western colonial machinations. In his book titled Topics in West African History, Ghanaian Professor Dr, Adu Boahen attributed political, economical and social reasons as the driving jargons behind the 19th century Scramble for Africa.  

A careful analysis of the new scramble for Africa would show similar Political, economical and social trends as propelling mechanisms behind the new scramble.

Politically, Dr, Boahen attributed the 19th century scramble for Africa to colonies as a symbol of greatness for nation states. During that era, the more colonies a nation has, the more powerful and influential that nation was. In this modern scramble for Africa, it is not about colonies, but the influence that major global political actors could have on the political structures of African countries.

 For example whilst the United States (US) and the European Union member countries champion Democracy as an influence of political structures for sustainable democracies  across Africa, Countries such as China, Russia, Iran and Cuba have a considerable influence over the political structures of dictatorial and hybrid regimes across the continent. On another token, the political structures of African countries with Arabic influence are also greatly influenced by powerful Arabic nations.  Theorizing modern African politics using a historical context is therefore no philosophical accident, but a life changing reality that stems from the historical pathway of societal evolution, thus bringing to light the elusive Scramble for Modern Africa.

Economically several other contemporary scholars of modern African studies including theorized the 19th century Scramble for Africa as a result of economic reasons. Dr. Boahen, for example argued that it was because of the need for new markets, for surplus manufactured goods caused by the spread of the industrial revolution from France to Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal,

during the second half of the 19th century. A quick analysis of Africa’s economic architecture would show similar paradigms as mechanisms that has propelled the Modern Elusive Scramble for Africa. The continent’s rich mineral potentials, and the over 60% majority youth population have attracted a spiraling dynamism for markets in the exploitation of minerals, and communications technologies- notably in mobile phones and internet technology. Today, the United States (US), India, China, Russia, France, Britain and Brazil are all playing contentious roles in the forefront of the scramble for markets in various economic parallels – raw materials, mineral resources, diamonds, uranium, gold, silver, oil; a political axiom depicting the Modern Elusive Scramble for Africa.  Social scientists are therefore right that history indeed repeats itself. Africa’s transformational realties are living testaments to such a great theory.

Socially, Africa has also become a cultural battlefront for actors across the continents socio-economic and socio-cultural structures. In view of African cultures is embodiment across social horizons of the continent, Western Culture –Americanization – have not taken only prominence over all others, but either aligned or if not overshadowing traditional African culture. It is also worth understanding that a proliferation of Chinese, Brazilian, Indian, Russian and Turkish culture has become a nouvelle paradigm of the Elusive Scramble for Modern Africa; a transformational antidote that concrete lessons could be drawn from.

 As the ticking time of global evolutions continues to take shape, it is erstwhile worth depicting history as a policy mechanism in strengthening Africa’s quest for a united front. It is important to note that though the continents challenges continues to be undermined by the Westphalia imposed State System, the modern scramble fosters an opportunity for Africa, provided integration across political, economical and social parables takes a forefront  of  the African Union.

If Germans tore down the Berlin Wall that ushered the integration of East and West Germany into modern prosperous Germany, why can’t Africa tear down her imposed walls (boundaries). Africa’s potentials are great and enormous, however progress and aggressive prosperity depends on the pace of integration; politically, economically and socially.

Taking a backdrop to the question what must the continent learn from, is important to understand that, what Africa needs to effectively realize her potentials, is a Federal Government for an effective political integration, a single currency and passport for an efficient socio-economic integration, and a single national army, police and other security institutions for vibrant security architectures. There is no doubt that skeptics would continue characterize such integration efforts, however to say it is impossible tantamount to a historical insult. And history will judge all the past, current and future leaders for dearly failing Africa’s integration efforts, and or arising from this natural slumber. Time will certainly tell.

Binneh  s Minteh, Former Gambian Army Lieutenant

Newark, New Jersey

 

 


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