FACTORS FOR THE RISE OF AFRICAN ANTI-COLONIAL MOVEMENT
The anti-colonial movements(nationalism) in Africa was due to both internal and external factors:
1. Internal Factors
2. External Factors
1. Internal Factors for the rise of African nationalism
i. Intensive exploitation and oppression.
The rise of anti-colonial movements in Africa were due to the intensive exploitation and oppression after the second World War.
The Europeans exploited Africans intensively in order to revamp their ruined economies which were destroyed by the WWII.
Africans were exploited in terms low wages, long working hours, forced labour and the like, these all forms exploitation made the Africans to fight against colonialism hence the rise of African nationalism.
ii. The role of colonial education. The colonial education led to the rise of elites who led their fellow Africans to independence example of the elites were such as Mwl. J.K. Nyerere, Hasting Kamuzu Banda, Keneth Kaunda (Zambia) Robert Mugabe, J.B Danquah (Ghana), Kwameh Nkrumah (Ghana) Aboubakry Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe (Nigeria). All these leaders led their respective countries to independence.
iii. The role played by the independent church movements. The independent church movements played a viral great role to the rise of nationalism. Through independent church movements, Africans protested against the abuse of their rights in urban areas, example the protests against pass law in South Africa.
They also use their religious institution to pressurize the colonial regimes to grant their rights. Example the AMNUT “All Muslims National Union of Tanganyika”, Dini ya Musambwa (the religion of the spirit) in Kenya under Bishop Elijah Masinde in Kenya, Kimbanguism under Simon Kimbangu in Congo DRC, The Industrial Church of Malawi under Bishop John Chilembwe and other movements.
iv. The role played by social and welfare associations: These were the associations formed by natives in order to improve the wellbeing of their members. They used different mechanism to enforce their rights from the colonial governments and white settlers.
They demonstrated, boycotted, did strikes and rioted against colonialists. Examples the Peasants associations, Worker associations {Trade Unions}, Tribal associations and Students associations. They awakened the conscious of natives and motivated them to struggle for their rights.
v. The role played by the independence of Ghan in 1957. Ghana attained her independence from Britain in 1957, Ghanaian independence ever since was a catalyst to African nationalism as Ghana became the centre of anti-colonial movement of other African countries, Ghana acted as role model to other African countries, Ghana also started supporting other African countries which were still under colonial rule materially and morally, most importantly Ghana’s capital, Accra became the headquarters of Pan Africanism, a movement that later led to the formation of organization of African unity (OAU), that was instrumental in the struggle for independenmce of African countries.
vi. Mass Media. Mass media spread awareness. The African nationalists were able to communicate their nationalistic information through the use mass media channels such as Newspapers as SAUTI YA TANU in Tanganyika, MUIGWITHANIA edited by Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya, ACCRA EVENING NEWS in Gold Coast {GHANA}, The Pilot in Nigeria they also used Military Radio News , e.g. in Angola.
vii. The formation of OAU in 1963. The organization was formed by the independent states of Africa in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, one of the objectives of OAU was to fight for independence of African countries which were still under colonial rule, hence OAU formed the DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE whose headquarters was in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania and the chairperson of the committee was Mwl.J.K Nyerere, the committee played a vital role in rise and successes of anti-colonial movements in the countries of Southern and Central Africa such as Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, South West Africa (Namibia) and South Africa.
viii. The role played by the Italo-Ethiopia conflicts (1935-1941). Benito Mussolini invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia|) and conquered, Haile Selassie who was ruling Ethiopia by this time fled and went to live in exile, he appealed to the League of Nations, though she was the only African member of the League but the League of nations kept quiet, Haile Selassie, later appealed to UNO and he managed to regain her country. The Italo-Ethiopian conflict and the Triumph of Ethiopia motivated other African countries to fight for their independence.
