PARTITION OF AFRICA
The scramble for Africa among European powers was ended by the unforgotten events of dividing the continent into many new modern states of Africa in the last quarter of the 19th C. The partition of Africa was accomplished in the Berlin conference of 1884 / 85.
THE BERLIN CONFERENCE
It was the imperialistic conference convened by Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck of Germany. The conference prolonged from November 1884 to February 1885. It was conducted in Berlin, Germany Berlin conference was attended by many European powers and the United States of America. The rival powers in the competition for Africa were Germany, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium and Italy. Other powers attended the conference to witness its process. E.g. USA, Denmark and others.
THE AIM OF THE BERLIN CONFERENCE
To agree to rules to divide Africa.
To ensure free navigation on Niger River.
To ensure free trade.
To promote civilization of Africa, commerce and Christianity.
Establishment of the principle of effective occupation of Africa.
To end the European hostilities which resulted from the possession of colonies.
In establishing the principles of effective OCCUPATION the conference prepared the following
CONDITIONS TO BE FULLFIELD BY THE POWERS CLAIMING THE COLONIES IN AFRICA
1. There must be efforts made to abolish slave trade in the area.
2. There must be treaties signed between African rulers and the representatives of the Scrambling powers “colonial powers”.
3. There must be infrastructure built in the area.
4. There must be efforts to develop the area.
The conference also mentioned the
Following additional conditions orders:
River Congo ought to be a free trade area
{Free navigation area} for all European powers.
It also ordered the European powers to notify their fellow European nations of any newly acquired areas in Africa.
THE EVENTS LEADING TO THE BERLIN CONFERENCE
1: FASHODA INCIDENT.
Fashoda Incident, (September 18, 1898), was the climax at Fashoda, Egyptian Sudan (now Kodok, South Sudan), it was one of a series of territorial disputes in Africa between Great Britain and France.
The disputes arose from the common desire of each country to link up its disparate colonial possessions in Africa. Great Britain’s aim was to link Uganda to Egypt via a railway from the Cape of Good Hope to Cairo, while France, by pushing eastward from the west coast, hoped to extend its dominion across Central Africa and the Sudan.
2: THE CLASHES OF CONGO
King Leopold of Belgium sent Henry Morton Stanley to sign treaties with African chiefs in Congo while France sent the Italian explorer Pierre Savargan de Brazza in 1879 to sign treaties. E.g. the Brazza Makoko treaty in1880. Makoko was the chief of Batoko. This brought hostility between Belgium and France.
3: SCRAMBLE FOR EGYPT
France and Britain developed the interests on Egypt since the early 19th century. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 increased the potentiality of Egypt economically, in 1882 Britain invaded Egypt and put it under British control, this was because Khadive Ismail native ruler of Egypt failed to pay British loan. The French were not happy.
THE EFFECTS OF THE BERLIN CONFERENCE
Berlin conference left the following significant impacts in Africa and Europe;
1. It resolved the hostilities between European powers which resulted from the possession of colonies
2. It also resolved the scramble for Africa among Europeans. The rival powers acquired the following colonies.
Britain got Gold coast “Ghana”. Nigeria , Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, British East Africa “Kenya,” Somalia, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia “Zimbabwe”, Northern Rhodesia “Zambia”, Nyasaland “Malawi”, Basutoland “Lesotho”, Swaziland, Zanzibar “which was under the Sultan” and others.
France got Algeria, Mali, Tunisia, Mauritania, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso “Upper Volta”, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo– Brazzaville, Djibouti, Comoro, Reunion islands, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Conakry and others.
Portugal got Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principle Islands.
Italy got Ethiopia, Libya, and Italy – Somaliland. They failed to colonies Ethiopia due to Ethiopia’s military strength under king Menelick II.
Belgium under King Leopard II got Congo which is also known as “Zaire”, “Congo Free State”, “Congo Kinshasa”, “Congo Leopoldville” or “DRC”.
Spain got Morocco, Western Sahara and t Canary Islands.
Germany got German East Africa “Tanganyika”, German South West Africa “Namibia”, Cameron and Togo land. Germany lost those colonies following her defeat “failure” in the First World War of 1914 to 1918. The colonies were allocated as follows.
British got Tanganyika, Belgium got Rwanda and Burundi which were once part of Tanganyika. France got Cameron and Togoland, South Africa under Boers regime got Namibia.
3. The Berlin conference led to the establishment of the African modern states by setting the new boundaries of Africa by putting together a number of African pre – colonial states under one umbrella (colonies). Example; Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and so on.
4. The conference also marked the end of Africa’s pre-colonial sovereignty. The pre-colonial independence had vanished away. The states were under a new order and new masters
5. Not only that, but also ending and suppressing the longtime slave trade in Africa. The colonial powers were ordered to shut down the hidden and visible channels of slave trade across Africa.
6. Furthermore, it facilitated the establishment of the so called legitimate trade which was based on the importation of manufactured goods from Europe to Africa and the exportation of raw material from Africa to Europe.
7. The conference Para mounted “Uplifted” the position of Germany among the imperialistic nations.
NOTE: If it weren’t for the Berlin conference, Africa would’ve been turned into a chaotic zone full of fighting and scrambling between western European imperialistic powers.
