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Whilst there is some debate on the differences between colonialism, imperialism and ‘informal empire’, this article is more concerned with the period of ‘high’ imperialism in Africa from the 1880s - more commonly known as the scramble for Africa. Unlike earlier models of colonialism, high imperialism was more concerned with gaining spheres of influence. These spheres were gained through treaties, local agreements or by force if necessary. This facilitated the development of new trade networks to offload the surplus of production and to procure rights of access to raw resources. The availability of cheap labour was exploited, strategic land and maritime locations were acquired and the national prestige of the imperial power became elevated. The rhetoric to ‘stamp out the evil’ of slavery and slave-trading and the mantra proclaiming a ‘civilising mission’ on the ‘Dark Continent’ were also functional aspects of European imperialism. However, this article is primarily concerned with the process and experience of decolonisation in Africa.
For the purpose of this article, the neighbouring countries of Rwanda and Uganda in East Africa have been chosen as case-studies. Both countries experienced different European imperialist influences as well as different decolonisation processes. Moreover, in post-independence both countries developed a saliency of indelible conflict. Conflict in both Rwanda and Uganda was not only an outcome of colonial legacies, but was also a consequence of historical circumstances and opportunistic power struggles. For this reason, this article will briefly examine the pre-colonial history of both Rwanda and Uganda, respectively. Subsequently, the dynamics of imperialism will be explored in Rwanda under Belgian ...
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...Freedom of Expression: Country Studies – Uganda’ Albert Shanker Institute, (http://www.democracyweb.org/expression/uganda.php) (accessed 17 October, 2013).
McKenna, The History of Central and Eastern Africa, pp 87-88; John A. Rowe, ‘Early Political Systems’, in Chapter 1 of Rita M. Byrnes (ed.), UGANDA, a country study, Federal Research Division - Library of Congress, (1990) (http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/ugtoc.html) (accessed 24 October, 2013).
Clan leaders were elected by clan elders, to chair a clan council, and the council made decisions.Thus, clan leaders ‘had no power to extract labour, demand taxes, or enforce laws’ – this was a council decision. A. B. K. Kasozi, Social Origins of Violence in Uganda, 1964-1985 (Montréal, 1994), pp 17-18 available at Ebrary (http://site.ebrary.com/lib/dkitlib/Doc?id=10141794 ) (accessed 23 October, 2013).
Ibid., pp 18-19.
Europe, in the late 1800’s, was starting for a land grab in the African continent. Around 1878, most of Africa was unexplored, but by 1914, most of Africa, with the lucky exception of Liberia and Ethiopia, was carved up between European powers. There were countless motivations that spurred the European powers to carve Africa, like economical, political, and socio–cultural, and there were countless attitudes towards this expansion into Africa, some of approval and some of condemnation.
"The wind of change is blowing through this [African] continent, and whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. We must all accept it as a fact, and our national policies must take account of it" (Macmillan). This speech, made by the prime minister of England in 1960, highlights the vast changes occurring in Africa at the time. Changes came quickly. Over the next several years, forty-seven African countries attained independence from colonial rule. Many circumstances and events had and were occurring that led to the changes to which he was referring. The decolonization of Africa occurred over time, for a variety of complex reasons, but can be broken down into two major contributing factors: vast changes brought about in the world because of World War II and a growing sense of African nationalism.
For decades, Uganda’s economy has suffered through disappointing economic policies and instabilities. These setbacks have been put forth by a chronically unreliable government, leaving it as one of the world’s poorest countries. Uganda’s weak infrastructure and corrupt government are two of the primary constraints against a continuation of economic growth. Uganda has ongoing military involvement in the War on Congo, wrongly taking money from the already deprived country and into the war. Many villages in Uganda also have to waste their precious money and time in pursuit of hiding places. They are faced with a group known as, The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). LRA is infamous for their twenty years of massacre and slaughter in Uganda, causing an estimated 1.5 million internally displayed persons. Several people are questioning why the LRA is still terrorizing the country and criticizing the government’s commitment to putting an end this horrific group. The Inspector General of Government (IGG) ...
Throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, almost every country in Africa was imperialized by other countries in Europe. To imperialize is to conquer another country, whether it be in the means of politics, economics and/or culture, and control that land. The aftermath for the imperialized country was either beneficial or harmful. The amount of African countries that a European country imperialized varied. Great Britain imperialized fifteen countries in Africa, including Egypt in 1882, Sierra Leone in 1808, and the Union of South Africa in 1910. Although Great Britain’s reasons to imperialize were selfish, Britain helped each country progress afterwards.
Africa has been an interesting location of conflicts. From the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea to the revolutionary conflict in Libya and Egypt, one of the greatest conflicts is the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide included two tribes in Rwanda: Tutsis and Hutus. Upon revenge, the Hutus massacred many Tutsis and other Hutus that supported the Tutsis. This gruesome war lasted for a 100 days. Up to this date, there have been many devastating effects on Rwanda and the global community. In addition, many people have not had many acknowledgements for the genocide but from this genocide many lessons have been learned around the world.
The "DBQ Project" What Is the Driving Force Behind European Imperialism in Africa? (2012): 257. pp. 177-177. Print.
During Imperialistic times South Africa was a region of great resources that was greatly disputed over (Ellis). Europe’s main goal during these times was to compete against each other and played a “game” of which country can imperialize more African countries than the other. Imperialism was a curse to South Africa, because many wars, laws, and deaths were not necessary and would not have happened if South Africa were not imperialized.
Uganda was ruled by Britain from 1894 to 1962. The British did not take “total control” of Uganda in the way that they did with some of the other African countries. The chiefs of Uganda’s tribes were very interested in ma...
Colonial rule in Rwanda began in 1895. It was used as the primary force for governing during that time and led to the emergence of Rwanda’s national identity. During the colonial era German and Belgian officials regarded the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa as three distinct national groups. The colonial authorities helped the Rwandan monarchy to centralize its control and expand their social system throughout the Rwandan territory. This eliminated the local social and political variations that had been established earlier in the pre-colonial period. By creating new state institutions in Rwanda, colonial officials were able to import the ideas of nationality associated with the modern nation-state. Ensuing social and political issues surround the idea of how Rwandan nationality should be defined. In other words, which ethnic groups should be considered “true” citizens of Rwanda? This concern is overshadowing the validity of Rwandan as a national identity.
Binyavanga Wainaina was born in Naruku, Kenya in 1971. His mother’s life tormented by politics back in her him country of Uganda, from which she fled, to escape the collapsing economy and political turmoil spiraling out of control in Unganda. Because of these facts, Wainana is born into an astutely aware family in terms of politics. In the first chapter, politics for Wainaina are simply comparative and distant when he discusses the fall of Uganda under Field Marshal Amin Dada, otherwise known as Idi Amin. “Field Marshal Amin Dada, president of Uganda, ate his minister for supper. He kept his minister’s head in the fridge.”(7) Several page later in the first chapter, he writes, “Kenya is a peaceful nation,”(9) while comparing it to the turmoil in Uganda.
The process of decolonization in Africa during the 1950’s through the 1970’s was a very smart yet risky idea. For some places independence was easily gained yet in other areas it was a battle. During the time periods where colonization existed, Africa was peaceful and kept things in order. People had control over their specific locations and there were no questions to be asked. Once it was decided to remove these rights, things got out of hand rather quickly. Violence was a main occurrence during the decolonization timeframe because rules, rights, leaderships, etc. got altered and drastically changed. Sometimes nonviolence was used but it usually wasn’t as effective. A major example of using nonviolence actions to gain independence is when Gandhi protested in India. African leaders have tried very hard to lessen the influence of Western powers and the broader international community but they’ve never been completely successful because they continuously needed support in state building, economic development, and public health initiatives.
Africa’s struggle to maintain their sovereignty amidst the encroaching Europeans is as much a psychological battle as it is an economic and political one. The spillover effects the system of racial superiority had on the African continent fractured ...
The New Imperialism and the Scramble for Africa 1880-1914. Jeff Taylor, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
An overwhelming majority of African nations has reclaimed their independence from their European mother countries. This did not stop the Europeans from leaving a permanent mark on the continent however. European colonialism has shaped modern-day Africa, a considerable amount for the worse, but also some for the better. Including these positive and negative effects, colonialism has also touched much of Africa’s history and culture especially in recent years.
Middleton, John. "Rwanda." Africa: an Encyclopedia for Students. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. Print.