UNIT NINE
Pan Africanism Since 1945
√ The term Pan is Greek word means all Africa
√ The origin of the Pan- Africanism was by blacks of Africa who lived outside Africa like in the North and South America and in
the New World and Caribbean
The aim of Pan Africanism were:-
-Expression of a desire for African unity
- Forming a sense of unity among all black peoples of the World, whose ancestors originally came from Africa
- They wanted to have equality with the other races and justice for black people
The First Pan -African conference or Congress was held in London in 1900 organized by a Trinidad (West Indies or Island of Caribbean or South America) lawyer, H. Sylvester Williams
- The participants of conference were mainly came from the America and the West Indies or South America
- The 2nd Pan- African Conference held in Paris in 1919
- The 3rd Pan- African Conference held in London and Brussels in 1921
- The 4th Pan- African Conference held in London and Lisbon in 1923
The 5th Pan- African Conference held in Manchester in 1945 was important in two respects
1. For the first time Africans from the continent participated in the PAC African students in America and Europe
2. Demanded and provided slogan struggle for independent and united of Africa
√ The two famous leaders of Pan- Africanism were Dr. Duo Bois (1868-1963) and Marcus Garvey (1887-1940)
Dr .Du Bois (1868-1963)
- African- American scholar, writer, organizer, preacher and father of Pan- Africanism
- He maintained the blacks outside Africa should struggle for the respect of their right in the Countries they lived in
Marcus Garvey (1887-1940)
- A Jamaican who moved and lived in the USA
-Founded and set up the Universal Negro Improvement Association (1914) meant to promote back to Africa movement
-Insisted that the only future for blacks in America and West Indies to return to their Countries (Africa)
-Blacks struggle for their right back to Africa
-His ideas attracted millions blacks, but achieved little and died by Whites in USA
National Liberation Movement
Factors that affected Liberation of Africa were
- Attitude, political traditional of colonial powers and political experience of African nationalist
The African took Violent and Non- Violent struggle for their independent from colonial powers
In West Africa, French and British colonies independent fairly smoothly due to:-
1. Absence of White Settlers in West Africa
2. Better experience of leaders struggle for their independent that had long history
Factors that hastened the Liberation of Africa was the effect of WWII to respect the right of all people to choose the form of govt under which they will live
British Colonies in West Africa
- Br granting indept for her colonies, but conflict became bitter due to disagreement on how self govt and independent should came
- British maintained take some time to train the nationalist in the business of running, but nationalist rejected it
1. March 6, 1957, the Gold Coast indept and adopting name Ghana under first pr Kwame Nkrumah, USA educated return in 1940
2. October 1, 1960 Nigeria Independent under first president Nnamdi Azikwe (USA educated returned in 1930s)
3. Sierra Leone (Freetown) and Gambia (Banjul) independent in 1961 and in 1964 respectively
British Colonies in East Africa
1. Kenya (1895-1963) gained their independent after fighting due to Whites Settlers existed in
-The Kikuyu Association began against British since 1920s- 45 due to their Land given and occupied by British
- Since 1950 the Mau Mau Rebellion began against Britain colonial rule, but Britain arrested their leaders
- After Mau Mau rebellion, the Kenya African Natioanal Union (KANU) emerged demanding and the independent Kenya under
first president Jomo Kenyatta in 1963
French Colonies in West Africa
- Charles de Gaulle, president of France gave choose for his colonies to voting "Yes" or "No" allowed referendum
- Voting "Yes" became autonomous republics within the French community and gate assistance
- Voting "No" becoming immediately independent and lose French economical and technical assistance
- All French colonies voted yes due to dependent on French assistance except Guinea Conakry
- Only Guinea Voted "No" and became independent under President Sekou Toure in 1958
- Fr recalled assistance to Guinea, but Guinea returned to Soviet Union, which worried French to gave indept for her other colonies
√ Majority of West and Central French colonies of Africa achieved their independent in1960
√ The 1960 was known as the year of Africa due to majority Africans gained their independent in this year
•These Countries were Cameroon, Togo, (Dahome) Benin, Niger, (Upper Volta) Burkina Faso, (Ivory Coast) Coted Ivory, Chad, (Ubangishari) Central African Republic, (Middle Congo),Republic of Congo- Brazzaville, Gabon, Senegal, (French Sudan) Mali, Madagascar and Mauritania
French North Africa 1. Algeria
- Algeria Became a French Colony since 1830 and began struggle for full independent in 1954
-Achieved their independent after violent due to Whites Settlers existed in Algiers
-White settlers in Algeria called colons, not consider as colony or European colonists who lived in their colonies
- French considered Algeria as belonging to themselves and part of French due to large number of whites in Algeria
- Algeria elites including Ferhat Abbas believed that Algeria as part of French, but later he began struggle for indept of Algeria
- In1956, the Liberation National Front had established in Algeria and began struggle for independent of Algerians
-Algeria gained their independent after bloodiest war under first president Ahmed Ben Bella in 1962 by NLF
- The French and the National Liberation Front (FLN) signed the Evian Agreement which ended Algerian Wars
- Algeria independent by help of Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Eastern German and Arab League
The Portuguese Colonies
- The problem for struggle independent of Portuguese colonies were ruled by dictatorship of Antonio Salazar (1932-68), Marcello
Caetano (1968-74) and Antonio de Spinola Prime Ministers
- Portuguese not considered her colonies as colony, but as overseas territories or part of Portuguese
Portuguese granting independent for her colonies due to:-
Spinola overthrew Caetano by coup d’état and Violent struggle began by colonies
1. Angola
The struggle parties for the independent of Angola were Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), National Front for the Liberation of Angola ( FNLA) and National Union for Total independent of Angola(UNITA)
- They struggle for independent of Angola after Portuguese withdrawal
√ Later on 11, 1975, the MPLA independent under first President Agustino Neto assisted by support of Guinea
2. Mozambique
The struggle part for independent of Mozambique was Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO)
-In 1975 Mozambique independent under first President Samora Machel helped by Tanzania and Zambia
The Unilateral Declaration of Independent (UDI) was struggle for Liberation of Guinea
- In 1975 Guinea independent and became Republic of Guinea Bissau
Sao Tome and Principe and Cape Verde independent in1975
Namibia (South West Africa) was gained their independent by South West African Peoples Organization (SWAPO) in 1990 from Republic of South Africa
After apartheid destroyed the Republic South Africa gained their independent by Mandela under ANC in 1994
- Nelson Mandela was arrested at Robben Island (1963-1990)
The Organization of African Unity (OAU)
√ The idea of forming the Organization for African Unity was result of the Pan-Africanism Movement
√ In 1958, Nkrumah invited all independent African Countries at Accra important for two reasons
1. Representatives of 28 non-independent African attended
2. Corner Stone for Organization of African Unity
√ The main objective of the Accra Conference was to established the Organization African Unity
√ To the structure of the Organization, the no consensus among Africans and emerged two group
The Casablanca Group
- The members were Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt
- Led by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and regarded as anti- Western and continental Union
- Creation of single African unity or United State of Africa and Africa must be ruled under one govt
The Monrovia Group
- Made of the Sierra Leone, Liberia, Libya, Togo Ethiopia and Senegal
- Led by the first President independent of Senegal, Leopold Songhor
- Considered as a pro Western group and internal problem must be solved before united
- Functional cooperation before integration and economic devt united than political federation
The main objective point different between the two groups were:-
- The issue of a united Africa under one govt and one head of State
- They agreed to postponed the final goal of a forming a united State of Africa and formed the OAU
√ The OAU was formed in May 25, 1963 in Finfinne by 32 independent African States
The Purpose of the OAU
- To promote the unity, solidarity of African States and to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa
- To solve economic, educational, health and nutrition problems of Africa and
- Retaining of existing boundaries of Africa, to coordinate the unity and intensity their cooperation
The most important organ of the OAU was the General Secretariat
√ The first General Secretary of the OAU was Diallo Telli (Guinea), now day Musa Faki Mahamat (Chad former Pm)
The Major Success of the OAU
- Liberated Africans from colonialism and non independent Africans gained their independent
- Africans States often took a united stand and several border disputes have been settled
- Solved Nigerian crisis of 1967, meant united Biafra State with Nigeria
- For States, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Zambia and Gabon recognized separatist State of Biafra, although majority States kept article III of OAU; "Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each State and for its inalienable right to independent existence"
The Failure of OAU
- Difference of opinion methods to be used in accomplishing the tasks of the Organization
- Difference attitude adopted towards the ex- colonial powers and structure of the OAU
- Difference in official languages used by African States in OAU (Arabic, French, Portuguese, and English)
- Many States were members of other Non- African Organization
- Example, Northern African belongs to the Arab League and brings issue of Israel to the OAU
- Weakness to solve problems of social, economical, political, military, ethnical and civil wars among ethnical groups in African Countries
- Boundary crisis still unsolved and broken their Constitutional law (to stay on power revived their constitutions)
At the 36th OAU held in Algiers in 2000 decided transform OAU into African Unity or AU
- They agreed to change OAU to AU meeting at Lome in 2002
- The OAU final changed to African Unity at Durban in 2004
Contemporary Africa (Post Colonial Period)
In 1960s- 1970s major problems of Africa were:-
- Lack of political stability, irresponsible and undemocratic governance
- One rule party, injustice, corruption, poverty, coup d’état and revolutions
- Majority rulers of Africa were worrying for their own powers instead of solving their socials problems Examples
1. From the1963-1969 five violent changes govt in Benin
2. In1962 Habib Borgiba, independent President of Tunisia, attempted to assassination and escaped death
3. In1963 President Fulbert Youlou of Republic Congo or Congo Brazzaville (French colony) was overthrown
4. In 1965 a military coup d’état in Algeria, overthrew President Ben Bella
5. In 1966 a coup d’état in Nigeria destroyed lives of many political leaders
6. In 1966 President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana overthrew from political power
7. The army took power in Libya and removing King Sayyid Idris
8. In 1971 the army officer Idi Amin took power in Uganda after overthrowing President Milton Obote
Colonialism has left legacies of problems in Africa
- Contributed to political instability and boundaries crisis still in Africa
- Ethnical group a had fought bitterly against one another in different parts of Africa
- Example Gabon has ethnic 40, Nigeria 250, Tanzania 120 and Zambia has ethnic 73 ethnics groups fought each others
- Bloody Civil Wars, Holocaust and genocide in some Countries of Africa
- Example Congo Kinshasa or DRC (Belgium Colony) Civil War in 1960 between Katanga and Kasai States
- In 1994 in Rwanda Civil Wars between Hutu (Peasants, majority) and Tutsis (pastoralists, minority)
- Many raw materials and minerals of Africa stolen and exported to Europe
- Expanded problem of environmental degradation, desertification, drought, famine, poverty, starvation and disease in many Africans
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