In the period between 15th and nineteenth centuries, only 10 percent Africa was colonized. The ten per cent of colonies that were colonized by European powers were located along the coastline of Africa, primarily to serve the slave- and ivory-trade. During the Age of Conquest Europeans left the middle region of Africa mostly uncolonized. In the 1880s, more than 1,000 native tribes controlled 80 percent of Africa (see “Background Essay”). The “scramble of Africa” in the 19th century led to Europe gaining almost complete control over Africa. The Industrial Revolution made it necessary for European powers to colonize Africa as a source of raw materials and supplies. New advancements in travel also allowed them to do so. But the goal of “Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization” in Africa was used to justify colonialism. This justification was used by missionaries like Henry Morton Stanley or David Livingstone.
European powers began to struggle for control of Africa. To encourage trade and avoid violence, however, there was a need for organization. Otto van Bismarck met in Berlin with Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Denmark, France Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia Spain, Sweden and Norway, as well as the United States. The Berlin Conference was held from November 15,1884 until February 26,1885. The Berlin Conference General Act, which was passed by the European powers only during this meeting (“Background Essay”), defined the borders of the continent. The Berlin Conference had a lasting impact on Africa, because European countries did not take into consideration the native social, cultural, and linguistic structures of Africa (“The Berlin Conference Dilemma”). This conference led to the creation of modern African nations. Europe controlled all of Africa by 1914 except for Ethiopia and Liberia. Ironically, only five of the countries represented at the Berlin Conference gained territory. These five countries, however, had more influence in dividing Africa than Africans (Myers). The Berlin Conference’s decision to divide Africa into five countries has caused much internal turmoil in Africa today. However, changing these borders will not help.
Background Essay): Berlin’s borders were randomly drawn, and they ignored the native ethnicities and languages (Background Essay). Two major issues in Africa continue to be a problem today, namely the linguistic and cultural divisions of the African peoples and their fusion into one society. (Maddox). The communities were divided and various social groups, some of which were in conflict with each other (“Background essay”) were merged. The Conference, for example, grouped together the Ibos and Yorubas, which caused the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1971. Africa’s present-day violence is linked to that which created it. Europe was desperate to gain control over their territories and sent in troops, but the Africans refused to submit. Colonialism, imperialism, and violent conflicts still affect Africa. For example in British East Africa, control struggles lasted until World War I. German East Africa experienced revolts in the 1880s, which continued into the early 1900s. World War I brought an end to the Somalia struggle. Sudan was under control for ten long years. In German Southwest Africa, there were hundreds of thousand of deaths. Five to 10 million people were murdered in the Belgian Congo Free State. Only Ethiopia prevailed over European power. After colonialism, Africa suffered from corrupt leaders, racisms, civil warss, class differences, and, in some cases, even forced labor.
Africa’s current instability was not caused by the borders alone. It was more systematic, orderly, and it had multiple causes. Africa has adapted to the Berlin Conference’s borders, despite the fact that they had an impact on the continent. Redrawing boundaries will not resolve any current instability. This argument supports the idea that borders are not the sole cause of the present turmoil (Maddox). If one African country’s borders are changed, the same may apply to all others, proving that changing boundaries is not the solution. History has shown that every time African states have tried to conquer other African countries, they’ve failed. Uganda and Libya, for example failed to absorb Tanzania, Kenya or Chad. Any attempt to unite African States also fails. Ethiopia and Eritrea cannot be added, so Eritrea became independent. Even though tensions were still present, war eventually broke out. Somalia was also not formed by the union of British and Italian Somalilands. Tanzania is still a conflict zone, despite the fact that Tanganyika-Zanzibar combined to become Tanzania. Sudan and Darfur, however, were the two only places in which redistribution had a positive impact. Congo and Nigeria remain conflict-ridden and still have a ways to go until they achieve stability. The modern problems would still have happened regardless of the boundary. Different types of African governments were also a cause of the instabilities that occurred in Africa before the Berlin Conference boundary was enforced. The many different types of political structures on the African continent were a cause for the conflicts that occurred before and after the Berlin conference. Jeffrey Herbst claims that modern African states are hollow. They are hard shells covering very weak institutions (Maddox). Due to this system, urban elites and rulers have access to wealth and power, which makes them compete with rural masses to gain internal control. Conflicts and instability are the result. Mahmood Mamdani believes that the current political unrest in Africa is due to urban elites seeking to gain more power through the enforcement of an often ethnized despotism. Africa’s biggest problem is “violently integrating African cultures into the world economy” which began before the scramble for Africa.
Reassigning the borders that were assigned at the Berlin Conference did not solve Africa’s current problems. Africa’s problems today are rooted in many other factors: colonialism and its various forms, as well as the forceful transition from a traditional economy to one based on modern economics. It is possible to have hope for the stability of Africa: Senegal and Ghana are among a handful of African countries that have created better social and political systems (Maddox).
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