The Consequence of Haste & Ignorance
The Scramble for Africa began with the Berlin Conference (1884–85) and is defined as the occupation, division, and colonization of African territory by European powers from late 18th Century to the early 19th Century. European colonizers partitioned Africa into colonies from European capitals, with limited knowledge of the geography, history, and ethnic composition of Africa. Even today, in many African countries, a significant portion of their population belongs to groups split by colonial partitions.
Post-colonial borders left Africans divided into countries that did not represent their heritage and culture. Worldwide, national borders have been modified over time to reflect linguistic, ethnic,and religious divisions. For example, Spain's political borders enclose the Spanish-speakers of Europe; Slovenia and Croatia generally comprise of mostly ethnic Slovenes and Croats.
Africa, however, is different. African political borders were not drawn with any consideration towards the people already living on the continent. Instead, African nations were defined by the scourge of European colonialism, rather than the heritage of its people. When Africans regained independence, leaders agreed to respect the colonial borders despite the fact that they were considered the arbitrary products of colonization. But as the continent becomes more democratic the African insistence on maintaining colonial-era borders is facing more popular challenges.
Besides improperly designed borders, European colonial powers utilized “divide and rule,” “direct rule,” and “assimilation” policies, which resulted in the loss of African culture. In addition, European policies led to conflicts among local people, consequently strengthening colonial power. As a result, hostile relations among borderland people were propagated. Currently, some political elites in Africa tend to affiliate more along ethnic lines further escalating tension and political disenfranchisement. Improper border design and the partitioning of ethnic groups have contributed immensely to the instability in African countries which is particularly evident in borderland communities.
The turmoil in many African countries can be attributed to the arbitrary division of political borders and we still see the effects of political borders in African countries such as Rawanda. It illustrates the dangers and consequences of governments interfering and controlling foreign affairs , a lesson still pertinent today.
