Question

As nations in Africa gained independence from colonial powers, some made relatively smooth transitions to self-rule while others experienced violence and upheaval. In some nations, the violence continues even today. What might have been done to help those nations transition to self-rule peacefully? Write a short essay that sets forth ideas on ways that violence and civil war might have been prevented.

• Why Ghana’s transition to independence was peaceful
• Why French colonies tended to have more peaceful transitions than the colonies of other European powers
• Who lived in the colony at the time of independence; for example, ethnic groups, religious groups, European elites, and so forth?

Answer 1

Europeans who colonized Africa recognized their rule in Africa was coming to an end at the end of WWII and they had not prepared themselves for a transition. Although the African population had their own institutions of authority these were undermined by colonial governments thus making it impossible for these institutions to fully revert to prior operations. The idea of representative governments was still new as most African authorities were based on tribal and territorial structures of governance. The Europeans did not take their time to ensure equal representation was accorded to all the different groups within the communities. In some African countries, the Europeans left behind administrative vacuums while in others they rewarded some of their collaborators. This situation led to civil wars and war struggles between different groups in an attempt to secure power and authority for their own. This situation is still existent to date with a number of upheavals occurring through the years. The colonialists should have taken into account that in the different countries that they had established, Africans still had their own differences among themselves. Self-rule was to be considered not only at the national level but also at the group level and this could have been done through education and integration to ensure no group felt left out.

Answer 2

Ghana’s transition to self rule was lead by Kwame Nkrumah, who had staged up non violent protest from their colonizers. French colonies were more emphatic compared to other European Colonizers. Napoleon III, to cite an example had stopped European migrations in Algeria in order to preserve its culture.