Final answer:
The desire for Africa's valuable minerals like gold and diamonds was an important motive behind the European colonization of Africa in the late 1800s.
Step-by-step explanation:
An important motive behind the European desire to obtain colonies in Africa in the late 1800s was Africa's valuable minerals like gold and diamonds.
European powers recognized the economic potential of these resources and sought to exploit them for their own benefit.
This desire for mineral wealth led to the Scramble for Africa, where European nations competed for control over African territories.
Learn more about European colonization of Africa