How have the African states fared after their independence from Colonial rule?

Question

I am afraid that I am a diehard Colonialist but will be unbiased in my opinion here, and expect all answers to do the same.

Of course I am young, and no expert, but as I see it, many (certainly not all) of the African states have gone rapidly downhill since the Europeans, and white Africans, left or were kicked out. I am speaking chiefly in terms of economy and infrastructure.

I am not even sure that the native populations, or whatever the politcally correct term is, have any more freedom now that their rulers are black instead of white European. Corruption, death and brutality are just as high as the old days but added to this the road, rail and air networks have rotted away and schooling and medicinal aid have suffered greatly.

Am I correct in my assumptions, and note I do not claim that the old ways went unflawed- but what can be done to reverse this process once more- realistically? 'Re-Colonisation?!?!?!'

Thanks for all serious and open-minded answers

Robert C; Genius...

Answer 1

Just check out Zimbabwe's inflation and hunger rates.

Answer 2

I lived for several years in Africa when I was young.

Zimbabwe used to be Rhodesia, and under colonial rule, it was a prosperous country. It produced huge quantities of wheat, corn and beef. There was no starvation. There were exports to neighboring countries.

There was also law and order, education, commerce. In the past, the two main tribes, Mashona and Matabele, had often been at war. Under colonial rule, they coexisted in peace.

Under Mugabe, there is famine, massive unemployment, and dissent against the ruler is severely punished. Billions of dollars worth of foreign aid has gone who knows where, and the policy of dispossessing farmers - mostly white, but not all -has also caused the African families who used to live and work on those farms to lose their livelihood, which means privations and hardship for millions.

Many other former colonies have gone the same way. Most African countries today are military dictatorships with an even bigger contrast between rich and poor than is apparent in Western society.

Certainly colonial rule was not perfect but I personally think that most ordinary Africans had a better quality of life then than they do now. However, I don't know what can be done to reverse the process. It is only when the ordinary citizens of those countries realize they are entitled to more than they have and decide to take action that things will change. Don't hold your breath!

Answer 3

well, that's a pretty good question.
I am also a bit young to get a professional idea about the subject, but I can give what I gathered during my short life.

but first, you should know that you point of view concerning colonialism depends on which side you are.
if you are a colonialist, then, it's ok: the country is good, but the population is not being well. I hope that you know and realise how hard and terrible was the colonialism to the original inhabitants. especialy under the french colonialism; we can just consider them as good slaves, while the lands and powers of the country were used to complete the lack on some fruits, vegetables and raw materials to the developed countries. that's it.

I will ask a question: if you are a slave man in the richest country and the most powerful and beautiful ever, would you keep on your situation for the sake of that great power?
I assume no.

then, why those countries are going so bad?

well, let's begin with the BIGGEST catastrophe of the north african countries: Algeria.
after its freedom it makes the first mistake: communist mode and the planned economy instead of capitalism, just to piss off france. then it relied only on heavy industrie, and stoped all kind creation of firms by a high level of bureaucracy.
after realising the mistake and changing to the right mode, the terrorims problems occured and stop any developement, those problems closed up the country....
anyway.
concerning the others, they are generaly less rich is natural ressources, so they focused on other fields such as tourism (morocco and tunisia). concerning the others, they keep in trouble because of the desire of supremacy of the leaders, and sometimes their different opinions, in particular religious, causing internal conflicts and a state of tension not very favourable with the development. (this is my own opinion... I would like to be more sure about it).

you know, I was talking with one of my algerian friend, and he told me this sentence: "I feel sad when I think about the martyrs of the algerian war". I responded: "it's normal, so much people died to bring up freedom". and then he said: "no, it's not what I mean! I was just thinking: if they did not fight, we'll be under the french control... I'll be french!! poor me!".... well...... no comment.

a last point, people think that the ancien colonised countries are free, and that the ancien coloniser are now just standing and watching the result without acting... that's false.
do you know about the "new colonialism?".
it's getting the same result than this one of the colonialism, but without loosing our soldiers: "they give us their natural ressources by themselves, they give us their brains by themselves too... and they die!".
the globalisation, capitalism and the big firms are the new way of taking over those poor countries.
do you like this new colonialism? after all, everything is chanching in this world. none can revive something dead.

then, what's the true solution?

Answer 4

Very complex issues here. Good answer, Rillifane.

In a former Portuguese colony, a couple of us expatriates were discussing a particular instance of failure in the local administration with some friends there and they were commenting that the Portuguese had administered local affairs more efficiently. Well, we asked, did that mean they wanted them back? Noooo !! they answered. Of course no-one wants the conquerors back. The Czechs did not want the Hapsburgs or the Nazis back, even when their own Czech communist party seized power and wrecked their polical life and economy for decades and incarcerated so many of their own citizens and confiscated their homes.

Europe and America have made so much mess of their own affairs in the last 100 years, and messed up so many other nations' affairs, that we should not even think of meddling again. Aren't racial segregation in America, the holocaust in Europe, the world wars and the "gulags", and the more recent Serb massacres of Bosnians and Croatians such shameful blots on American and European internal histories, that everything Africans have done to each other pales by comparison?

Yes, some economies are not doing too well, but that's partly down to what WE allow the multinational companies to do. We could all do our bit by trying to get fairtrade legislation introduced, and persuading stores to stock fairly traded goods. We could stop propping up corruption too.

You wanted a serious answer, Davey.
And yes Mdog, I too often wonder what Africa might have been like if the "Great African Land Grab" had never happened.

Answer 5

Technicallly Africa is still colonized by Western companies which fueled colonization in the first place. I see that you are young. Look as I see it. When Europeans arrived Africa was just getting into its own transition period like the European Middle Ages. Africa development socially has stopped there. States hadn't solidified yet. Thats why in a typical Africa country there can be 12 ethnic groups. African states are just lines on a map to be frank.

Let Africa have fully complete its transition period. This will take hundreds of years but at the end, we will see a stronger Africa. Will there be conflict, why yes, poverty, of course. But it will be a stronger Africa akin to Europe in the year 1600.

Answer 6

A lot of rubbish being talked here. Too long a subject to get involved in. Yes, in essence African nations are worse off now than when they were under colonial rule. Reason, tribal rivalry, African corruption and arbitrary state boundaries laid down by Colonial powers before and after independence which did not take into account tribal territory.

Answer 7

Most of the Central African States reverted to marxist economies with strong man government. Part of the fault with this lay with the former colonial powers. They were fond of taking some young man out of the bush and sending him off to the best western education available, usually with a hitch in the army within the colony. The term for such a person is "evolve" (ee-volve-ay) and they became more bigoted and hateful towards their brothers and sisters in the bush than any of the colonial masters: Nkrumah, Tshombe, et. al. If you can find a copy, a good book to read is "Congo Kitabu", written several decades ago by a man who grew up in the Belgian Congo and witnessed the transition from Belgian control to independence.

Answer 8

Generally very badly and that may have been down to the fact that Colonial powers either handed the reins of government over to despots in waiting, or the charismatic leaders that stepped in to afford African government had nobody of similar quality to succeed them. African leaders are not good at training and grooming a political class to provide future leaders. Largely because they would be training future coup leaders.

Answer 9

Notably all ex colonial countries must learn to try and be scientific and technologically self sufficient to some degree.
Greater self discipline, tolerance, national pride, organisation, birth control, political awareness, financial control, and the art of spending money.

Most of the raw materials required for the above can be found in African countries.
Without the rapid introduction of some form of self dependency it is not possible to acquire any degree of modernity as I am aware.

Europeans advanced the world purely from the research of science and technology and so did the caveman survival.
the inability to have updated mechanism led to the final destruction of all the so called ancient empires.

My view subject to further enlightenment.

Answer 10

Ghana is in all hazard the main valuable. you are able to no longer blame Africans for all of their issues. The colonising countries left Africa traumatised and in a large number. coming up countries with opposing tribes and persevering with to benefit whilst Africa is left at ineffective night a while.

Answer 11

My dear, if you trace and realize the History of Africa, the Original Africans are black, just during the colonial time, they take advantage to use the Africans, and suddenly born into half until became white africans...

If you perceive what happened to the Africans in Africa, they have been ruled and took all their wealth, and made them slaves, and "provided a food"...which difinately, they have became a lazy person as like prince and princess that all they want is to eat and live...

The realilty is, all their wealth has been deplated, nothing is left such as artificats, diamonds, pearls, stones and other...

Now, they are learned, some of them have been educated, especially in the Northern Part of Africa, they learned ideas...they have challenges in their region...

But the problem is the tradition, norms, and adopted norms and tradition are still existed in the Region...I can say, it is hard to solve the problems in the Africa, generally, in the world, unless the Clash of Civilization will come true...

I CONCLUDE THAT THE PROBLEM IN AFRICA IS ABOUT THE ADOPTED NORMS AND TRADITIONS LEFT IN AFRICA WITH THE INFLUENCE OF AMERICANS, EUROPEANS AND ARABS...

<<>>