UNIT6: CAUSES OF DECOLONISATION IN AFRICA WITH CASE STUDIES OF GHANA AND KENYA
Key unit competenceBy the end of this unit, you should be able to examine the causes of
decolonisation in Africa with two case studies of Ghana and Kenya.
Introductory Activity 6.1
Using the internet or the library carry out a research on
the decolonization of Africa. Then, examine causes andconsequences of decolonization of Ghana and Kenya.
Introduction
This Unit 3 puts emphasis on the definition of the term
“decolonisation” and analyses different factors that helped Africancountries to recover their independence.
The causes of decolonisation in Africa are various. They include
effects of the Second World War; the demystification of the
colonizers; the role played by the African elite; continuous
opposition to the colonial system and to exploitation; creation of
United of Nations Organization (UNO) in 1945 and its; activities
anti-colonialist attitude of the superpowers — USSR and the USA;
rise of independent Churches in Africa, role of Christian Churches;
oppressive and exploitative colonial policies of colonialists;
development of mass media; formation of political parties; activities
of the Organization of African unity (OAU) as a continental body to
promote African nationalism; western education; independence ofAsian countries, and others.
After the examination of the different causes of the decolonisation of
Africa, attention will be placed on the various steps that were taken by
two African countries, Ghana and Kenya, in the process of achievingtheir sovereignty.
6.1. Causes of decolonisation of Africa
Learning Activity 6.1Explain any four factors that led to the decolonisation of Africa..
Definition of decolonisation
Decolonisation is the act of withdrawal of colonialists, granting
independence to a colony. Decolonisation was a mass movement for
emancipation of the colonised people which characterised the historyof the world in the second half of the 20th century.
Causes of decolonisation in AfricaA combination of factors contributed to the decolonisation in Asia and
Africa, and to the rise and growth of African nationalism. These factors arediscussed below.
Continuous opposition to the colonial system and to exploitation
The colonised people started and continued to oppose colonial
policies. This was manifested in passive resistance which was
expressed through different ways. These included the refusal to be
subjected to the laws of whites and to pay taxes, the refusal to work
as porters; orders, declining to give information or giving misleadinginformation; fleeing, or indifference.
The growth of African nationalism
African nationalism was characterised by the strong desire for
self-determination and desire for political, economic and cultural
independence by Africans in Africa supported by Africans in the
diaspora. It was influenced by independent African states likeEthiopia and Liberia as well as colonial exploitation.
To prepare the African elite, colonial masters awarded scholarships to
Africans to study abroad and these students came into contact with
the white liberals and socialists who were against colonisation. They also
witnessed democracy at work in European countries and America,
and wondered why such democracy was denied to Africans. On
returning to Africa, the elites demanded for democratic governmentsand an end to colonisation.
The African elite played a paramount role in the growth of
nationalism. The elite seriously engaged in the decolonisation
process, especially after the Second World War. They founded trade
unions and political parties locally or in European and American
universities and became privileged cadres with writings and
associations. The elites started the negritude movement that glorified
Africa. The glorification of Africa through negritude was nothing elsebut a violent rejection of European imperialism.
Effects of the Second World War
Africans who participated in the Second World War witnessed the
weakness of Europeans, sometimes as cowards, retreating and
dying during battles. They also learnt that Europeans were not as
special as they believed them to be, since they could also die of
bullets like Africans. When they returned to Africa, they organised andtrained their fellow Africans to fight against colonisation.
The 1941 Atlantic charter
The 1941 Atlantic Charter was a document signed by American
President Franklin Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill. It stated that all people of the world had a right to choose a
form of government best suited to them and all people under colonial
rule were to be given to self-rule. This charter later inspired Africans todemand for self government.
Effects of the creation of UNO in 1945
The United Nations Organisation (UNO) was formed in 1945 after
World War II. This was a new international peace keeping body
that replaced the League of Nations. UNO set up a Decolonisation
Committee charged with the responsibility of granting political
freedom to all colonised people. The UN Trusteeship Council partly
prepared African countries to get their independence. UNO was
based on the principle of equality and the right of the people todecide for themselves.
The UNO became the spokesperson for colonised people and put
pressure on former colonial masters to grant them self rule. It also
organised conferences where sensitisation on the need for self rule wasdone.
The anti-colonialist attitude of the super powers
The two super powers of the world were United States of America
(USA) and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). They both had
anti-colonial attitude. The Americans were aware of negative impact
of colonisation. For the Soviets, colonisation meant exploitation of
colonies by powers. Besides, the socialist Revolution of 1917 in Russia
aimed at combating all forms of exploitation, especially labour. With
such a background, the two super powers exerted pressure on the
colonial masters to decolonise. They also provided both military
and financial assistance to African nationalists to enable them fightfor self-rule.
The 1935 invasion of Ethiopia by Italy
Ethiopia had survived the 19th century European colonisation only to
be attacked by Mussolini in 1935. This made Africans mobilise funds,
soldiers and weapons to liberate Ethiopia from Italian colonialism.
Africans learnt that armed resistance was the only way to pushcolonialism out of Africa.
The pan-African movement
Pan-Africanism is a worldwide intellectual movement that aims
to encourage and strengthen solidarity between all people of
African descent. The movement has support among Africans in the
Caribbean, Latin America and the United States. It is based on the belief
that unity is vital economic, social, and political progress and aims to unify
and uplift people of African descent. The ideology asserts that the fate of
all African peoples and countries are intertwined. Pan-Africanism is “a
belief that African peoples, both on the continent and in the diaspora,share not merely a common history, but a common destiny”.
The founders were Marcus Garvey, who was a proponent of Black
Nationalism in Jamaica and the United States; William Edward
Burghardt “W. E. B.” Du Bois, an American sociologist, historian, civil
rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor; and George
Padmore, from Trinidad who was a leading Pan-Africanist, journalist,and author.
The movement contributed to the sensitization of Africans against
colonialism, and the formation of a united voice of Africans to
pressurize UNO to speed up the process of decolonisation.PanAfricanism stressed that “Africa is for Africans”.
Some leaders of Pan-Africanism
The formation of Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963
The Organisation of African Unity was a continental body that aimed
at promoting African unity. It set up a Liberation Committee based in
Dar-es- Salaam. Through the Liberation Committe, OAU provided
military, financial and moral assistance to liberation movements
in Angola, Algeria, Mozambique, apartheid in South Africa; and
elsewhere to fight against colonialism. This increased the pace ofdecolonisation.
African leaders that it was possible to win independence for their
Independence of Asian countries
respective countries.
After of regaining their independence, the new Asian nations
identified with countries which were still under colonial rule.
The “AfroAsiatic movement” was born in 1947 during the conference in New Delhi.
The movement was based on the refusal to be affiliated to any ideological
bloc; fighting against imperialism; support to national movements;
and the search for economic renewal.
This movement was strengthened during the famous Afro-Asiatic
conference which met in Bandung, Indonesia from April 18th to 24th, 1955.
It was considered as the birth of the third world. It brought together
representatives from 28 Asian and African states who condemnedcolonialism.
Formation of political parties
African elites formed politcal parties in their respective countres. These
political parties included African National Congress (ANC) in South
Africa, Convention Peoples Party (CPP) in Ghana, and Tanzanian
African National Union (TANU) in Tanzania. All these helped in
mobilising fellow Africans to struggle against colonial rule. They also
petitioned the United Nations and super powers about the need todecolonise Africa.