Foto by Ifeoluwa A

Neo-colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism is a seminal work by Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana and a leading figure in the African independence movement. Published in 1965, the book offers a critical analysis of the re-emerging form of imperialism known as neo-colonialism, which perpetuates the dominance of former colonial powers over newly independent African nations through indirect means.

Nkrumah begins by tracing the historical development of imperialism, highlighting how colonial powers exploited and subjugated Africa during the era of direct rule. He then identifies the transition from formal colonialism to neo-colonialism, arguing that the colonizers, unable to maintain direct control over the colonies, devised new strategies to maintain their economic and political influence in Africa.

According to Nkrumah, neo-colonialism involves the establishment of puppet regimes in newly independent states that appear to exercise sovereignty, while in reality, they continue to adhere to the interests of former colonial powers. He argues that these puppet leaders are selected and supported by the colonial powers, enabling them to maintain control over key resources and perpetuate economic exploitation in Africa.

Nkrumah explores the various tactics employed by neo-colonial powers to continue their influence. One of the main strategies is economic manipulation, in which multinational corporations from the former colonial powers use their economic power to exploit African resources and maintain control over local industries. Additionally, he discusses the role of foreign aid, arguing that it often serves as a tool for perpetuating dependency, rather than facilitating meaningful development.

Furthermore, Nkrumah highlights the importance of ideological control in neocolonialism. He argues that former colonial powers maintain their influence by promoting ideologies and cultural norms that serve their interests and suppress indigenous African values. This is achieved through the dissemination of educational materials, media control, and the propagation of Western cultural values.

Nkrumah also emphasizes the need for African nations to unite in order to combat neo-colonialism effectively. He argues for the creation of a continental union, emphasizing the importance of pan-Africanism and the necessity of African nations working together to resist foreign dominance. Furthermore, he advocates for the establishment of self-reliant economies and the implementation of socialist policies to drive national development.

In summary, Kwame Nkrumah's book provides a comprehensive analysis of neo-colonialism, outlining the tactics and strategies employed by former colonial powers to maintain control and exploit Africa even after achieving formal independence. He calls for unity among African nations, resistance against foreign influence, and the pursuit of self-reliant development to break free from the constraints of neo-colonialism. Nkrumah's work remains a significant contribution to understanding the ongoing struggles faced by African nations in the post-colonial era.

Desmond John Beddy

https://beddy.de

In a recent article (Africa - A continent on the Rise! - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/africa-continent-rise-dr-amos-mensah/), I quoted the late Nelson Mandela of South Africa who once said: ‘We stand at the dawn of an African century, a century where Africa will take its rightful place among the nations of the world’- how sweet these words of wisdom from a brave African Hero. Unfortunately, the firm grip on Africa and the determination of neocolonial powers as seen through both covert & overt recent events across the continent (notably the destruction of Libya) has prompted me to ask - Will Africa ever Take its Rightful Place among the Nations of the World? I have written a cursory about the internal weakness hindering the growth and the development process across the continent Africa (see: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/africa-missing-opportunity-reap-full-benefits-golden-age-mensah/ ) and so will not repeat it in this article. The focus of this article is to highlight the reality of external meddling and the continued colonization of the continent. I have no doubt these external meddling has played a huge role in the slowing down of Africa’s progress in development.

As a case study - let look at how the use of the CFA franc has been and still being used to control many African countries. Come to think of it - 14 African countries (i.e. Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon) still use the neocolonial currency – CFA (CFA stands for Coopération financière en Afrique centrale ("Financial Cooperation in Central Africa"). The CFA franc was introduced to the French colonies by France after the colonies gained their independence. Through the adoption and use of this currency, these former colonies still pay what is popularly believed to be a Colonial Tax (perpetual indebtedness to France). How? - Well, by the structure of the Terms & Conditions to use the CFA - these former colonies have to accept to deposit their currency reserves at the French National Bank in Paris. The terms and conditions also dictate that these colonies will have access to only 15% of their own currency deposited at the French National Bank in Paris. The remaining 85% of their own money has to be borrowed from the French Government at the going market rate if they want to access their own deposit. If this is not pure colonialism and the slowing down of progress - I don't know what to call it. Notice that - All finance ministers of these 14 countries must consult and seek directions from the French minister of finance anytime these countries have to meet with the IMF or WB for any financial negotiation. Unlike most real sovereign nations, these 14 countries can’t even print their own money when they need it because the CFA is tired to the EURO.

The fact is democracy in Africa is a facade - France (and all former colonial powers) never really completed the decolonization process; they have deliberately maintained systems and structures (i.e. Monitory/Economic, Political & Security Structures) that allows them to take full advantage of their former colonies. These colonial structures never allow their former colonies to freely decide on their developmental path. So these 14 CFA countries just like the rest of the countries on the continent are still under the firm grips of their colonial powers - mostly being controlled and manipulated through such proxy institutions as IMF & WB. The only time an African politician echoes the sentiments of his people is during elections, but notice how right afterwards, they turn their attention to fulfilling the austerity programs of these proxy institutions instead of the hopes and aspirations of the citizenry.

 For a brief period in the continent contemporary history, the only country which managed to resist the claws of these colonial powers for a while and somehow managed to champion its own development path was Libya. However, through a series of carefully orchestrated lies and deception of neocolonialists – (Championed by Nicolas Sarkozy of France, David Cameroun of UK, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama of USA) - all hiding behind the banner of Human Right and Democracy - We all know the end story of Libya today. Indeed, the destruction of Libya destabilized and shook the continent to the core. It led to the reintroduction of slave trade and a booming human organ trade in Libya, not forgetting the countless number of Africans perishing in the Mediterranean Sea daily.

So for Mandela’s dream (our dream) of Africa Taking its Rightful Place among the Nations of the World to become a reality, it is incumbent upon all Africans (citizens of the continent) to stand up and confront the ongoing covert & overt Destabilization/Destruction of the continent, while being vigilant of all the other subtle neocolonialist schemes hampering our developmental efforts, because I believe, the Place for African People is Africa - Not the Bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. 

As usual your comments, criticisms, questions and point(s) of correction etc. are welcome. Please kindly comment with positive suggestion(s) on how to develop our continent further, pushing the frontier beyond the current status-quo. Thanks.

Source: Dr. Amos Mensah Lecturer - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST)

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Freedom they say is taken and not given especially when one or groups are held down by Baboons and Monkeys in the zoo without a cogent reason other than Mr White man dictated it. As part of the effort from the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) to take freedom from Islamic Republic of northern Nigeria and her southern slave counterparts. 

The controversial and charismatic leader of the group (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the top leadership has announced the 16th of February 2019 as the D-day for the much awaited Referendum-date for Biafrans to cast votes to prove to the whole world their aspirations and seriousness to secede from the darkest damnable evil zoological contraption called Nigeria and into a nation.. There is no doubt the date chosen by IPOB coincides with the date of Nigeria general election coming up on the 16th of February , a ploy to cast aspersions and to demonstrate to the world Biafra's rejection of the Nigeria state as a willing partner.

Biafran Referendum unlike many others will be a Sit-At-Home Instead of the masses trooping out en mass to vote people they will vote by complying with "Sit-at-Home" order. Many thanks to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his deputy Uche Mefor and to all the hardcores Ipob's all over for the massive awareness in the land of 'milk and honey' (Biafraland) through the finest and second to non-Radio Biafra London. From all indexes and indications Biafrans at home and abroad are ever ready to obey the 'stay-at- home' as a way to support the good work of their leaders call for Referendum and Freedom.

The world is watching, while the Islamic oligarchs are scheming in disarray one things is for sure Biafrans are ready to leave Egypt and no amount of pressure will dissuade the children of God's not to end the 'devil and long spoon' romance with Almajiris north. Let us take solace in the wise counselling of supreme leader who always says 'In the end the popular wishes of the indigenous people of Biafra shall prevail and Biafra will come… Nigeria as a state has failed in every ramifications the only things awaits her now is to finally to crumble to earth. By boycotting the "repetitive deception" in the name of voting is the best way to go about the injustice and injury perpetuated by Fulani Oligarchies to Biafrans.

Therefore it now behold upon any sane minded Biafran that had made up his or her not to vote to carry others alone in the direction of this noble call. Hurray! Biafra is about to be free, do your part now. Cast your vote by adhering to "Sit-at-Home" order on the 16th of February 2019..May Chukwuabiama bless Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and all the principal officers of IPOB. Iseeee iseeeees iseeeees. Happy birthday to me once again.

By KC Adams

For the first time in its history, architecture's most prestigious award has been won by an African. 

We need to radically rethink the notion that Britain is helping Africa to develop. The UK's large aid programme is, among other things, being used to promote African policies from which British corporations will further profit. British policy in Africa, and indeed that of African elites, needs to be challenged and substantially changed if we are serious about promoting long term economic development on the continent.

UK companies’ increasingly dominant role in Africa, which is akin to a new colonialism, is being facilitated by British governments, Conservative and Labour alike. Four policies stand out. First, Whitehall has long been a fierce advocate of liberalized trade and investment regimes in Africa that provide access to markets for foreign companies. It is largely opposed to African countries putting up regulatory or protectionist barriers to such investment, the sorts of policies where have often been used by successful developers in East Asia. Second, Britain has been a world leader in advocating low corporate taxes in Africa, including in the extractives sector.

Third, British policy has done nothing to challenge multinational companies using tax havens; indeed the global infrastructure of tax havens is largely a British creation. Fourth, British governments have constantly espoused only voluntary mechanisms for companies to monitor their human rights impacts; they are opposed to enhancing international legally binding mechanisms to curb abuses.

The result is that Africa, the world’s poorest continent, is being further impoverished. Recent research calculated, for the first time, all the financial inflows and outflows to and from sub-Saharan Africa to gauge whether Africa is being helped or exploited by the rest of the world. It found that $134billion flows into the continent each year, mainly in the form of loans, foreign investment and aid. However, $192billion is taken out, mainly in profits made by foreign companies and tax dodging. The result is that Africa suffers a net loss of $58billion a year. British mining companies and their government backers are contributing to this drainage of wealth.

We need to radically rethink the notion that Britain is helping Africa to develop. The UK’s large aid programme is, among other things, being used to promote African policies from which British corporations will further profit. British policy in Africa, and indeed that of African elites, needs to be challenged and substantially changed if we are serious about promoting long term economic development on the continent.

By Mark Curtis
Mark Curtis is an author and consultant. He is a former Research Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and has been an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Strathclyde and Visiting Research Fellow at the Institut Francais des Relations

At just 31 years old, Rebeca Gyumi has a list of accomplishments anyone twice her age would be proud of. She has successfully challenged her country's legal system, winning a landmark ruling in 2016 to raise the age of child marriage for girls in Tanzania from 14 to 18; started a foundation to advocate for girls' education; won the UNICEF Global Goal Award and was named 2016 Woman of the Year by New Africa Magazine. Now, she's on her way to New York to collect the 2018 Human Rights Prize awarded by the United Nations.

"I was pretty much shocked. So shocked and caught unaware that I was even considered for such a prestigious prize," she tells CNN.

Gyumi was just a child herself when she started to see the injustice happening around her. She was 13 when some of her schoolmates were forced to drop out of school because of pregnancy and were married off. Volunteering at a youth initiative at the age of 20, she began to realize it was a national problem and not just a local one happening in her hometown of Dodoma.

"It bothered me that the age for boys to be married was 18 but for girls it was 14," she says.

It wasn't until she was in university studying law that she learned about the Law of Marriage Act of 1971 and saw the potential in trying to mount a legal challenge against it.

In 2016, with a couple of years as a lawyer under her belt, Gyumi and her colleagues decided to do just that. They started work on a legal case to petition against the Marriage Act, compiling reports to prove that child marriage for girls was an issue nationwide and why it needed to be stopped.

According to the country's national demographic and health survey of 2015/16, two out of every five girls marry before their 18th birthday with a prevalence rate of 37% nationwide, giving Tanzania one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world.

"Lots of people were not amused and thought we were disruptive, saying 'young people have tried before and failed.' But when we started attending sessions in court with a positive outcome, organizations came back and said they were willing to work together with us."

Gyumi and her colleagues persevered and in 2016, at the age of 29, she was victorious. Tanzania's High Court ruled that sections 13 and 17 of the Marriage Act were unconstitutionaland that the age for girls to legally marry should be raised to 18.

"I was so happy that day for the fact that a girl child had won. I was overwhelmed with joy," she says.

"I felt duty bound to fight for the girls I had interacted with. They didn't have enough information to know how to challenge what was happening to them."

The woman who fought to stop child marriages, and won

While her success was celebrated by many around the country, some hard-liners and traditionalists were not happy, attacking her for promoting a "Western culture."

Furthermore, the landmark ruling was subsequently thrust into legal peril when the government appealed against it last year. One of the arguments of their appeal states that child marriage can actually protect girls who get pregnant out of wedlock.

The case is currently in Tanzania's high court with a verdict due soon. Despite the challenge, Gyumi remains steadfast.

"For me I feel like we are at the moment where our country really needs to defend girls' rights. This appeal does not send a good message of our country's intention to protect girls generally. It will look really bad on the government if they win. There is no victory in winning a case that allows girls to get married younger. It's not a victory a country can be proud of."

Even if the law is upheld, Gyumi says there's still a lot of work to be done.

"The change in the law is not the only thing we're advocating for. We need to make sure the law is implemented at a ground level. We need to teach girls around the country to stand up for their rights and continue engaging with communities."

A girl gets married every 2 seconds somewhere in the world

Gyumi's success is testament to the power of education, a cause she now advocates for through her foundation, Msichana.

"The fact that I'm here today and doing what I'm doing is due to education. My family didn't have a lot but they sacrificed what they had to give me an education. Imagine what it's like for other people in my country, if they're able to get an education and explore life without limits, without boys telling them 'you're a girl, you can only go as far as this,' those kind of voices can then be challenged."

Winning the 2018 Human Rights Prize puts Gyumi on the international stage alongside other activists such as Malala Yousafzai, Denis Mukwege and Nelson Mandela, and it's not something she takes lightly.

"It's not just a personal honor but my country's honor, putting our country on the map. It's a proud moment for me and for the girls I stood up for and for the ongoing global progress that is happening around girls' and women's rights."

Asked what her message is to other young girls out there, her answer is simple.

CNN