Colonial Regimes Set up Africans for Failure At Independence Part I

As the winds of change began to blow across the African continent it became evident that freedom and independence were the way forward. The colonial powers wanted to ensure that African countries that became independent would continue to struggle so that others would not strive for independence and they could just that colonialism was good for Africans.

European colonial governments transferred power too quickly creating a power vacuum leaving unresolved issues which eventually led to internal conflicts and civil wars.

Case studies

Western Sahara:

Spain abruptly pulled out of the region without transferring power properly to the local leaders. This led to Morocco and Mauritania to invade the territory which is rich in phosphate. This fight for minerals led to this conflict based on historic rights. The POLISARIO a Western Sahara nationalist groups fought the Mauritanians out of the country on the grounds of sovereignty. To this day they have not been able to drive out the invading Moroccans.

Democratic Republic of Congo formerly Zaire:

When the Belgians announced they were handing over power to the Africans; there was no transition period. Chaos ensured and the Belgians backed the succession of the mineral rich Katanga region by Moise Tshombe.  The people of the Katanga region who had no problems paying taxes to Belgium suddenly had issues sending taxes to an African government in Leopardville now Kinshasa the capital of Congo at the time. Tshombe used Belgian mercenaries to suppress Africans who wanted a united Congo.

President Kasavubvu had to ask the United Nations (UN) to send troops to restore order and suppress the Belgian insurgency. The UN troops expelled the Belgian mercenaries and Tshombe dropped the bid for succession.

President Kasavubvu and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba had a disagreement regarding who was to run the Congolese government. This was strange because a Prime Minister always runs the government in a system with a Prime Minister and President. Thereafter, Colonel Mobuto the military general took over power and destroyed the legitimate democratic government and set Congo 50 years backward into poverty, disease and dependency on foreign aid.

Lumumba escaped the coup but was captured in Katanga and killed under mysterious circumstances. Mobuto reinstated President Kasavubvu to the president to try and legitimize his military coup. Supporters of democracy and government of Africans representing African interests led by Antoine Gizenga formed a government of they own in Kisangani then Stanleyville.

Reconciliation between Congo and Katanga only took place after Tshombe was invited by Kasavubvu to form a unity government and become Prime Minister.