CineLand

Location:HOME > Film > content

Film

Colonial Borders and Their Impact on African Nations

January 07, 2025Film1115
Coloni

Colonial Borders and Their Impact on African Nations

Africa is famously known for having many borders that were essentially drawn by Europeans in their own interests. Why didn't African nations attempt to change these borders after gaining independence? Why are they still stuck in these arbitrary colonial forms?

The Lesson from the Lemon

When life gives you a lemon, you don’t focus all your energy and time crying and screaming for orange juice. Instead, you make lemonade, and that is precisely what African countries chose to do. Meanwhile, in Europe and the Middle East – formerly Northern Africa – border wars and conflicts are rife and never-ending.

The Difficulty in Redrawing Borders

It’s very easy to talk about redrawing these borders. If you did this, it could end up in a war. People may be killed, and you’ll end up being sanctioned by the UN.

Redrawing borders would require long and intense negotiations, particularly if you want a peaceful transition. The first question to answer is which new borders should replace the colonial ones. Who should be included or excluded? Pre-colonial Africa had no clearly defined borders; instead, it had vague “spheres of influence” of tribes, kingdoms, or warlords. Which countries gain territory, and which lose? Which countries cede resources to which others? Most African countries have a multitude of ethnic groups, and it may not be advantageous to chop these nations into small tribal units. Secession, like in the cases of Eritrea and South Sudan, has come after lots of bloodshed, while it has failed, as seen with Biafra, leading to even more bloodshed. The culture of politicians in Africa focuses on personal power and influence, rather than the maturity and wisdom needed to guide the peaceful redrawing of borders and creation of new states.

The Cost of Wars

Generally, each country wants to keep what it has, or perhaps some of its neighbors. This often leads to wars, and these wars are the most expensive luxuries in which humans indulge. As the war intensifies, all you really get are lines on a map, which often lead to more conflicts and instability.

For one thing, the various ethnicities in these countries are not neatly gathered in separate areas. Another reason could be that ethnic minorities live in parts of the country that are rich in natural resources, while parts of other countries that would join your country as a result of border changes are resource-poor.

Conclusion

Africa remains in the grips of the legacy of colonial borders. Redrawing these lines is a monumental task that requires both vision and unity. For now, the efforts of African nations focus on leveraging the resources and opportunities within their current borders to foster stability and progress.