Imperialism in Africa

Just as imperialism slit up Africa in the late seventeen hundreds, it continues to hurt its economy and people. Then, Britain, France, and other European countries were fighting over nearly the entire continent. Today, the European Union and the U.S. are fighting over the western areas of Africa.

While Europe was colonising Africa, many wars were started. Britain and France dominated, along with other European countries, because of economic influence and their armies. None of the African natives stood a ghost of a chance with their comparatively inferior weapons, and so Europe took over. At the Berlin Conference, many European nations with enough power gained a foothold for their military and spheres of influence. When Britain and others left, Africa suffered from post-colonisation. This essentially left poverty in their wake, which would naturally effect future generations, both economically and socio-politically.

Starting in 2002, Côte d'Ivoire's Muslim North and Christian South began a war amongst themselves, due to political differences. Their president, Laurent Gbagbo, claims the current issues are due to France imperialising and leaving the country in the past. Many Ivorians agree that this could be the place to blame, and some of the more liberal citizens support Laurent for his anti-imperialist opinions. Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast's disputed governor, is supported by the lefts of France for his democratic views. Gbagbo seems unwilling to give up his title to Ouattara due to poll rigging on both Ouattara's and his own side, and possibly other reasons. Ethnic bigotry has been advocated for either side, including the southern Catholics considering themselves more "authentic" Ivorians. The people hurt by the civil war are fighting back.

Transport strikes and violence in the streets are taking place in the county, as troops defend what they can. It seems like self-segregation, in a way, with how the Catholics and Muslims are politically separating themselves. Their democracy seems broken at this point in time.

Source: http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=23485