Berlin Conference of 1884 and Its Effect on Africa

After four centuries of transatlantic slave trade, the Industrial revolution was born and this marked a change in the Euro African relationship from buying and selling of slaves to a conquest for the African continent by European powers.

The scramble for the African continent was for its riches and this lead to the exploitation of the continent.

Before the conquest and fragmentation of the continent in 1884 the whites lived in small enclaves along the coastal line which were basically trade outpost with the locals, with the exception of South Africa and Algeria that had experienced a great surge of Europeans into her land.

The quest for trade amongst Europeans lead to frequent clashes along the Congo and Niger River mouths.

At the request of Portugal in 1884 a meeting was called by the German Chancellor von Bismarck of all major western powers to resolve the lingering conflict over the control of different parts of Africa.

When the conference opened in Berlin on November 15, 1884, fourteen countries were represented by plethora of ambassadors. The countries represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway (unified from 1814-1905), Turkey, and the United States of America. Of these fourteen nations, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the major players in the conference, controlling most of the colonies in Africa at the time.

The initial task of the conference was to agree that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins would be considered neutral and open to trade.

Despite its neutrality, part of the Congo Basin became a personal Kingdom (private property) for Belgium’s King Leopold II and under his rule, over half of the region’s population died.

The map used to divide the African continent was grossly inaccurate; large areas were described as terra incognita. When the meeting was over, new boundaries and territories were created, nearly one half of the new frontier imposed on Africa were geometric lines.

As a result of this conference African societies were rent apart, in all the new boundaries cut through some 190 culture group.

 The Berlin Act was an important change in international affairs.  It created the rules for “effective occupation” of conquered lands, ensuring that the division of Africa would take place without war among the European powers.  Through the Berlin Act, the European powers justified dividing a continent among themselves without considering the desires of the indigenous peoples.  While this appears extremely arrogant to us now, it seemed to them to be the obvious extension of their imperialism. 

The Berlin Conference is one of the clearest examples of the assumptions and preconceptions of this era, and its effects on Africa can still be seen today. 

The arbitrary boundaries the Europeans imposed often divided an ethnic group and also brought enemies under the same government causing strife that still exists today.

The boundaries of present day Africa were largely determined at the Congress of Berlin.

Great Britain desired a Cape-to-Cairo collection of colonies and almost succeeded though their control of Egypt, Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), Uganda, Kenya (British East Africa), South Africa, and Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), and Botswana. The British also controlled Nigeria and Ghana (Gold Coast).

France took much of western Africa, from Mauritania to Chad (French West Africa) and Gabon and the Republic of Congo (French Equatorial Africa).

Belgium and King Leopold II controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo (Belgian Congo).

Portugal took Mozambique in the east and Angola in the west.

Italy's holdings were Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and a portion of Ethiopia.

Germany took Namibia (German Southwest Africa) and Tanzania (German East Africa).

Spain claimed the smallest territory - Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni).

In 1960 when most African countries gained her independence division along ethnic and cultural line became the other of the day and poverty became a common thing amongst the populace.