By Ngembeni Wa Namaso
We have always been civilized nations.
Our father Namaso, shared stories with us, related to them by their father, Sese Mbile who in turn, had listened keenly to tales recounted by his father (my great-grand father), Sese Ngembeni. One such story was about conflicts involving our Nations (who possibly originated from the Bateka/Bateke – Congo).
Definition: By "nation", I mean here, a body of people united by common descent, history, culture and or language, inhabiting a particular territory .
So, the nation of our grandparents, was Batanga (believed to have migrated from Congo northwards, and leaving parts of the community in the Ocean division of South of today's Cameroon).
Now we are settled in the forests of Ndian (next to other “Orokos", Korup and related communities); the Mbo, Ejagham, Bakweri, Efik, Ijaw nations etc.). According to our history, conflicts could erupt, over some resources or customs, with one of the closest nations to the Batanga – the Ngolo. These two nations would later become known as Ngolo-Batanga (part of the bigger "Oroko" nation). We speak the same language, marry and share many customs.
As soon as there was serious injury during such conflicts, the elders of both nations would quickly meet separately, then together, and put a stop to all hostilities. And God-forbid, if someone were to die as a result of those conflicts, we are told, there would be many days of mourning and sacrifices (Saraka), to cleanse the land of such abomination.
We have always been civilized nations, squabbling, yes, but preferring to share (e.g., governance tools like Nyamkpe, learned from the Efik, that we shared with the Ejagham, Banyang; and the Malle, with Bakweri). We use them to resolve differences, vigorously, but peacefully, using their various traditional institutions and always via consensus and later, celebrations.
The Ngolo-Batanga anecdote on conflict and resolution through consensus still holds true today. To varying degrees, this is also true all over Africa (see Gatchatcha courts after the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis). I would imagine, this happens beyond Africa too.
But the Ngolo-Batanga, like many culturally civilized nations did not always go further afield, into neighboring nations to impose their culture; customs and practices on them. Instead, we mostly remained in our naïve contentment, to become like so many Africans, the victims of what was to come – the Berlin 1884 catastrophe.
The 1884 catastrophe and some of its fall-outs
If I describe Berlin1884, as a catastrophe, it is because I argue its intent and especially, its aftermath has been of great disservice to Africans. The continent has since participated unwillingly, and willingly in, two so-called “World Wars”, multiple invasions/military interventions, protracted colonization, questionable United Nations resolutions, full-blown Apartheid in many countries, Christianity, Islamization, assassinations, phenomenon of “Independent countries”, coup d’état’s, civil wars, forced democracy, international indebtedness, versions of human rights, patterns of the environmental movement, serious corruption, regional economic and political blocs, globalization, etc.…
Many of these systems or phenomena have been off-shoots, products of the 1884 catastrophe.
Also called the “Berlin Conference”, this catastrophe involved the deformation of the nations of Africa; chopped-up, divided, arbitrary boundaries imposed, the territories shared between European “powers” (why else would they be called “powers” if not for their armies?); for plunder, exploitation and especially, for the ultimate design of all - Cultural Imperialism.
Definition: Cultural imperialism is; the exercise of domination in cultural relationships in which the values, practices, and meanings of a powerful foreign culture are imposed upon one or more native cultures.
From 1884 to-date cultural imperialism has evolved, has been re-branded/repackaged, has metamorphosed according to the times, needs of Europeans, Americans; and /or ‘transformations’ of African peoples and their relationship to the power and influence of especially the “European powers” or their surrogates.
Three “nations’ however, USA, Russia and China have evolved through very specific ways with lessons for Africa, and relevant to this article. The USA is very much still a ‘nation’ in progress (as they say – still working towards achieving their perfect Union). These nations are succeeding (or have succeeded) better than most, to escape the worst of cultural imperialism.
How America, Russia and China escaped cultural imperialism
The United States territory was also a colony of one of the Berlin 1884 “powers” – United Kingdom . However, like so many countries, the USA won her “independence” through bloodshed, although the leaders who won her Independence from the United Kingdom were Europeans themselves.
Nevertheless, I would argue that, what truly saved the Americans from full-blown cultural imperialism was not only because they shared the same culture as Europeans, but first their decisive victory in the War of Independence, and their decision of December 15th 1791 – in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution - the Right to keep and bear arms.
So, when Dwight Eisenhower, ex-military republican President in his 1961 speech spoke of the “Military-Industry Complex” (MIC) he simply drew attention to an essential element in America’s defense against cultural imperialism; and many would argue, a leader in cultural imperialism for over three centuries. Bottom-line, to keep cultural imperialism at-bay, you need to be strong.
Imperialism itself is less important to this article. Although recognizing its existence is important, defense against it, is more important, and tells us how nations have protected themselves, continue to do so, and the important place of unity of the nation(s), and military strength or alliances.
For instance, in 1905 when the Russian workers’ revolt failed in Moscow, Lenin, Trotsky and others resolved that, for their people to liberate themselves, they must be strong and united. The Chinese long March (1934-1936) was a military retreat by Mao Dzedong in the face of Kuomintang Nationalists (who later fled and created Taiwan). Chairman Mao later prevailed to create today’s communist China – arguably the world largest economy.
So, the liberation of all of the world’s greatest nations has always come through struggle – military struggle, then transformed into industrial and economic power.
A key point to note about these examples is that, the liberations have also been about identity and to unite the nations (the peoples). Little wonder one of China’s greatest ambitions is uniting mainland China with Taiwan to make one people - one true nation, – a mission she is willing to accomplish even by force of arms.
And despite the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia’s determination to build a single Russian nation (hence Crimea, part of Ukraine...), is also about uniting Russian peoples – a nation (peoples), broken up and dismembered cannot defend herself/themselves from cultural imperialism.
This is the only way to claim a national identity and thereafter, deliver to a nation’s forebear, freedom, prosperity and strength, not in balkanization and tattered dismemberment.
Berlin 1884 - the African catastrophe ( - teaser)
Kwame Nkrumah, whose mantra for African emancipation was, “African nations must unite”, was exiled in 1966 from the land of his birth – then nick-named “gold coast”. He took refuge in Ahmed Sekou Toure’s Guinea, then under punishment by the French for daring to become a nation of Africans - ghosts of 1884
When Patrice Lumumba delivered his African emancipation speech in 1960 during his country’s independence, he spoke of unity of African peoples, and became a marked man; he was later brutally murdered in Katanga - ghosts of 1884
Today Africans in eastern Congo – e.g. Kivu etc. especially those of the Kinyarwanda nation are caught between a brutal projection of Berlin, 1884 – one foot in the DRC and another in Rwanda – watching their lives being destroyed while the world swaps different versions of the root causes of the suffering - ghosts of 1884
Recently, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali communities, cognizant of their deep cultural links, common language, food and customs, traditions of their peoples; became fed-up with a common problem across their ancestral territories - the continuous and inexplicable murders, terrorism and destitution of Africans - ghosts of 1884
Under Military leaders these societies came together to create a federation, invited the Russians to help them militarily (and secured the departure of the French and American soldiers). They were sanctioned heavily, roads blocked, electricity cut-off, and were threatened with military attack ( by war), to be led by the west African Berlin 1884 country's organization - ECOWAS and its allies - ghosts of 1884.
As I write, this confederation of African peoples of the Sahel has created an alliance - the AES, to better defend themselves, seek strength in numbers and connect their peoples. They are now engaged in what Captain Ibrahim Traore (Burkina Faso) called “a High Intensity War”. At this moment, Malian and Burkinabe men and women are engaged in a “high intensity war” in Northern Mali - ghosts of 1884.
But how did all this come about?
Berlin 1884 - the creation of the catastrophe
In 1884 Fourteen (14) countries (13 European and the USA) sat in Berlin to share the nations of Africa amongst themselves. They were Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway and the United Kingdom.
Without any African nations, this was neither solicited nor desired. The “Dark Continent” as they called Africa, was carved-up and called arbitrary names, after all kinds of things.
Ethiopia and Liberia were not included in this “partage”.
After 75 years of plunder, exploitation, and abuse, many too horrific to recount, “Gold Coast”, today’s Ghana was the first African country to be “granted independence" in 1957.
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To sum-up, enter Mr Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) Party, who ran for president of South Africa this year.
His favorite question was: “How is it, Africans (unlike the USA, Russia or China) seek freedom and prosperity for their forebear, yet remain ferociously faithful to the boundaries conceived in Berlin 1884, that had as single goal; to separate authentic African nations, to plunder the continent and prevent them from meaningful emancipation ?”
So, what do you think?
Are we viable as separated African nations in Berlin 1884 territories-cum countries ?
Does it make sense to try to re-invent Africa through Berlin 1884, or is Julius Malema, right?
54 former Berlin 1884 territories, trying very hard to become “Countries”, worse, each one trying to forge, build and sustain (I would say impossible) “New National Identity”, cosmetically appearing to suppress and sometimes scandalously demonizing our authentic African national identities, all because many still remain hooked to Berlin 1884 - the African catastrophe.
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