Historical Perspective on the complexity of Africa ......26/06/2013 AAMIG presentation - Historical...

Max de Vietri 27 June 2013

AAMIG

Historical Perspective on the complexity of Africa (Focused on northwest Africa)

26/06/2013 AAMIG presentation - Historical perspective

of Africa 1


of Africa 2

► The size of Africa

► Principal continental-wide interactions < 1500 AD Great advance 1500 – 1885 Decline 1885 – 1914 1st Scramble for Africa 1914 – 1960 Wakeup call 1960 – present 2nd Scramble for Africa

► Today’s ethnicities (race, language, culture)

► Perspective of present-day problems (mainly north Africa)

► International Relations of Africa

Purpose of the presentation: • Demonstrate the complexity of the situation in (north) Africa • Show that Africa needs social and political understanding

~30 million sq. km AFRICA


of Africa 3

Australia ~7.7 million sq. km

UK ~242,000 sq. km

~30 million sq. km AFRICA


of Africa 4

Australia ~7.7 million sq. km

UK ~242,000 sq. km

+ 1,000,000,000 people

AFRICANS


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To be “African”… Is it a modern day invention? All are Africans but they are not an ethnic unity!

Arab / Indian

Romans / Mediterraneans


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0 AD – 1,000 AD AFRICA

The Prophet Mohamed; born 570 AD Mecca 630 AD Died 632 AD

Arabs army defeat Byzantine , Cairo 641AD Arabs cross the Straits of Gibraltar in 711 AD

Arabs + Berbers

Arabs

Muslim conquest energised culture in Africa and began the re-civilisation of Western Europe

Approximate line of penetration of Islamic religion and Arab influence beginning 7th C

Berbers

Bantu

Cairo

Gibraltar


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AFRICA 1,000 AD – 1,500 AD

Many African states and kingdoms with advanced social and political structures similar to later developments in Europe, trading as far as China

Mansa Musa I 1280 – 1337 Established Mali as a world leader in military, economic and intellectual power

When Mansa Musa went to Mecca, he distributed so much gold on his way that the international price fell so badly the then-know world economy was affected for over 20 years!

Abubakari II 1312 abdicated and set across Atlantic with 1000 ships


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AFRICA 1,000 AD – 1,500 AD

Mansa Musa I 1280 – 1337 Established Mali as a world leader in military, economic and intellectual power

When Mansa Musa went to Mecca, he distributed so much gold on his way that the international price fell so badly the then-know world economy was affected for over 20 years!

Abubakari II 1312 abdicated and set across Atlantic with 1000 ships


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AFRICA 1,000 AD – 1,500 AD

Holy Roman Empire? Charlemagne?


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1500 – 1800 Trading with Europeans

Songhai States Hausa

States

Borno

Darfur

Kongo

Buganda

Bozwi

Inland African states and kingdoms were now in decline with cross-Sahara caravan trade being replaced by European sea-trade

1505 - First trading post established by Portuguese

1659 - First French trading post at mouth of Senegal River

1652 – Dutch colony established in Cape Horn 1685 + Huguenots 1795 + British

Slaves / Ivory / Gold / Wood

Coastal ethnic groups thrived on trade with the Europeans

1800 – 1900


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1881- The French took the region of present day Tunisia under the

pretext of an “Islamic terror” incident, as the Islamic Ottoman Empire was beginning to implode

Who is the coloniser? Who is the aggressor?

Established since 8th Century

“The clash of civilisations” … continued into a 2nd round?


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The Berlin Conference

1885 Otto von Bismarck First Chancellor of newly unified Germany

• Called to formalise the “First Scramble for Africa” • No African present • King Leopold invites Henry Morton Stanley “help him civilise the continent”

United Germany Austria-Hungary Belgium Denmark France United Kingdom Netherlands Portugal Russia Spain Sweden-Norway Ottoman Empire (United States)

1885


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The treaty of Berlin

Liberia

Ethiopia

Good and bad effects …. ….intentional and unintentional

Economic growth


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WWI and WWII Showed the African that:

• Whites were not invulnerable

• there were different ideas and exchanges

• not all of Africa was colonised

• freedom was valuable

• links could be formed between elites

Another African resource was exploited:

fighting men

1945 Manchester Pan-African Congress

1960s


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M. Naguib / Gamel Abdel Nasser Independence of Egypt 18 June 1953

Kwame Nkrumah Ghana First President 1957

Julius Nyerere Tanzania First President 1961

Leopold Senghor Houphouët-Boigny Ben Bella Patrice Lumumba Jomo Kenyatta Hastings Banda Kenneth Kaunda Samora Machel Moktar O Daddah

WWII • Weakened the European powers • Awoke African champions • Catalyst for the decolonisation of Africa

1956 - Suez defeat… But France & UK forced to withdraw by US & USSR

Independence

1970s


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Good times for some (eg. Algeria - +8% growth)/ bad times for others

1980s Rampant inflation in US. Measures to curb through change in international terms of trade …

Sends African countries into economic/political tailspin. (eg. Algeria - revenues fall 50%... civil war)

Cold War (1947 – 1991) upsets balance of power in several countries as both US

and USSR upheld autocratic leaders

Good time for some

Bad time for all

WTO


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International trade - African efforts were focused:

• Develop national strategies • Deepen African integration; • Facilitate international trade • Building trade-enabling infrastructure

Problems: • Supply-side problems • Infrastructure deficiency • Regional integration

Very stiff western competition

• Formed 1995 • Liberalise and regulate international trade & improve access • Platform to negotiate, formalise and regulate trade agreements


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GOLD MINERALS PETROLEUM COAL TIMBER AGRICULTURE

2nd scramble for Africa ~15 million sq. km consists of Archaean to Palaeozoic basement ~15 million sq. km of Palaeozoic to Recent sedimentary basins plus continental edge


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AFRICANS 2,000 native languages spoken in Africa

Ethnicity:

Race Language Culture Religion Clothes Food Customs

Where do the very weak and poor find activity and some profit?


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TRAFFICKING

Main “narco-traffic” routes

Cocaine Heroin Cigarettes Arms People

Illicit traffic ► Backed by “Big Man”

► Done by the poor and the “bound”


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AFRICA USA - French & British attack On Gadhafi regime

WHY ?

International “Relations”

- With their arms and their Islamist “mates”

On fall of Gadhafi – Return of “out-of-work” Touareg mercenaries to homelands and tribes


of Africa

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AFRICA Militant Islamists’ - Centres of recruitment

Libya – Benghazi, Awbari Algeria - Tindouf Mauritania – Nema, Mali - Timbuktu, Kidal, Taoudeni Niger - Arlit, Agadez Nigeria - Kano, Maiduguri Chad – Faya, Zouar Sudan – Nyala, El Obeid Somalia – Belet Huen, Lugh Ganana Etc, etc….

Religious zealots Youth –

Disaffected Unemployed Marginalised

Recruitment centres

NOW AUGMENTED BY:

Armed mercenaries


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AFRICA

Ansar Dine 2011

(Lyad Ag Ghaly)

“Defenders of the Faith”

POVERTY UNEMPOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

United under the banner of “Islamism” Not Islam!)

MUJAO 2011 spilt from AQIM

“Islam and Jihad”

MIA 2013

(Alghabass Ag Intalla spilt from Ansar Dine ?)

“Independence of Azawad”

Signed-in-Blood 2012 Split from AQIM

“Global Jihad”

Boko Haram “Western education is sinful”

Al Qaeda into West Africa ~2007

MNLA 2011

(roots in 1960s)

AQIM 2007

Moktar Belmoktar (ex – GSPC)

“Al Qaeda in Maghreb”

Trouble spot


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Major Mali uprisings: 1963, 1992, 2007-2009, 2012

Did the French now overpromise on Azawad ?

Touareg: Ifogha tribe(5) Intalla family (mixed (Berber / Black)+Arab)

Mixed with Arabs 7th - 15th Century and adopted Islam, camel and Bedouin habits Lyad Ag Ghaly: Ansar Dine

Moussa Ag Assarid: MNLA

Alghabass Ag Intalla : MIA

Azawad


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Organised into 7 confederations – subdued by 1917 but traditional territory divided and absorbed into several “Wesphalian” states


Mixed with Arabs 7th - 15th Century and adopted camel and Bedouin habits Lyad Ag Ghaly: Ansar Dine



Recruitment centre


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Recruitment centre Gold mines & projects


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Recruitment centre Gold mine Petroliferous basin

Recruitment centre Gold mines & projects Petroliferous basins



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22 March 2012 Capt. Sanogo coup d'état 5 April 2012 MNLA begin offensives 27 June 2012 MNLA and MUJAO clash 17 July 2012 MUJAO join Ansar Dine 11 Jan 2013 French Army arrives


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International bodies

AU Formed 2002

Present Head: Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma 54 signatory governments (Morocco out in 1984 over SADR membership) Objectives are:

Unity, solidarity, sovereignty, integrity, globalisation

Legislative body of the AU – PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT Plans for … but $$$?

RAPID RESPONSE FORCE


of Africa 33

Sudan-South Sudan oil conflict brings new role for Beijing China’s growing investment in Africa has led to an unprecedented mediation role in a bitter dispute between South Sudan and Sudan over oil exports. It is contrary to China’s long-standing hands-off approach and potentially heralds a stronger involvement in the affairs of resource-rich countries.

29 May 2013 Vol. 4, № 18

We have to be careful and not be too dogmatic in our approach to Africa and its problems

“If we don’t get it right. Someone else will”

Since 2009 – Africa’s largest trading partner

http://www.futuredirections.org.au/publications/indian-ocean/29-indian-ocean-swa/1070-sudan-south-sudan-oil-conflict-brings-new-role-for-beijing.html




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tangiers petroleum limited “African mining and petroleum wealth represents one of the world's most exciting investment growth opportunities”

2011 Investment in Africa Malaysian $ 19.3 Billion ( Africa’s biggest investor) Chinese $ 16.0 Billion ( + 2000 Co / 55 states) Australian $ ?3.0 Billion ( ~ 250 Co / 42 states)


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Purpose of the presentation: • Demonstrate the complexity of the situation in (north) Africa

• Africa needs to reduce poverty in its growing population • Africa needs to reduce discrimination and marginalisation • Africa needs employment for its youth • Africa needs to generate activity and create opportunities

• AFRICA NEEDS socially and politically sensitive trade and investment and that’s a two-way deal


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The makers of today’s Africa


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The builders of tomorrow’s Australian bridges to Africa?

AAMIG, Thank you

Historical Perspective on the complexity of Africa ......26/06/2013 AAMIG presentation - Historical...

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