The Berlin Conference and the Carve-up of Africa: Part 4

Ruth Nhere The Advent of Neo-Colonialism The intensified activities of the imperialist powers could not, however, prevent an upswing in the national liberation struggle and the birth of Africa’s first independent states. But adapting to the new conditions the monopolies were able at this stage to safeguard their basic interests, this time finding a new form of imperialist domination – neo-colonialism. Western ideologists have constructed a myriad of theories to define the new relationship between Europe and Africa in the post-independence period, hoping to show that with the demise of most of its colonial forms, imperialism had ceased to exist. But the actual experience of the young states under the yoke of neo-colonialism has shown that in this form, too, imperialism retains the export of capital as its most essential economic basis. And it is this basis that continues to account for the economic and financial dependence of African states on foreign industrial, raw material and banking monopolies. The export of capital also remains primarily responsible for ensuring the flow of super-profits to the imperialist powers. The objective results of neo-colonialism – the maintenance of backwardness and dependence; the plundering of natural and mineral resources; the intensification of exploitation of the working people by the imperialist and local bourgeoisie – have reinforced the growing awareness throughout our continent that capitalism can offer no solution t