Wednesday, August 16, 2017. 23:30GMT
The Enslavement Of Africa In Berlin Conference & The Need To Decolonise Her Through Biafra


In 1884-85, European countries shared African territories in Berlin, Germany. The Balkanization was a prelude of conflict of interest which almost threw France, Britain and Portugal into war.


According to Elisabeth Heath “the scramble for territory led to conflict among European powers, particularly between the British and French in West Africa; EGYPT, the Portuguese, and British in East Africa; and the French and King Leopold II in central Africa. The rivalry between Great Britain and France led Bismarck to intervene, and in late 1884 he called a meeting of European powers in Berlin. In the subsequent meetings, Great Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, and King Leopold II negotiated their claims to African territory, which were then formalized and mapped. During the conference, the leaders also agreed to allow free trade among the colonies and established a framework for negotiating future European claims in Africa. Neither the Berlin Conference itself nor the framework for future negotiations provided any say for the peoples of Africa over the partitioning of their homelands.”


Deducing from the above-undiluted evidence, the problem of Africa started in Berlin resolution, fewer elites gathered in a house and shared the whole continent of Africa. They presented Africa like a loaf of bread, placed it on top of the table and shared it with slicing knife; one to Britain, one to France, one to Portugal, one to Belgium one to Germany and so on and so forth.


When Europeans were sharing Africa, they never considered the well-being of the indigenous people that made-up African continent. It was a clear case of the master and the slave. Africa was subjected to slavery, the colonial masters dealt with her like a victim of mass rape, she was raped to bleeding and continues to bleed.


With the abolition of slave trade, can we comfortably say that slavery is over?


Though the British Empire abolished slave trade In 1807, Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which outlawed the slave trade, but not slavery itself.


European countries outlawed slave trade long ago but not the slavery itself. Africa is under slavery with neo-colonization as its baptism name.


We don't need Oxford or Cambridge dictionary to tell us what is slavery. A people is under slavery if they don't have control over their territory. A people is under slavery if they don't have control over their resources. A people is under slavery if they can't determine their future.


Can we count about two African countries that have control over their resources, territory and future? The answer is “NO”.


In all these, what may seem more dangerous is the colonial Master's representatives in Africa. When European Lords were leaving the shore of African waterways, they planted a bad seed that germinated into burden big tree. These colonial representatives have caused havoc to the African continent.

Taking Nigeria as a case study, when Britain was leaving the country, they planted Hausa-Fulani oligarchy as a bad seed that has caused and is still causing havoc in Nigeria. The Hausa-Fulani represents the British colonial Masters. They (Northern oligarchy) made sure that no section of Nigeria can regain her stolen freedom without a threat of war from Northern region.

Northern oligarchy received the colonial baton from Frederick Lugard of British Empire. No wonder a call for Biafra referendum is sounding like a call for war in their ears.

At this juncture, what can Africa do to regain her lost glory? What shall we do to restore our cultural heritage, norms and values? What shall we do to decolonize Africa? How then can we remove slave collar from our necks?

There's an invisible slave chain holding African nations, there's conspiracy to keep us busy with inconsequential things while our values go extinct. Those conspiracies include some inconsequential immoral TV shows and mind control programmes. The other day it was Big Brother Nigeria, who knows next? Maybe competition for the most naked girl.

The slave chain hanging on our neck and ankles will break the day Biafra is fully restored. Biafra will reposition Africa to her lost glory. Among all, peace shall return to African countries.

Biafra lived for only three years as a recognised country but its territory is as old as Royal David’s City and during its reign, it was a great nation. This country fabricated every single machine used during the war from manufacturing to finishing processes. Biafran scientists were in the last phase of developing submarine machines before the war ended in 1970.

The new Biafra nation, when restored, won't be a burden to other sister countries, rather it will be a nation built on peace, stability, big market, technology, tourism and entertainment.

It is time for the African Union (AU) as a matter of urgency to develop some modalities to decolonize Africa. This may include pondering on the possibility of stabilising Africa through the Biafra Republic as a panacea of its long awaited peace.

Th AU should avoid being selfish, no product of colonial Masters can save Africa. They have been manipulated to see Africa as a dumping ground. They have been programmed to cause havoc, instability and opposition to freedom.

I only condemn the obnoxious practice by current neo-colonial Masters, there may be some good things we may learn from colonial Masters also; they are organised. They respect the sanctity of their people's life. Some may call it racism, but to some people also, it is love for one's own people.

We Africans must learn to value our own. We must learn to respect self-determination. Just like the way Britain respected Scotland’s call for a referendum in 2013, we must respect individual members who may aspire to determine their political future, economic and cultural inclinations.

The Nigerian government must respect the indigenous people, power belongs to the people. These indigenous people include the Indigenous people of Biafra who are currently asking for a referendum.

Africa must get it right this time, France may not come to our aid, Britain may indirectly send us weapons instead of encouraging us to use ballot papers, Germany may leave us to our fate but we can not abandon our land.

Mama Afrika come to your children's aid! Your power is needed more than ever, one of your children needs freedom, like a mother, deliver her.

Chinedu Solomon
For IPOB Writers
Published by Jonas Rafeal
Axact

Axact

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