Written by Pius Ntinya, a revolutionary Pan Africanist with the United Pan-Africanist Movement.
The history of slavery and colonialism began as soon as the foreigners arrived in Africa. However, the intensity of these evil deeds was severe after the Berlin Conference.
Just after the Berlin conference in 1884/5, Africa fell in hands of plunders, exploiters, torturers, and destructors of humankind.
The Germans, UK, French, and Belgians were leaders followed by Italy, Portugal etc.
Germans opted for direct rule; the English indirect and the French Assimilation Policy.
Among the main three; Assimilation looked better to me as I learned it in school compared to Direct and Indirect rules.
This is where we need to unlearn and relearn – the most difficult and painful psychological and mental process in humankind, especially for those whose minds have been under colonial domination for quite a long period.
The Direct Rule by Germans was brutal and punitive but effective in its success. It was much practiced in Tanganyika, the former main German colonial territory, my homeland.
Indirect Rule was the rule by using fellow African leaders to colonize other Africans on behalf of the English. It started in West Africa by Lord F. Lugard and spread all over the British colonies up to East Africa, Tanganyika being one of them, this was after the Second World War. Lord F. Lugard became the colonial Governor of Uganda, Hong Kong, and Nigeria.
Arabs had their own ways too of turning Africans into Arabs in many destructive ways though many don’t know this yet, will talk about it in detail in another article as I live in one of the areas affected by Arab colonial rule.
Today, my main focus is on the “Assimilation Policy”, the form of colonial rule that was initiated by the French, starting from Senegal, where it enjoyed its destructive success and spread to many French colonies.
This policy intended to make or change Africans into total misfits! It uprooted Africans from their origin, from anything and everything that looked African! It uprooted Africans not only wealth but also their value and humanity as people!
In order to be full “assimilated” Africans were obliged to dress like French, walk like French, speak like French in terms of accents, tone, body gestures, and even smile and laugh; walk like French, Comb hair like French; dance like French with French music; eat in the French manner and eat French food; imitate French form of love, etc.
After staining all these artificial traits, some Africans were respected as nearly as French persons, some were given good residents and others got their salaries added and got promotions at work. Others were given French passports and permission to live in France. More badly, others were given French citizenship in exchange for their loss of dignity!
Just like me, many Africans thought this was a better colonial rule compared to Indirect and Direct Rule.
But, as I came to my senses, I realized that this was the “worst” form of colonial rule under the Sun. Yes worst than all.
This is because it uprooted Africans from their origin, culture, values, and dignity! It made them less than humans and more like misfits!
It was a strategic and technical human and race genocide. It was a mental, physical and psychological genocide that made humans(Africans) detach themselves from their source of creation which is their culture!
I just call upon all Africans to come back to their senses and unlearn and re-learn all these matters.
Why do we learn this? Is it historical and has no value in learning today? What does this help us now?
Yes, the effects of colonial rules are still in most of us. Most of us still think they are more valuable and civilized than others because they were colonized by the British or French.
If you go to Cameron today you will find two groups killing each other for only one reason, one speaks English and another French. The same applies to francophones and anglophones as each group regards the other as less important.
This is divide and rule, we need to get rid of all this.
We should not be decided by colonial masters’ affiliations, we are Africans and our values cannot be determined by an outsider. Following one’s culture does not add any value to us but devalues our humanity and dignity. Dear Africans return home now.
Written by Pius Ntinya, a revolutionary Pan Africanist with the United Pan-Africanist Movement.
