African independence movements

This technique was commonly used in many African colonies. Through this technique, independence was gained following

1. social,
2. economic, and
3. political pressures that existed during those days.

Liberation leaders employed various tactics in their fight for independence, including:

1. Establishment of political parties to unite people under a common goal.
2. Providing civic education to raise awareness about colonial oppression.
3. Holding peaceful demonstrations to demand political and social rights.
4. Establishing newsletters, leaflets, and newspapers to spread nationalist ideas.
5. Organizing strikes by workers and peasants to challenge colonial rule.

Independence was eventually granted after negotiations between nationalist leaders and colonial representatives. Tanzania Mainland, formerly Tanganyika, gained independence through negotiations on December 9, 1961.

Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, under the TANU party, played a key role in leading the struggle for independence from British colonial rule.

Country	Year
Ghana	1957
Uganda	1962
Zambia	1964
Malawi	1964

The negotiated independence had many outcomes to African countries. The following are some of those effects:

1. Independence was achieved without bloodshed. This was possible due to the pressure put on the colonialists;
2. Introduction of multi-party systems in the colonies. These parties fought for independence of their countries. Their goal was to govern their countries replacing the colonial governments. For example, in Tanganyika parties such as TANU, ANC, UTP and AMNUT were formed;
3. Establishment of political party branches across the country. These branches served as centres for spreading ideologies and messages from the top leadership. Similarly, these branches were also responsible for receiving the views and grievances from the members;accused of opposing two district commissioners. Judgement of his case was a fine of Tshs 3 000.00 or six months imprisonment. He paid the fine and continued with the struggle.

Reasons for armed struggle

This technique was used in colonies with a significant number of European settlers. These settlers:

1. Owned large tracts of fertile land and mines.
2. Established factories and large plantations for crop production and livestock keeping.
3. Became economically and politically powerful, making them unwilling to leave their possessions.
4. In some cases, settlers became citizens of the colonies, further resisting independence efforts.

Examples of colonies with settlers

The armed struggle for independence was prominent in:

1. Algeria
2. Angola
3. Kenya
4. Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
5. Namibia
6. South Africa
7. Mozambique
8. Guinea Bissau

Tactics used in armed struggles

Liberation movements in these colonies resorted to armed resistance to fight for independence. Some key strategies included:

1. Appealing for support from Non-Aligned countries such as China and Cuba.
2. Providing military training to young people through nationalist political parties.
3. Engaging in direct combat against colonial forces.
4. Destroying colonial properties, settler settlements, infrastructure, and investments to weaken the colonial system.

Impacts of armed struggle for independence

The following are the impacts of the armed struggle for independence:

1. Freedom was gained through bloodshed and the destruction of several properties. The settlers, citizens, militants and leaders were killed during the battles;
2. Leaders and freedom fighters were forced to live in exile in friendly countries;
3. These liberation wars lasted for many years. For example, liberation struggles took ten years in Mozambique and Angola; 24 years in Namibia; and 33 years in South Africa. This affected many Africans;
4. Military training and coordination of liberation struggles were done in exile because of the restrictions posed by the colonialists. For example, the Mozambican FRELIMO militants and South African ANC activists were hosted by Tanzania where they received military training;
5. Presence of refugees in some African countries as a result of wars in their country. For example in Tanzania, Ruvuma, Mtwara and Lindi Regions hosted many refugees from Mozambique;
6. Several party leaders and militants were imprisoned to weaken their parties and suppress the independence movement. The pressure from the public, however, increased and independence was achieved;

Reasons for revolutionary struggles

Revolutionary struggles for independence occurred when colonialists:

1. Handed power to a small group of loyalists (puppets) instead of the majority.
2. Sought to protect their interests even after independence.
3. Allowed settlers or feudal lords (mwinyi) to remain in power while keeping Africans in subordinate positions.

Examples of countries that gained independence through revolution

1. Zanzibar
2. Egypt

The first President of Zanzibar Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume and the leader of Zanzibar revolution

Tactics used in revolutionary struggles

Revolutionary movements used tactics similar to armed struggles, including:

1. Overthrowing puppet governments to establish true independence.
2. Forming and training special revolutionary forces to fight for liberation.
3. Establishing new governments that included diverse groups of citizens.
4. Seeking diplomatic relations with friendly countries to gain material and financial support.

The effects of the revolution

The following are the effects of the revolution:

1. Puppets and settlers had to surrender to the mass after the revolution;
2. True independence for the majority was achieved. It was often a true independence because every citizen felt being part of the struggle for independence;
3. Citizens formed their own governments;
4. People died and many properties were destroyed during the fight; and
5. Countries that earned their independence through revolution maintained political, economic, and social changes.