Methods used to facilitate neo-colonialism in Africa

The first method was political intervention. The former colonial powers were not happy with the fact that African nations had achieved their independence. The most important political strategy was overthrowing legally elected leaders and installing of puppets instead. The cold war divided the world into a capitalist camp under the United States and a socialist camp under the Soviet Union. It also created conditions suitable for the overthrow of regimes or the killing of African leaders. The capitalist camp overthrew African governments that did not support the interests of the capitalist nations.

The second method was economic intervention. The former colonial nations used the following economic methods:

1. Economic aid Capitalist nations and institutions give this kind of aid to African nations. Such nations and institutions pretend that they are supporting social and economic development. The nations and institutions that provide economic aid are called donors. Sometimes they use international financial institutions such as the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finance projects and programmes in African countries.

2. Economic liberalisation This method became popular in the 1980s. Capitalist nations and financial institutions pressurised African nations to open up their markets for foreign goods and services. This allowed foreigners to take resources out of African countries. In order to implement liberalism, donor countries such as the United States and financial institutions such as the IMF and the WB adopted conditionalities that forced African governments to implement policies of privatisation, demanding citizens to pay for social services, reduction of government spending, promotion of foreign investments and abolition of government subsidies. The implementation of such policies gave capitalist nations access to African natural resources.

3. International trade This is the third method used to establish neo-colonialism in Africa. Capitalist nations promote trade with African nations. Unfortunately, the trade is based on inequality and exploitation. Africans export raw materials to Europe and America; they sell them at cheap prices. Europeans and Americans export to Africa cheap industrial commodities which they sell at higher prices. Inequality and exploitation result from the fact that the prices of industrial products are higher than those of the raw materials from Africa. This makes Europe and America benefit more than African countries do.

The third method used to establish neo-colonialism is cultural intervention. The former colonial nations have played a key role in undermining African culture and promoting European and American culture. This was facilitated by the imposition of foreign religions, for example Islam and Christianity, colonial education and foreign languages such as English, Portuguese and French on Africans. These aspects of foreign culture undermine African culture.