Global geopolitics

The history of Africa over the past 600 years is a story of conquest, exploitation, and resistance. From the transatlantic slave trade to colonialism and the post-independence era, African societies have endured systemic oppression and subjugation. While the continent witnessed liberation wars and the formal end of colonial rule in the mid-20th century, the promise of true freedom remains unfulfilled. The distinction between peace and liberation is critical to understanding this reality. Peace, often defined as the absence of overt conflict, can coexist with injustice and oppression. Liberation, on the other hand, demands the dismantling of systemic inequities and the establishment of genuine equality. For Africa, peace without liberation is not peace at all, it is merely the perpetuation of bondage under a different guise.

Lets examine this illusion of independence from colonialism to neocolonialism. The mid-20th century saw a wave of liberation movements across Africa, as nations fought to overthrow colonial rulers and reclaim their sovereignty. Countries like Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, and Mozambique celebrated the end of colonial rule, with leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, and Samora Machel heralding a new era of self-determination. However, the independence that followed was often superficial. Colonial powers, unwilling to relinquish control entirely, engineered systems of neocolonialism that allowed them to maintain economic and political dominance. Through mechanisms such as unequal trade agreements, debt dependency, and the imposition of puppet regimes, former colonial powers and their allies continued to exploit African resources and labor.

The result was a form of “independence” that left African nations politically sovereign in name but economically enslaved in practice. The structural adjustment programs imposed by international financial institutions in the 1980s and 1990s further entrenched this dynamic, forcing African governments to prioritize debt repayment and austerity over social development and economic self-sufficiency. Today, many African nations remain trapped in a cycle of dependency, their economies structured to serve the interests of foreign powers and multinational corporations rather than their own citizens.

Peace without liberation is an injustice. A society can be at peace and still perpetuate systemic injustice and subjugation. A society can be at peace and still perpetuate systemic injustice and subjugation. Peace, as it is often defined in the context of international relations, refers to the absence of war or violent conflict. However, this narrow definition obscures the reality that peace can exist alongside profound injustice. For example, during the colonial era, European powers maintained “peace” in their African territories through brutal repression and the suppression of dissent. Similarly, in the post-independence era, many African governments, often backed by foreign powers, have maintained “peace” by silencing opposition and perpetuating systems of inequality. Let’s take apartheid South Africa as an example. It maintained a form of “peace”, but it was a peace built on the violent suppression of Black South Africans, denying them basic human rights. Africa under colonialism experienced periods of “peace” when uprisings were brutally suppressed, ensuring European powers maintained economic and political dominance without open conflict. The post-independence Africa appears peaceful on paper, but many nations remain economically shackled to their former colonial powers through debt, foreign control of resources, and Western-backed puppet governments. This is the kind of peace that pacifies without liberating, a peace that keeps the chains intact, only quieter.

The truth is that peace without liberation is not peace at all, it is the quiet acceptance of oppression. In many African countries, the majority of the population continues to live in poverty, while a small elite, often aligned with foreign interests, enjoys wealth and privilege. This inequality is maintained through a combination of economic exploitation, political repression, and cultural domination. For the masses, the absence of war does not mean the presence of justice or freedom.

Liberation paves the path to true freedom. Unlike peace, it is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of justice, equality, and self-determination. It is far more transformative and requires the dismantling of oppressive systems and the creation of new structures that empower all people. Liberation is not a one-time event but an ongoing process, as the forces of oppression are adept at adapting and reinventing themselves. In the African context, liberation means breaking free from the chains of neocolonialism and reclaiming control over the continent’s resources, economies, and political systems. It means addressing the legacy of colonialism, including the arbitrary borders imposed by European powers, the exploitation of natural resources, and the marginalisation of indigenous cultures and knowledge systems. It also means confronting the internal systems of oppression that have emerged in the post-independence era, including corruption, authoritarianism, and the exploitation of marginalized groups. True liberation is not merely political independence on paper; it is the reclamation of autonomy, dignity, and self-determination.

When African nations waged liberation wars throughout the 20th century, from Algeria’s struggle against French rule to Zimbabwe’s fight against Rhodesian control, the aim was not just to stop the violence but to achieve self-governance and control over their land, resources, and destiny. However, these hard-fought victories were often compromised.

The West, recognizing the inevitability of decolonization, shifted its strategy from direct control to neocolonialism, a system where African leaders were handed political power while economic and military structures remained under foreign influence. The late Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, warned of this reality:

“Neocolonialism is the worst form of imperialism. For those who practice it, it means power without responsibility, and for those who suffer from it, it means exploitation without redress.”

Many African economies today remain dependent on Western financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, which dictate economic policies in exchange for aid or debt restructuring. These policies often prioritize foreign business interests over African self-sufficiency, keeping African countries in a cycle of debt and underdevelopment, a modern form of bondage

Let us look at the role of Global Systems in perpetuating injustice against Africans. The struggle for liberation in Africa cannot be understood in isolation from the global systems of power that perpetuate inequality. The global economic order, dominated by wealthy nations and multinational corporations, is designed to extract wealth from the Global South and concentrate it in the hands of a few. This system is maintained through a combination of economic coercion, political manipulation, and military intervention. For example, the extraction of Africa’s natural resources, oil, minerals, and agricultural products, is often controlled by foreign corporations, with little benefit accruing to local communities. Similarly, the debt burden imposed on African nations by international financial institutions forces governments to prioritize the interests of foreign creditors over the needs of their own people. These systems of exploitation are reinforced by a global media and cultural apparatus that perpetuates stereotypes of Africa as a continent in need of saving, rather than a continent with the capacity and right to determine its own future.

Peace without liberation is a trap. The argument that “peace is enough” assumes that the oppressed can find solace in stability while remaining subjugated. But history shows that peace without liberation is not sustainable, it breeds resentment, radicalization, and eventually, rebellion. Let us consider as an example, Haiti, which won its liberation through revolution in 1804, faced relentless punishment from Western powers, including a crushing “independence debt” imposed by France, a debt it paid until 1947. The world preferred a “peaceful” Haiti under economic control rather than a truly free one. Congo won independence from Belgium in 1960, but when Patrice Lumumba sought genuine economic liberation, he was assassinated with Western complicity, and the country was handed to the brutal dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko, ensuring Congo’s resources remained under foreign exploitation.

South Africa, despite achieving the end of apartheid, remains economically divided along racial lines, with white minority elites still controlling vast sectors of land and industry.

In these cases, the world praised the “peace” but ignored the continued suffering, inequality, and economic bondage of the people.

A liberated Future is a function of equality. True liberation cannot be achieved until everyone is equal. True peace is a byproduct of liberation, not the other way around. You cannot have lasting peace if one group holds power while others remain in poverty, servitude, or disenfranchisement.

This means not only addressing economic inequality but also dismantling systems of racial, gender, and cultural oppression. It means creating societies in which all people have access to education, healthcare, and meaningful opportunities to participate in political and economic life. It also means challenging the global systems of power that perpetuate inequality and exploitation.

Liberationrequiresc economic sovereignty and African nations must regain control over their natural resources and renegotiate unfair trade deals, ensuring that wealth generated on the continent benefits the local population, not foreign corporations. Political Independence is imperative, the leaders must break free from Western political influence and create systems that serve African people, not international creditors or geopolitical agendas. There is need for advancing cultural reclamation as centuries of colonial brainwashing left many Africans believing they are inferior. Liberation means embracing and reviving African languages, traditions, and values, redefining identity from within, not through Western lenses. Global accountability by the “former” and also “current” colonial powers they must acknowledge and redress the economic damage they inflicted on African nations, including debt forgiveness and reparations for stolen wealth, labor, and lives.

The struggle for liberation in Africa is part of a broader global struggle for justice and equality. It is a struggle that requires solidarity among oppressed peoples and a commitment to challenging the systems of power that perpetuate inequality. It also requires a reimagining of what peace means, not as the absence of conflict, but as the presence of justice, equality, and freedom.

Liberation is the core pathway to true peace and not the other way round. True peace can only be achieved through liberation by dismantling of oppressive systems and the creation of a world in which everyone is equal.

The history of Africa over the past 600 years is a testament to the resilience and determination of its people. From the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade to the struggles against colonialism and neocolonialism, Africans have fought tirelessly for their freedom. Yet, the promise of liberation remains unfulfilled. Peace, as it is often defined, is not enough. Peace without liberation is a mirage, masking perennial oppression.

For Africa, the path to liberation is fraught with challenges, but it is also filled with hope. The continent’s rich history of resistance and its vast potential for self-determination are powerful reminders that another world is possible. Africans, like all people, deserve more than the absence of war. The struggle for liberation is not just a struggle for Africa, it is a struggle for the future of humanity.

Only by achieving liberation can Africans hope to build a world in which true peace is possible.

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