Due to a number of historical and political factors that have fostered poverty and armed conflict in the region. To give you an idea, the combined GDP of the entire continent is US$ 2.1 trillion, which is below India (US$ 2.2 trillion) and the US state of California (US$ 2.4 trillion ). Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest HDIs (Human Development Index) in the world – of the 20 worst placed countries on the list, 19 are African. About a quarter of the African population (233 million people) is in a state of malnutrition, according to the UN, and only 31% have access to the internet (in South America, it is 65%). Below, you understand why the situation has reached this point – and why it shows signs of changing.
1. Colonialism
The origins of African poverty are in European colonialism, which began in the 15th century and intensified at the end of the 19th century. At that time, more specifically in 1884 and 1885, the Berlin Conference took place, a meeting that divided ownership of the continent between countries Europeans. Colonialism extracted and removed natural wealth from the continent, in addition to delaying structural development and political organization. Most countries on the continent only gained their independence in the second half of the 20th century
2. Human trafficking
The Atlantic slave trade between the 15th and 19th centuries forcibly removed 10 million Africans and brought them to European colonies on the American continent. Nathan Nunn, professor of economics at Harvard University (USA), wrote that the slave trade damaged the African economy by preventing the formation of larger ethnic groups, in addition to weakening and preventing the development of political structures. The countries from which the most slaves were taken are the poorest today
3. Unfair geographic division
The aforementioned Berlin Conference divided the African territory without considering the cultural and social divisions of local peoples, already established centuries ago. This resulted in divided or forcibly grouped peoples, separated allies, and countries lacking ethnic cohesion. This arbitrary division explains, for example, the “straight” borders between some nations. It was on purpose: conflicts were used to keep people fragile and divided
4. Internal conflicts
Local wars were decisive for the underdevelopment of the continent. After the 2nd World War, when the European powers were weakened to maintain their domains in Africa, several independence movements broke out there. After that, the evasion of colonizers and disorder on the borders favored the emergence of civil wars in disputes between rival groups for power. Examples are the Nigerian Civil War in the 1960s, the armed struggle of the Lord’s Resistance Army against the Ugandan government, which has been going on since the 1980s, and the Somali Civil War, which has been going on since 1991, among many others.
5. Apartheid
Another colonial heritage was Apartheid in South Africa. In the 20th century, the country’s government implemented laws that institutionalized racism, mainly from 1948, when the National Party came into power. The rights of blacks were diminished and they had fewer opportunities than whites. Apartheid was only abolished in 1991 and the economy did not come out unscathed: the country trained little specialized labor, spent too much fighting opponents and suffered from UN sanctions
6. Rebirth
Despite all these historical setbacks, the situation has changed. In 2017, five of the 20 fastest growing economies in the world were in Africa. This is due to an emigration wave since the second half of the 20th century, which increased the sending of immigrant remittances to the continent. Furthermore, the African Opportunity and Growth Act, passed by the US Congress in 2000, eliminated tariffs on thousands of sub-Saharan products, and China strengthened ties with Africa: the import market has increased 17 times since 2000. Finally, African workforce will be the largest in the world by 2035
Reader Question – Igor Leitão, Sorriso, MT
SOURCES Article The Historical Origins of Africa’s Underdevelopment, by Nathan Nunn; documentary Uganda Rising; A Compact History of the World book, by Roshen Dalal; Exploring Africa, The Guardian, Global Finance, New York Times, InfoEscola, African Development Bank Group, World Bank Group and Internet World Stats websites