The Return of Empire in Africa?

Chinua Achebe, the renowned Nigerian novelist, passed away at the age of 82 last Thursday. Author of the seminal novel, “Things Fall Apart,” Achebe was a vocal supporter of anti-colonialist sentiment, using literature as a tool to scrutinize and largely condemn Western colonial practices.
And though the sun seems to have set on the British Empire, the colonialism Achebe portrayed so vividly in his work is not quite as antiquated as one would assume. Foreign powers are turning once more to the continent. This time, however, the interest comes not from the West but the East, with countries such as China and India, both emerging economic powerhouses, looking to benefit from the natural resources and economic development of Africa.
China is, by far, Africa’s biggest business partner. Official figures indicate that the Chinese have directly invested over $14.7 billion in African countries, with predictions showing that figure continuing to rise into the foreseeable future. A sign of their long-term economic commitment in the region, China has expanded their involvement outside the traditional investment targets of resource-rich nations such as Achebe’s Nigeria to Ethiopia and Congo, where non-resource based markets are rapidly developing. As a result of this extensive involvement, the country has cultivated a trade relationship with Africa that was worth more than $166 billion in 2011.
By comparison, Indian trade with Africa totaled only $70 billion in the same year, with Indian investments accumulating at close to $50 billion. Nevertheless, the distinct economic presence of both of these nations means that Africa has once again captured much of the world’s economic imagination.
However, with this increased attention comes fears of neocolonialism and loss of autonomy for African nations. The Governor of the Nigerian Central Bank, Lamido Sanusi, recently characterized Chinese trade relations with Africa as “the essence of colonialism,” drawing a comparison between the British Empire’s actions in Africa and China’s actions there. South African president Jacob Zuma voiced similar concerns, stating that Africa and China’s “trade pattern is unsustainable in the long term,” referencing “Africa’s past economic experience with Europe” as a need to be careful in its current economic relationships with other countries.
Though the Chinese have yet to overstep their role as investors and business partners, the African leaders’ concerns are not without merit, given the unbalanced nature of the economic relationship between African nations and China. Much of China’s trade with Africa involves the exporting of natural or non-renewable resources to fuel manufacturing in China, meaning the development of Africa’s internal manufacturing and services industries, industries whose development have historically been used as markers of economic progress, have been stunted by the trade.
Consequently, if the trade relationship continues into the future unchanged, African nations could foreseeably face economies in which their resources are used solely to develop Chinese and other foreign economies while their own economies are left to languish, a situation fairly similar to that of exploitation colonialism.
In Achebe’s novel, the protagonist, Okonkwo, ultimately commits suicide, a symbol of the downfall of traditional African culture as caused by British colonialism. In preventing a similar tragic end for today’s African polities, diversification and assertiveness are key. Rather than embrace protectionism and end foreign investment completely, the nations of the continent should look to foster economic relations with countries besides China and India and take the lead on setting the tone and terms of these partnerships. Globalization, not the colonialism, is the future of society. Both African and foreign nations should take care to leave the line between the two uncrossed.
Photo Credit: New York Times