Book Review: Africa Since Decolonization. The History and Politics of a Diverse Continent by Welz, Martin

Abstract

This is a laudable effort to deconstruct “Africa” by replacing sweeping statements on an entire continent in its diversity by a selection of themes and cases to illustrate realities on the ground in specific contexts. As the author points out in the Epilogue, it is hardly possible to “summarize a condensed version of African history and politics since decolonization” (282). His effort therefore relies on some selective topical issues, aiming at a “more nuanced, and better informed” treatment of the continent (ix). By doing so, he is aware that “any academic work condenses reality, reduces complexity, and is bound by the zeitgeist” (3). This insight is guiding his ambition to show that “African actors are not bystanders in national and international politics but shape national and international politics” (5). Each of the twelve chapters, followed by a total of 70 pages of notes/references, can “largely stand for themselves” (11). Being translated from German, originally published as Afrika seit der Dekolonisation: Geschichte und Politik eines Kontinents (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer 2020), one of the last empirical reference points was the prominent handling of Ebola in Eastern DRC 2019 by international media 2019 in contrast to the hundreds of thousands of people killed in armed conflicts (284). The largely ignored effects of the Covid pandemic on domestic economies, increased authoritarian policing of restrictions imposed on civil liberties mainly affecting the poorest and their daily struggles for survival, but also manifestations of so-called vaccination apartheid, are therefore falling outside of the scope. These would have been further evidence for the perpetuation of asymmetric global as well as local power relations, putting countries and citizens on the continent at the receiving end. But I digress. After all, while the insights and lessons offered by the pandemic reconfirm some of the basic features of socioeconomic and political realities in Africa and African relations with the outside world, the volume testifies sufficiently to these. The volume opens with a short summary chapter on conquest and colonization, chapter 2 then turns to decolonization and liberation. It shows “that resistance ... took many forms and was realized by various actors ... There was not one anti-colonialism but many” (42; original emphasis). Although the Cold War during the “winds of change” is mentioned (and once again a subject in chapter 4), the United Nations remain much of a blind spot, not least when dealing with the Suez crisis (45ff) and the (Belgian) Congo (29ff) – also as a forum entered by the new members from the global