PARTITION OF EAST AFRICA
The partition of East Africa was the outcome of the development of European monopoly capitalism.
The partition was done from 1886 to 1890’s and it involved only Britain and Germany.
REASONS FOR THE PARTITION OF EAST AFRICA
The partition was influenced by a number of factors as follows.
1. The development of commercial rivalries.
These rivalries involved German East Africa Company (GEACO) and Imperial British East African Company (IBEACO).
Each company wanted to monopolize trade and commerce in East Africa, hence the division of East Africa.
2. Conflict between Anglican missionaries and Catholics in Uganda.
Anglican missionaries informed their mother country( Britain) about the interference of Catholics in Uganda and the reluctant of Kabaka Mutesa who did not allow them in Uganda.
Later on after the arrival of the Germans under Karl Peters in East Africa, the Catholic missionaries preferred Uganda to be in the hands of the Germans and not the British Anglican missionaries
Therefore they supported the Germans under Karl Peter to sign a treaty with Kabaka Mutesa. This led to stiff conflict between Britain, France and German hence partition of East Africa.
3. Early Belgian Empire at Congo.
There was early establishment of Belgian Empire by king Leopard II from the lower Congo to the coast of East Africa.
King Leopard wanted to expand his Empire from lower Congo to the coast of East Africa.
This antagonized the British and Germans who were already in the region hence partition of East Africa.
4. The arrival of Karl Peters in East Africa.
Karl Peters arrived in East Africa in the 1880’s to sign treaties with African local chiefs.
This jeopardized the British interest in Africa, something which led to the partition of East Africa.
5 Economic strategies of East Africa.
Presence of economic strategies like lakes and source of River Nile attracted both the Germans and the British.
This led to intensive controversy, something which resulted into partition of East Africa.
6. Presence of Treaties.
Both the Germans and British had signed different treaties with Africans rulers in the region up to 1886.
These treaties resulted into contradiction between IBEACO and GEACO officials a thing which resulted to partition of East Africa.
7. Investment (influence) in East Africa.
East Africa had been invested by Europeans mainly the British even before the Berlin conference. e.g. Abolition of Slave trade in Zanzibar and the establishment of Mission centers. This led to the division of East Africa after the arrival of German.
STAGES IN THE PARTITION PROCESS OF EAST AFRICA
The partition process of East Africa began in the Berlin conference ( 1884 – 1885) and it was completed with the partition between Germany and Britain which took place between1886s – 1890s.
The partition between German and Britain was completed in two stages of agreement between them.
In East Africa, there was stiff antagonism between:
(a) Germany
(b) Britain
(c) Sultan of Zanzibar
STAGES
The two stages in the partition of East Africa were: –
- Anglo – Germany agreement (1886)
- Anglo – Germany agreement (1890)
ANGLO – GERAMAN AGREEMENT (1886) (DELIMITATION TREATY)
It was an agreement (treaty) between Germany and Britain and the Sultan of Zanzibar the area of East Africa.
REASONS FOR HOLDING THE DELIMITATION TREATY
a)Presentation of treaty by Karl Peters.
On 5th Feb 1885, Karl Peters presents his treaty to Bismarck and President Kaiser William I in Berlin.
Then he was granted a charter ( imperial) that stated that “ any area visited by him was to come under German colonization, Therefore, this led to stiff contradiction with IBEACO who claimed that East Africa was its area of influence hence, Delimitation Treaty.
b)German recognition of Karl Peter’s treaty. The Sultan appealed to Sir John Kirk ( A British Consul in South Africa) for This led to the Anglo – German treaty of 1886.
c)Companies interference. The British and German companies interfered each other especially in commerce and treaty making, hence Anglo – German treaty of
RESOLUTIONS/ TERMS OF THE DELIMTATION TREATY (1886)
The Anglo German agreement (1886) had the following resolutions: –
a)German and Britain recognized the Sultan spheres of influence which were to be Zanzibar, Pemba, Lamu, Mogadishu, Brava, Mafia and 10 miles of the coastal
b)Germany and British spheres of influences were to be divided by Lake
c)The territory of Britain was to expand northward to Tana River
d)The territory of Germany was to expand South wards to Ruvuma River
e)Britain agreed to support German’s claims to establish a custom -house at Dar es Salaam.
f)Britain agreed to recognize Germany possession of Witu (a small market town in the Lamu County of Kenya, East Africa. Formerly it was the capital of the Witu Sultanate)
ANGLO – GERMAN AGREEMENT 1890 (HELGOLAND TREATY)
Refers to the second German agreement with the Britain over East Africa. The treaty was signed in 1890.
The treaty was held due to various contradictions that arose after the delimitation treaty. The main contradictions were Germany possession of Witu and the 10 miles coastal strip of the Sultan.
REASONS FOR ANGLO – GERMAN TREATY 1890
a)German wanted to establish a protectorate in Zanzibar and eliminate
b)German wanted to occupy the island of Helgoland in the North She wanted to establish a naval base.
c)A treaty between Kabaka Mwanga and Karl In Jan 1890, Kabaka Mwanga signed a treaty of protectorate with Karl Peters that placed Buganda in the hands of the Germans. By then, Britain had already colonized Egypt, Britain did not want the source of River Nile to be under other powers. This led to Anglo – German agreement 1890.
d)Britain wanted the Sultan to cede to the Germans the 10 miles coasted
TERMS/ RESOLUTIONS OF ANGLO-GERMAN AGREENMENT OF 1890
1. The Sultan agreed to cede the coastal strips to the Germans for the equivalent of two hundred thousand dollars.
2. German agreed to abandon all claims of Witu island ( North of Britain sphere)
3. Tanganyika mainland, Uhutu and Utusi become German sphere of influence
4. Zanzibar, Pemba, Kenya and Uganda become British sphere of influence.
IMPACTS OF ANGLO – GERMAN AGREEMENTS OF 1890
1. Dar es Salaam and Mombasa become important main ports linked by railways
2. From 1890 and 1894 Zanzibar and Uganda were under British control
3. Tanganyika was under German rule by 1900
4. German bought the coastal strip from the Zanzibar Sultan.
5. These treaties culminated colonialism in East Africa.
AFRICAN COLONIES WITH THEIR COLONIAL MASTERS
- BELGIUM
(a) Congo Free State (Belgian Congo) Now is called or known as Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
(b) Ruanda (Rwanda) and Urundi (Burundi) since 1922 – 1962.
FRANCE
French West Africa.
(a) Mauritanian (b) Senegal (c) Gambia ( 1681 – 1857) (d) French Sudan ( Mali) (e) French Guinea ( Guinea) (f) Cot d’ Ivory ( Ivory coast) (g) Niger (h) French upper Volta ( Burkina Faso) (i)French Dahomey ( Benin) (j)French Togoland( Togo)
French Equatorial Africa
(a) Gabon
(b) French Cameroon (1922- 1960)
(c) French Congo (Republic of Congo)
(d) Oubangi – Chari (Central African Republic)
(e) Chad
French North Africa
(a) French Algeria
(b) French Protectorate of Tunisia
(c) French Morocco
French East Africa
(a) Madagascar
(b) Comoro
(c) Re-Union Island
(d) Seychelles.
GERMANY
(a). German Kameron (Cameroon)
(b) German East Africa (Ruanda, Burundi and Tanganyika from1885 – 1919)
(c) German South – Western Africa ( 1884 – 1915)
(d) German Togoland ( Togo 1884 – 1915).
PORTUGAL
(a) Portuguese West Africa ( Anglo)
(b) Portuguese East Africa ( Mozambique)
(c) Portuguese Guinea ( Guinea – Bissau)
(d) Cape Verde
(e) Sao Tome principle
BRITAIN
(a) Egypt, Anglo – Egyptian Sudan (Sudan)
(b) British East Africa (Kenya colony, Uganda and Zanzibar Protectorate (1920)
(c) Bechuanaland ( Botswana)
(d) Southern Rhodesia ( Zimbabwe)
(e) Northern Rhodesia ( Zambia) (f) British South Africa
(g) South – Western Africa ( Namibia – 1915)
(h) Sierra Leone
(i)British West Africa(Nigeria and British Gold Coast ( Ghana)
(j) Cameroon ( 1922 – 1960)
(k) Nyasaland ( Malawi)
(l) Basutoland ( Lesotho)
(m) Swaziland.
