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The 20th Century m'zuŋ u Scramble for Independent Africa
"Veni, Vidi, Vici ",Steti - ego adduxit inimici mei"

Congo's Eastern province, the well-oiled cold war wheels began turning at once: Eastern
bloc missions mushroomed in Stanleyville, while the West entrenched itself at Leo-

poldville, where the UN has at last established its authority.

***
The "Casablancans" accuse the "Monrovians" of being content with sham independence,

while closely dependent on Western aid, trade, and defense. The "Monrovians" accuse
the Casablancans of exaggerating the dangers inherent in cooperation with Europe and

America, thereby making themselves vulnerable to the Soviet brand of imperialism.

***
How seriously does Moscow take Africa? It is noteworthy that at the World Congress of
Communist Parties in Moscow in 1960, out of a world total of forty million Communist

party members, only some fifty thousand came from Africa. A mere handful of African
Communist parties-six in all-were recognized, out of a global total of eighty-one and
these were in North Africa and South Africa-none in independent Black Africa.

***
If the Russians are still at an early stage in their African efforts, the same applies even

more forcefully to the Chinese. Not only are they now multiplying their economic and,
where possible, diplomatic missions and aid programs (they have advanced £7 million to

Ghana), but they appear prepared to carry into Africa their current ideological quarrel with
the Russians. Observers at the recent Afro-Asian writers’ conference in Cairo concluded

that the Chinese have emerged as open rivals to the Russians in Africa.

***
Under the 1957 Treaty of Rome which established the Common Market, the sixteen

overseas territories, then colonies of the Six, were associated on special terms.

***
The essence of Nkrumah's thesis is that the association is bound to retard
industrialization in the African countries, which will continue to serve as protected

overseas markets for European manufacturers and sources of cheap raw materials.

***
In reality, the sixteen states have as yet little choice. Most of the former French territories