Post cold war nationalist and independence movement

Post cold war nationalist and independence movement

• 1.
  End Of Empires Nationalistand Independence Movements after WWII
• 2.
  In the 20th Century… •In the 20th century, many independence movements occurred in Africa, and European colonies dissolved. • African countries gained independence but have faced many challenges since then.
• 3.
  Independence • Belgian Congo- –the Belgian Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960. – The new country was called Congo, but it was renamed Zaire in the 1970s. – After Congo became independence, civil war broke out . – In 1965, Joseph Mobutu became a dictator and ruled Zaire until 1997 when was overthrown in the First Congo War. – This country is now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• 4.
  Independence Ghana- – While aBritish colony, Ghana was known as the Gold Coast. – In 1947, Kwame Nkrumah led a strike with the hopes of gaining independence. – In 1957, Great Britain granted Ghana independence, and Ghana became the first African country south of the Sahara to gain full independence after World War II. – Kwame Nkrumah became the first president of Ghana and served until his government was overthrown in 1966.
• 5.
  Independence • Kenya- – In1944, the Kenya African Union was started as a movement for Kenya to gain independence form Great Britain. – Jomo Kennyatta became the leader of the Kenya African Union. – Kenya achieved independence in 1963, and Jomo Kennyatta became it’s first president.
• 6.
  Independence • Nigeria- – Nigeriagained independence from Great Britain in 1960 but faced many challenges in uniting it’s many ethnic groups. – Within it’s borders, there were over 250 ethnic groups which spoke 395 different languages. – Also, there were large populations of Christians, Muslims, and followers of traditional African religions. – A civil war broke out in 1967 when the Ibo people created the Republic of Biafra in the eastern part of Nigeria. – The civil war lasted until 1970.
• 7.
  Other Issues • SouthAfrica and Apartheid- – A system of racial separation between blacks and whites called apartheid existed in South Africa for much of the 20th century. – Under the system, a white minority had more power and rights than those of the b lack minority. – A group called the African National Congress demanded equal rights for blacks in the 1960’s. – Nelson Mandela, the leader of the ANC, was jailed in 1962. He remained in jail until 1990 when he was released by South African president F.W. de Klerk. – The South African government began repealing apartheid laws, and it held it’s first free elections in 1994. – Nelson Mandela was elected president in this election and served until 1997.
• 8.
  One-party rule inZimbabwe • Since 1980, Zimbabwe has been ruled by Robert Mugabe. • He was first elected as Prime Minister, but in 1987 he changed the Constitution to make himself president. • Although Mugabe and his party have won every election since 1980, many people believe that corruption and voter fraud occurred during these elections. • Zimbabwe is currently in an economic crisis whish is blamed on the failed policies and corruption of the Mugabe administration. • Zimbabwe has a high unemployment rate and a high inflation rate.
• 9.
  Genocide in Rwanda •The two main ethnic groups in Rwanda are the Hutu and the Tutsi. • In 1994, tensions between the two ethnic groups led to the killing of between 500,000 and one million people by the Hutus. • Most of the people killed were Tutsis.
• 10.
  AIDS • Sub SaharanAfrica has been hit hard by the HIV / AIDS epidemic. • South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia are several of the countries that have high infection rates. • The average life expectancy in these countries has declined, and there are many children who are orphans because their parents have died from disease.
• 11.
  Pan-Africa Movement andthe African Union • The Pan-African movement sought to promote unity and cooperation among African countries. • The African Union evolved out of the Pan- African movement. • The African Union was created in 2001and is the successor of the African Economic Community (AEC) and the Organization of African Unity.