Joined At The Hip Nevertheless Sovereignty Some Of The Times Subverts Independence

Passionate emotions guided by a single desire to oust Europeans out of Africa, wrapped around the notion of independence and hid the positive aspirations that come with it. 

The tendency for human characters to derail strategic plans played a hand in what independence for Africa has turned out to be. Africans thought they planned strategically ahead, but beyond war, they never planned for institutions beyond those left by colonialists. This meant, the African colonies served the Masters only this time the governments in place where playing the proxy caretakers. This is what really constituted independence. 

The Europeans, then as now, still look at themselves as the entitled agents and Masters on behalf of their sovereigns with the colonized the subjects who had to do the Master's bidding. Nothing changed really! But, it is possible to change the status quo.

In this essay, an attempt is made to show that there are costs linked to stimulation of human development and sovereignty independence targets. 

We are using an approach called synergism. In this approach, we are going to deliberately fall short of casting the White or Black person as a grim and cunning schemer! As much as possible, language that is constructive and avoids judgment has been employed. The idea of constructive synergistic narratives in what is also the post colonial (some call it the neo-colonial) era, are encouraged. Hopefully, that standard has been met here.

Imagine an egg laid by the chicken: It has a shell, albumen and a yolk. Sovereignty is the shell; the nation is what is inside the egg; the country is that unit egg; the state is the components of the entire egg.

Sovereignty independence in this article is assumed to be a peak actualization of power, privilege, prestige, production, opportunities and character that define a nation, state and country, around which institutions can be affirmatively or precariously built.

Africans Needed To Know Long Range Critical Path Analysis and Strategization

By power is meant the ability to commit, ensure and conduct day to day affairs of government including: 

• warding off war; 
• defense;
• security;
• governance
• ability to generate and save money; 
• compete in the markets; 
• invest in research and development; 
• negotiating better deals; 
• ability to trade favorably with other sovereigns; 
• ensuring citizens are well protected and respected anywhere in the world

By privilege is meant that the people are able to access, enjoy and are assured services are at their disposal.

By prestige is meant that distinct reputation attached to a country, people and products thus possessing a cachet in the public-eye anywhere.

By production is meant the ability to make things possible, available and keep promises so that citizens enjoy liberty, life and pursuit of happiness.

By opportunities is meant the fact that all people are able to receive the protection and services.

By character is meant the qualities such as reliability, dependability, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring and fairness.

So, many authors have come up with a definition of a sovereign. At one time it is a location and at another it is an idea. But, many agree that a sovereign is some kind of  the ultimate overseer, or authority, in the decision-making process of the state and in the maintenance of order. The concept of sovereignty—one of the most controversial ideas in political science and international law—is closely related to the difficult concepts of state and government and of independence and democracy.

So, what is a state then? Again, various authors argue that  it is a political organization with a centralized government that maintains a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a certain geographical territory. 

Some states are sovereign; other states are subject to external sovereignty or hegemony, where ultimate sovereignty lies in another state; it is a stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life, ethnicity, or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture

The term 'state' emphasizes a self-governing legal and political entity. The state can also own a sovereign if it is powerful enough to do so, has the juridical instruments in form of a centralized government. Has capacity to enter negotiations. State is to power.

A 'nation' emphasizes a particular community of people with shared culture and history, and 'country' the physical dimensions and boundaries of a geographical area. Nation is to people.

A 'country' is a region that is identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or part of a larger state. Country is to political geography.

Goals of African Nationalists

The 4 goals of African nationalists throughout the continent were: 

1. self-determination; 
2. taking over of colonial state; 
3. reinstate new frameworks of renewed and independent African political life; 
4. and vanquish European rule. 

In order to make sovereignty independence apparent, African countries are called upon to invest and meet certain targets. These targets are what make an independent African political life: 

• investment in utilities (electricity, gas, water, air and quality control)
• tourism
• ICT
• agriculture
• mining
•  trade
• manufacturing
• finance
• construction
• recreation
• sports
• education
• research
• community and social services
• government services
• personal services
• transport and communication to stimulate human independence which, it was thought would rebound into improved standards of living. This was the essence and direction of modernism. Somehow, it is still elusive. There is need for revitalization and guidance.

Missing Links

A cursory look into literature, news and political reports on: DRC, Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe, will show that the pace at which both human and state development are moving and targets are different. 

Perhaps, a regional commitment to say, the UN SDGs will help harmonize ways to meet the targets.

Today, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a direction in form of calling for: 

• no poverty
• zero hunger
• health and wellbeing
• quality education
• gender equality
• clean water and sanitation
• affordable and clean energy
• decent work and economic growth
• industry
• innovation
• infrastructure
• reduced inequalities
• sustainable cities
• responsible consumption and production
• climate change
• life below water
• life below land
• life on land
• peace
• justice and strong institutions
• global partnerships and collaboration

Copy And Paste As a Beginning

African independence had its roots in modern nationalism. This was a form of political organization, borrowed from the West or adapted from other non-Western countries e.g., India, Pakistani and USA. With little preparation, Africans sought to do away with Europeans but not the materials and craft of Europeans. 

Therein lay the challenges of sovereignty in Africa. This challenge is very much part of the face of African sovereignty. What are those materials and crafts for statehood or sovereignty? 

Sovereignty independence as an actualization outcome

Sovereignty as a form of independence and actualization target of a nation,meant many things. It meant existing opportunities for people in free-markets, access delivery services, utilize social structures and access to commodities such as land and minerals. 

It means that a state is in position to attain targets toward modernity and can consolidate itself as long as the citizens benefit from an enabling context for market-based growth that encourages, job creation, wealth creation and spending by the people.

However, there is need for balance between globalized free market, liberal democracy and development of human society, i.e, between capitalism and development of human society in general.

Kenya has good examples of literature pointing toward the relationship between state readiness to invest in social sector and human and sovereignty independence targets. The Kenyan president is quoted saying: “The Big Four will create jobs which will enable our people to meet their basic needs and transform the lives of our people from that of hardship and want, to greater comfort and well-being.” 

The Eastern African Community, is a good example of how many nations come together to form collateral. Again Kenya is a good example of variability and reciprocity that can arise even where nations agreed to form trade Agreements like the Eastern African Community (EAC). Perhaps, in a future article the best practices of a regional undertaking like the EAC will be discussed.

The Process

It requires the input of all citizens and international community to provide contexts for steady and progressive transition through the forming, storming, norming and performing phases. But, policies embarked upon by states under the auspices of World Bank, such as import substituting industries, turned out to be retrogressive. They instead were unsustainable and led to a reversal of efforts to spur industrial development in Africa.

Problem-posing statecraft 

Sovereignty meets its peak levels when there is a strong government in place, state structures and people are empowered through emancipatory means and full citizenship. By full citizenship, people are treated with dignity and are not commodified. People are allowed to influence policy and programming on issues affecting them. This is by ensuring full optimized participation in forming associations, recruitment in employment opportunities and politics of that given nation. This sets in place competitiveness, quality production and accountability. Performance is easily measured according to these parameters.

This is why many African states are still striving to achieve a fully modern and highly developed status. Independence was thought as the all or nothing to development industrialization and democratic institutionalization in Africa but that was biting too much. Statecraft has many surprises lying in wait. 

Problem-solving statecraft

Statecraft means human resource exists and can be tap into to make the nation self-reliant in a majority of sectors that in turn entrench industrialization and institutionalization.

To talk about full independence, one has to talk about sovereignty, institutionalization, industrialization and show how they are interlinked.  

Connecting structures to development 

An analysis of independence struggle literature narrows down self determination to mean liberation from Europeans. However, one would be hard put to trace short and long term plans to secure funding to be used to improve humans in form of housing, education, job creation, market-driven contexts, industrialization and sustainability of these plans.

The Dilemma Of No Plan Beyond Ousting Europeans From Africa 

• Colonialists never counted on leaving Africa. War tactics were used to oust them. 
• It was never through democratic transition and handover. 
• They deliberately didn't build a human resource with knowledge and skills to tap into for development of Africa to occur. 
• The idea of preparing generations to take over reins of power from colonialists was never on the agenda.

The notion of self-determination is still in abeyance if it is not rooted in social structures geared at improving general standards of living.

By taking over of colonial state, Africans had to replace human resource as well as go through measures ensuring smooth running of core sectors.

By reinstate new frameworks of renewed and independent African political life. Africans had to have strategic development plans in place. Not only mere written manuals but as well as financial and human resource input necessary to implement the same.

To vanquish European rule was necessary but there had to be mechanisms of reconciliation to retain the necessary expertise as well as avoiding recriminations. 

Can countries co-exist and work toward development?

Yes!

Countries can co-exist and lift each others' economies up through symbiotic agreements. It is not a given that when one country occupies another the relationship has to be predatory. The Roman and Ottoman empires have many examples of this scenario. Post-World War Germany was occupied by USA, France, UK and USSR when they left it was a well developed and advanced country. Post-World War Japan was occupied by the US which left it a highly developed country. Human resource is critical because it has the necessary knowledge and skills to run nations with laid down long range goals for development. 

A scholar's view to sovereignty 

Even with all controversies surrounding theories and policies, one can still pick a leaf or two from them. According the modernization theory, the traditional society with all its hallmarks, must lead to a precondition for take off whose hallmark is an organized state based on merit. The takeoff stage then follows with agriculture transitioning into agribusiness and the state is more efficient. Drive to maturity then follows with various sectors multiplying and industry expanding. This is followed by the high mass consumption when countries are able to influence the direction of progress. This is what packs power behind any given sovereign. It comes after reaching maturity phases of modernization. 

Mental preparation 

The colonialists did not prepare Africans mentally, emotionally, intellectually and psychologically for modernization but rather prepared them physically to supply labour. They did not hand over power because they were defeated in battle but because they realized capitalism and liberalism had inbuilt alternatives to foster a further and subtle long lasting grip over Africa. 

Wars are not the best way to usher in independence

Wars were disrupting extraction of mineral resources, exchange of goods, investment opportunities and trade agreements. All 8 countries, e.g., DRC, Egypt, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, set about exercising their self determination consciousness variously and gained independence at different time. DRC (June 30, 1960 from Belgium), Tunisia (March 20,1956 from France), Namibia (March 21, 1990 from Republic of South Africa), Kenya (Dec. 12, 1963 from Britain), Nigeria (June 1, 1961 from Britain), Uganda (Oct. 9, 1962 from Britain), Zambia (1964 from Britain) and Zimbabwe (April 18, 1980 from Britain).

Why Europe resisted African-led nation building

Colonialism produced three distinct and definitive characteristics: countries where colonizers had settled, owned large swathes of land under industrial agriculture and controlled primary, secondary and tertiary industries; countries with more organized interest groups composed of indigenous in primary production; countries with vast mineral resources where corporations influenced patterns of cultural diffusion cultural diffusion. There is an organic, integrated relationship between each of the different stages.

Colonies with peak industrialization in the hands of Europeans and corporations

Countries where colonialists had settled, owned large swathes of land, had reached a modern standard or peak of industrial agriculture, controlled primary, secondary and tertiary industries. It is these countries where White settlers had vested interests, had parliaments that legitimized their presence, shut out the indigenous people by ensuring land policies restricted them to particular monitored areas. This category has Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tunisia. Issue categories: Colonialist legacy, citizenship, governing economy, democratic transition, military, identities, transition to statehood, governance, policy-making, political economy, development, representation, participation, politics in transition, international relations and consolidation.

Colonies with peak mineral extraction but having well organized indigenous interest groups 

Countries very rich in minerals, with more organized indigenous interest groups, engaged in primary agriculture industries, frequent agitation for recognition of the Black person as a dignified and self interested individual person. The public image of an African was that of a human equal to White or Brown. They pushed for equality, emancipation, freedom to negotiate prices and improved work conditions. This category has Uganda and Namibia.  Issue categories: Colonialist legacy, democratic transition, identities, military, transition to statehood, governance, policy-making, political economy, globalization, development, representation, participation, politics in transition, international relations and consolidation.

Colonies with peak mineral extraction  in the hands of Europeans and corporations

Countries very rich in mineral resources where corporations influenced patterns of cultural diffusion, had vast monetary investments, with caveats to protect their investments at all costs, legitimized their presence, shut out any indigenous processes that would nationalize their investments and ensured land policies restricted the indigenous to particular monitored areas. This category has Nigeria and DRC. Issue categories: Colonialist legacy, globalization, democratic transition, identities, military, ethnic tensions, secession, share resources, transition to statehood, governance, policy-making, political economy, development, representation, participation, politics in transition international relations and consolidation.

Africans, Europeans and Corporations

As seen above, the reasons why African states gained independence at different times and why it came with costs was because of: the lure of mineral resources in a said country; the length of time since the country was colonized; land use laws that gave advantages to a few; rate of toleration of colonialists of Africans and vice versa; rate of repression of Africans by colonialists and vice versa; globalization forces; liberalism and free-market saturation in a given country. 

Conclusion

African countries must set aside funds to train super negotiators in all fields if Africa is to move out of stagnation. This will draw critical funding, knowledge and skills back to Africa. This will provide the much needed stimulus for growth. 

Investment in state structures drives standards of living. Human and sovereignty independence must be aligned, move ahead and assurance made that one does not malnourish or prey on the other. For instance, investment in the military must be equated with investment in social service delivery sector.

African countries can invest in utilities (electricity, gas, water, air and quality control), tourism, ICT, military, agriculture, mining, trade, manufacturing, finance, construction, recreation, sports, education, research, community and social services, government services, personal services, transport and communication, to stimulate human independence, which will then rebound into improved standards of living and bear out as an independent and powerful sovereign.