THE YEAR OF AFRICA
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The Year of Africa?
When someone randomly mentions the year of Africa, a lot of ideas will come to mind as to what we really mean by the year of Africa. Is it the year that the whole of Africa gained independence? Definitely not because Africa is not a single country. However, it remains a fat fact that the year 1960 is the year of Africa, and here is why.
1960 is the Year of Africa! This is because of how the year was characterised by major events happening on the African continent through the major role of the Pan-African movements that started more than three decades before 1960. Chief of these events were numerous sub-Saharan African countries gaining independence and sovereignty. Ghana had already blazed the trail for sub-Saharan Africa after its historic liberation in 1957, led by the outstanding Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Dr Kwame Nkrumah did not only inspire but gave support, ideas, and contributions to other countries that helped engineer their path towards freedom. Eventually, in 1960, these independence strategies and movements reached a culmination.
Seventeen African countries gained independence in 1960 alone. These are:
1. Cameroon – 1st January
2. Togo – 27th April
3. Mali – 20th June
4. Madagascar – 26th June
5. Democratic Republic of Congo – 30th June
6. Somalia – 1st July
7. Benin – 1st August
8. Niger – 3rd August
9. Burkina Faso – 5th August
10. Cote D’Ivoire – 7th August
11. Chad – 11th August
12. Central African Republic – 13th August
13. Republic of Congo – 15th August
14. Gabon – 17th August
15. Senegal – 20th August
16. Nigeria – 1st October
17. Mauritania – 28th November
From the list, it is clear that indeed the zest for nationalism, liberation, and self-governance had just spread like wild fire in Africa in 1960!
The same 1960 also saw the commencement of armed opposition against the apartheid in South Africa. This is significantly marked by the infamous Sharpeville Massacre of 21st March 1960, which pushed forward a movement against apartheid and sustained till the end.
What is more interesting is how individuals like O. H. Morris of the British Ministry of Colonies and Harold MacMillan (British Prime Minister, 1957 – 1963) predicted that it would be tough for imperial powers to control their colonies from 1960 onward. The tag Year of Africa was also first used by Ralph Bunche (an American political scientist) on 16 February 1960 in a speech that predicted the same above.
1960 will definitely and forever remain a significant year in the history of Africa as that year many colonies became countries, free and liberated from imperialist powers.
