Pan-Africanism in Nationalism
History: AQA A Level The British Empire, topic 4.4.3
Pan-Africanism in Nationalism
Pan-Africanism is a political ideology that sees the interests of all African nations as being intimately related. Pan-Africanism promotes the idea of all indigenous African groups working together to advance their cause.
The Pan-African Federation
- In Britain, in 1944, the Pan-African Federation was founded in Manchester. Their 1945 Congress brought together Kwame Nkrumah and Jomo Kenyatta.
- This group worked together to bring African people independence and self-determination. The group included Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana) Julius Nyerere (Tanganyika) and Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya).
Socialist principles
- Pan-Africanism was rooted in socialist principles.
- Nkrumah was likely overthrown for his association with communism during the Cold War.
- Nkrumah supported an Africa-wide alliance between the different nations being granted independence in the 1950s and 1960s.
Historical perspectives
- Historian T. Mkandawire (2016) argues that Nkrumah had a “quest for regional integration of the whole of the African continent."
The Organisation of African Unity
- The Organisation of African Unity was established in 1963, aiming to maintain the independence and rights of African countries.
- Ironically, Nkrumah, one of the inspirations behind the movement was removed as the leader of Ghana in 1966.
Test yourself on Pan-Africanism in Nationalism
In what year were the following organisations established?
Which of these is true of the Pan-African Federation?