Africa has been oppressed by Europe for the past 500 years. It started with slavery where our most able were taken to Europe and the Americas to work in their plantations. That formed the basis for the industrial revolution in Europe and America.
As if that was not enough, colonialism followed. In it, and in order to avoid a war between European powers, Africa was partitioned into 54 parts, with each European power taking a sizeable chunk. Again, wealth flowed freely from Africa into European coffers. None of the African countries has ever truly recovered from the effects of slavery and colonialism. And it was not just lose of material wealth. We lost our dignity as a people.
Now, enter another force. China. China is racing with America to become a superpower. It is in need of natural resources like never before.
And Africa offers this. China is clever. It doesn't demand the so called human rights record that Europe and America often demand- mistakenly - as the irony is that they demand these human rights while propping up dictators all over.
China is basically taking over the continent without firing a single shot. However, we must be wary of China. It is saddling us with debts that we shall take ages to pay. For instance, Kenya is to spend 10 billion dollars this year to repay Chinese debts. Also, China is creating a market for its products. This will curtail the development of our nascent manufacturing industry. China itself offers protectionist measures for its industries and would never allow a competitor to out compete with its industries. Former Nigerian Governor of Central Bank- Lamido Sanusi, put it aptly - China is not our friend.
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