NEO-Colonisation of Africa and the OAU

The early part of the sixties witnessed a rapid decolonization of several parts of Africa even though many have argued that these were mere placations otherwise referred to as flag independence. The seventies and thereafter have witnessed the re-colonisation of African States or in proper terms, the neo-colonisation of Africa by Western Powers. That African States since their qualified independence have been in bondage was never in doubt. Subtly but seriously, the Western Powers through its hydraheaded multinational corporations, in conjuction with international institutions and conventions, have taken over the affairs of African States ranging from politics through economics to culture. While these were going on, the Organization of African Unity stood aloof concerned with nothing in particular or perhaps helpless or on another note used as a tool by Western imperialism. It is the contention of this paper that Africa was neo-colonized by Western Powers mainly because there was no collective resistance that should have been envisaged and given by the Organization for African Unity. The formation, structure, financing and the objectives of OAU at the outset were inadequate to foresee and attack Western surreptitious moves to further imperialism in the seventies and beyond. Consequently, the OAU not only folded its arms while Western perpetrators went away with their imperialistic loot but was also consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirecly, covertly or overtly used in the course of the neocolonisation of African States.