The Evil and Devilish Mindset of the Uniked Kingdom and France.

When we study European colonial history in Africa, much of the mainstream narrative reduces it to the story of “civilization,” “trade,” and “modernization.”

Yet, the deeper and darker reality lies in how colonial powers—particularly Britain and France—shaped West Africa through a deliberate divide and rule system.

This strategy did not simply control territory; it fractured societies, sowed mistrust among ethnic groups, and continues to shape West African geopolitics today.

This article explores what is rarely taught: how Britain and France, before and after colonization, manipulated African social structures to secure dominance, how their rivalry determined borders, and why the legacy of division still influences conflict, governance, and identity in the region.

I. The Origins of European Rivalry in West Africa

Early Encounters and Commercial Interests

• By the 15th century, Portugal had established early trading posts along the West African coast. But by the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain and France became the dominant powers, vying for control over gold, ivory, slaves, and later agricultural products like cocoa, groundnuts, and palm oil.

• The transatlantic slave trade was the first large-scale divide-and-rule mechanism. Europeans armed some African groups to raid others, deepening divisions. Britain and France often backed rival coastal elites, pitting kingdoms like Ashanti against Fante or Dahomey against Oyo.

The “Scramble for Africa” and Berlin Conference (1884–85)

• The rivalry reached its peak during the Scramble for Africa, formalized at the Berlin Conference. West Africa was carved into artificial colonies:

  • British West Africa: Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone, Gambia.

  • French West Africa: Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania.

• The borders ignored ethnic, linguistic, and cultural realities, deliberately cutting across existing kingdoms and communities. The aim was to prevent unity and ensure dependence on colonial rule.

II. The Divide and Rule System Explained

The divide and rule strategy was not accidental; it was systematic. Both Britain and France, though rivals, applied it differently but with similar results.

Britain’s Indirect Rule

• Developed by Lord Frederick Lugard in Nigeria, indirect rule allowed Britain to govern through existing traditional rulers.

• The problem: Britain selectively empowered certain chiefs, creating artificial hierarchies where none had existed. For instance:

  • In Northern Nigeria, Britain elevated Hausa-Fulani emirs, sidelining minority groups.

  • In the South, British authorities favored Christian-educated elites over traditional rulers.

• This fueled ethnic and religious rivalries—divisions still at the heart of Nigeria’s instability today.

France’s Assimilation and Association Policies

• France imposed a centralized model: the colonies were seen as an extension of France.

• In Senegal’s “Four Communes” (Dakar, Saint-Louis, Gorée, Rufisque), some Africans were even granted French citizenship. But outside these, Africans were subjected to forced labor, taxation, and conscription.

• To weaken unity, France exploited ethnic rivalries, often promoting one group over another. For example:

  • In Ivory Coast, France relied on northern groups for military service, while southerners were left marginalized.

  • In Guinea, France manipulated rivalries between the Fulani, Malinke, and Susu peoples.

Religion as a Tool of Division

• Britain favored Christian missionaries in southern territories while tolerating Islam in the north.

• France, though officially secular, often suppressed Islamic leaders while promoting Christian missions.

• This reinforced religious divides that still shape politics in countries like Nigeria, Mali, and Ivory Coast.

III. The Colonial Legacy in Modern West Africa

Artificial Borders and Endless Conflicts

• The arbitrary borders drawn by Britain and France are at the root of many modern crises:

  • Nigeria: Ethnic divisions between Hausa-Fulani (north), Yoruba (west), and Igbo (east) led to the Biafra war (1967–70).

  • Mali and Burkina Faso: Colonial borders split Tuareg populations across five countries, fueling rebellion and instability.

  • Ivory Coast: French policies of labor migration and ethnic favoritism planted the seeds of civil wars in the 2000s.

The Economics of Dependency

• Both colonial powers structured economies to serve European industries. Cash crops like cocoa, groundnuts, and cotton replaced food self-sufficiency.

• Railways and ports were built not for African integration but to connect mines and plantations to Europe.

• Today, many West African economies remain dependent on exporting raw materials and importing manufactured goods—a neocolonial cycle.

The Language Divide: Anglophone vs. Francophone West Africa

• Britain and France imposed English and French as official languages, creating linguistic blocs.

• The rivalry persists in post-colonial institutions:

  • ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) struggles with English-French tensions.

  • Francophone West Africa remains tied to France through the CFA franc currency, while Anglophone states lean more toward global markets.

IV. Divide and Rule in Contemporary Politics

Neo-Colonial Influence

• Even after independence in the 1960s, Britain and France maintained influence:

  • France established “Françafrique”, a network of military bases, business deals, and political alliances ensuring continued dominance in Francophone states.

  • Britain, though less direct, maintained ties through the Commonwealth and economic leverage.

Ethnic Politics and Governance

• Colonial favoritism translated into post-independence power struggles.

• In Nigeria, military coups often followed ethnic lines, with northern officers dominating.

• In Senegal and Ivory Coast, leaders had to constantly balance ethnic and regional interests to maintain unity.

Security and the “War on Terror”

• Colonial borders and divisions also shape the modern fight against extremism:

  • Groups like Boko Haram exploit Nigeria’s religious and regional divides.

  • In Mali, jihadist groups thrive on Tuareg resentment against central governments.

• France’s military interventions in Mali and the Sahel (Operation Serval, Operation Barkhane) are criticized as neo-colonial policing, showing how the colonial past haunts the present.

V. Lessons from History: What They Don’t Teach You

1. Colonialism was not about civilization, but control. The divide and rule strategy was deliberate, not accidental.

2. Borders were designed to weaken Africa. Ethnic and cultural lines were ignored to prevent unity.

3. Economic structures of exploitation remain. The monocrop and raw-material export model still ties West Africa to global dependency.

4. France and Britain’s rivalry never ended. It continues in trade, language politics, and military interventions.

5. The legacy of division explains today’s instability. From Nigeria’s Boko Haram crisis to Ivory Coast’s civil wars, the colonial handprint is clear.

Conclusion

What they don’t teach you about Britain and France in West Africa is that the divide and rule system was not just a colonial tactic but a generational curse deliberately engineered to keep the region fragmented. While history books highlight independence movements and “development aid,” they often ignore the long-term consequences of ethnic manipulation, artificial borders, and neocolonial economic systems.

Today, as West Africa faces terrorism, coups, and economic challenges, the shadows of Britain and France’s colonial games still loom large. Understanding this untold history is essential for Africans and the world alike—because without confronting the roots of division, the dream of a truly united and independent Africa remains unfinished.