Abstract
Autore:
Calchi Novati Gian Paolo
Titolo:
"Le frontiere dell’Africa. Fra lunga durata e geopolitica coloniale "
The horizon of the process towards independence of the
African peoples after the colonial experience was affected
by the territorial solutions which stemmed from the
Scramble. Colonialism as a state-maker did not respect the
pre-existing order. African states and empires were
disrupted in search of loyalties that the European powers
deemed more docile. On the other hand, the leaderships who
were apt to manage the tools for the “liberation” – before
they became the core of the anti-colonial upsurge – had
shared with their colonial masters the principles of nation
and nationalism. The souvenir of the pre-colonial past
didn’t vanish but it was mainly trusted to the “traditional”
elite who lost ground in the confrontation with the
Westernized elite. The article focuses on two regions – the
Maghreb and the Horn – where the colonial geopolitics had to
cope with the historical remains and memoirs. The Great
Morocco design refused the colonial fragmentation although
with only a partial success. The claims on large portions of
former French colonies were validly rebuffed and the
controversial case of Western Sahara is still open. The
state ideals of Ethiopia and Somalia had opposite requisites
and targets. Hence a long struggle with Ogaden as its most
visible stake. Conservationism (in territorial terms) was
challenged by revisionism. Ironically, whereas
decolonization tried to re-establish the long-durée of local
history, the post-colonial conflicts restored the colonial
boundaries both in the space of the Abyssinian empire and in
the Sudan.
