Sub-Saharan AfricaCrash Course

Africa: From Colonial Rule to

Independence QUIZ•Name two of the major colonizing powers

in Africa.•Why did Europe colonize Africa?•Name one of three reasons why the newly

freed countries were ill-prepared for independence.

Africa

Africa (Physical)

How big is Africa?

1.1 billion people

The Sahara

What is this?

Victoria Falls• Over a mile wide• Lies on the border

between Zambia and Zimbabwe

• Drains into the Zambezi River

What mountain is this?

Mount Kilimanjaro• 19,336 feet

▫ (Mt. Rainier is 14,409)• Africa’s highest point• Go through 5 different

climatic zones to reach the summit

ISSUES•Tribal warfare – racism

▫Rwandan and Congolese Genocide•Lack of Central Government

▫LRA – Joseph Kony▫al Shabab▫Boko Haram

•Lack of education▫AIDS▫Ebola

•Maintaining Power after Independence▫Robert Mugabe

Tribal Warfare - racism•Rwandan Genocide

▫Hutu tribe - 85% of population // Tutsi tribe - 14% of population

▫Hutu extremist + Rwandan political elite blamed the Tutsi for all of Rwanda’s problems

▫April-July 1994 – Hutu president’s plane shot down Sparked a civil war and gave cover for genocide

▫Campaign to eliminate the Tutsi in Rwanda▫800,000 men/women/children killed

¾ of Tutsi population and 1,000s of Hutu that opposed the killing campaign

•Congolese Genocide▫After Tutsi take control of Rwanda, 2 million

Hutu flee Rwanda – refugees to DRC▫Causes instability in Zaire/DRC (regime

change)▫5.4 million die in civil war from 1996-2008

Disease and famine – cholera outbreak Rape as a weapon

Rwandan Genocide

Congolese Genocide

Lack of Central Government•Uganda/Rwanda/Democratic Republic of Congo

▫Lord’s Resistance Army▫Tried to establish a Christian theocracy in

Uganda▫Child soldiers▫Moved to DRC to take advantage of its instability

•Somalia▫Piracy as a form of employment▫al Shabaab – al Qaeda affiliate

•Nigeria▫Boko Haram▫“Western Education is Forbidden”▫#bringbackourgirls

Lord’s Resistance Army

•Joseph Kony•Northern Uganda•Fanatic

Child Soldiers

•Renewable resource

•Easily trained•Easy to scare

1. The first child soldier mentioned was recruited in which country?2. How many child soldiers does the UN believe are operating world

wide?3. What makes the fighting in Africa different?4. Why won’t adults follow these warlords?5. How long have they been fighting in Somalia?6. How long have they been fighting in Congo?7. What age would YOU make for the cut-off of child vs. adult soldiers?

What is your reasoning?8. (back page) Where was this child soldier fighting before fleeing to the

US?9. Do you think child soldiers should be considered persecutors (who

need to be punished) or victims (who need help and protection)? Why?10. Let’s say someone (you?) figures out how to “fix” this situation and end

the tribal warfare, children as soldiers and genocides and help a country peacefully establish a strong and just central gov’t. How long do you think it would take the country to “get on it’s feet” and overcome these issues?

Gettleman, Jeffrey. “Child Soldiers.” Upfront Magazine, New York Times. 3 Sep 2007. Print.

Somali Pirates

•Economic issues•Unemployment•Who to steal from?

Boko Haram

• Kidnapped 256 school girls in northern Nigeria

• Nigeria unable to get the girls back

• Group has killed over 5,000 people since 2009 and kidnapped over 500 women.

Lack of Education•128 million school-age children (49 million in

US)▫17 million never educated▫37 million so ill-educated that they might as well

not gone to school• In seven countries 40% or more of children

don’t meet a minimum standard of learning▫Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia over 50% not

learning basic skills•Leads to a lack of understanding of how to deal

with diseases, particularly AIDS and Ebola•Education in Africa is better than it ever has

been…

Zimbabwe

•Rhodesia•Robert Mugabe•Rags to Riches to

Rags