Decolonization, national consciousness, and nation-building in Africa since World War II

Abstract The impact of World War II on Africa remains significant to this day. Africa was drawn into the war through three main avenues. The injustice of colonial rule was laid bare during the war, accelerating the process of national independence. A little over a decade later, almost all African countries gained independence. Three events played a crucial role: the unjust treatment of former colonies by European powers, the inspiration of the Bandung Conference, and Egypt’s firm stance in the Suez Canal crisis. The awakening of African national consciousness was particularly prominent in the post-war period. This “national consciousness” has multiple meanings in the African context, encompassing Pan-African consciousness, Black consciousness, a sense of African unity, regionalism, state-nation consciousness, sub-national consciousness, and cross-state national consciousness. The ambiguous and diverse “national consciousness” is a product of history, expressing Africans’ resistance to racial discrimination, yearning to break free from colonial rule, exploration of national/state independence, and a wish for African unity. It cannot be ignored that post-independence nation-building has encountered difficulties in many countries for various reasons. Inter-ethnic conflicts involve the continuation of history, the aftereffects of colonial rule, the consequences of realpolitik, and internal factors such as policies, etc. Nation-building requires integrating various elements, not only national consciousness, but also political authority, civil rights, electoral procedures, economic resources, administration and laws, ethnic policies, culture and language, and social harmony.