Unlike the Portuguese, the French had a very clear approach in their administration of Africa. This Direct Rule system, a striking contrast to British Indirect rule, reflected the firm grip France had on its colonies, a situation that exists till this day. This was confirmed recently by the decision by the African Island of Mayotte to remain within French control.
Variants of French colonial policy
One distinctive quality of French colonial administration was its flexibility. Frances adjusted its policies to reflect changing times and circumstances within France, in the colonies and on the international scene. The variants of this policy included Assimilation, Association, Differentiation and Paternalism. Thomas Hodgkin has grouped the several variants of French policy into what he calls “carthesianism.”
It was from this Cartesian approach that the French system of Direct Rule emerged. From this system, France achieved what Hodgkin describes as “a measure of uniformity in the pattern of institutions introduced into ‘Afrique noire’” (or black Africa). Though French colonialism contained elements of brutality and forced labor, it was relatively mild when compared with that of the Germans and Portuguese.
Senegal: Test ground for French colonialism in Africa
Nigeria was to British Indirect Rule what Senegal was to French Direct Rule. “The principles of colonial administration already established in Senegal where adhered to, and were extended to the new French West African colonies,” says John Gunther. French Direct rule produced a class of “assimilés” who saw Africa’s destiny only in France’s hands. Houphouet Boighny for example, opposed independence for the Ivory Coast on grounds that it still needed more guidance from France.
The “assimilés” in French Africa represented the group Frantz Fanon calls the “benis oui oui” or the “yes yes men.” Through Assimilation, France transformed it African colonies into complete dependencies that relied on France for survival. Many elites in French Africa looked up to Paris as “home.” This was because to become “assimilé,” one had to show signs of being “civilized.” This implied being able to speak French, eating French food, dressing French, being Christian, being literate and abandoning “primitive African cultures.”.
The Legacy of French colonial Rule in Africa
Like all other colonial powers, French colonial exploitation of Africa was merciless. A case study of this exploitation is the poor African country of Guinea. In this colony as Walter Rodney shows, “France obtained one billion (old) francs or about 5.6 million dollars in foreign exchange, based on the sale of bauxite, coffee and bananas.”
The dubious military connection between France and modern Africa is not only a legacy of colonialism, but a continuation of Direct Rule. The French mercenary, Bob Denard was busy overthrowing African governments until his death in . France’s role in the chaos in Madagascar and its decision to retain control of the island of Mayotte are legacies of Direct Rule.
In his speech in South Africa in February 2008, French President Nicolas Sarkozy acknowledged France’s role in Africa’s present woes. “The French military presence in Africa is still grounded on agreements reached just after the end of colonialism, some 50 years ago,” he said. He made a firm promise to change the situation to reflect current realities. “… I am saying that what was done in 1960 no longer has the same relevance today … the Africa of 2008 is no longer the Africa of 1960. France and its African partners will take this fact fully on board.”
See also German, Belgian and Portuguese colonialisms in Africa
Sources
Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth, 1990.
Foreman-Peck, James. A History of the world Economy: International economic Relations Since 1850., 1973.
Gunther, John. Inside Africa, 1955.
Rodney, Walter. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, 1990.
