THEORIES OF AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
1
,CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION
THE IMPORTANCE OF MAPS (ZELEZA, 2006)
More than a representation of the geographical world
Cognitive system, a material culture, and a social construction
European mapping of Africa & imperialism:
o Exploration and colonisation
o Ideological architecture
E.g. Mercator’s projection
Kingdoms
How do people think less about oldest continent in the world?
o Africa has always mattered: it is the origin of human kind
o Scientifically speaking
o Leakeys (british people) studied origin of IR
Why does racism exist if everybody knows scientifically that we are from that continent? Eg
gorillas and monkeys
AU urges adoption of world map showing continent’s true size
2
,WHERE TO START?
Africa’s history didn’t start with Europe
Its history, identities, languages and its international relations existed long before modern
colonisation
“Precolonial” Africa
o Precolonial/ colonial/ post-colonial divisions: risk of homogenising or idea of
‘prehistory’ (see Táíwò, 2023)
Putting colonial in the center
o Instead recognise complex and many different histories before European
colonisation
Powerful empires and major cities like Timbuktu, Gao, Djenne
Colonialism and slavery introduced by Europeans
o And to create baseline to understand colonialism and its disruptions
AFRICAN GLOBAL TRADE
Countries on border on the oceans matter a lot economic advantage over landlocked
countries
o Somalia, Djibouti, Egypt: ocean
Reframing importance of the continent in IR
Columbus invented Africa? No he just colonized it
Vast trade networks: within Africa and between other regions of the world (see e.g.
Chirikure, 2017)
o E.g. trans-Saharan trade, Indian ocean, Mediterranean
o Trade routes matter: trade between west African cities and lgea
o Often hearing China-African and India-African relations presented as if it is new
not true, trade has been there for a long time
Not isolated from the rest of the world!
Gold, tobacco, copper, spices, salt, ebony, ivory, skins, slaves…
o Food drives IR
3
, Spices that come from Africa, those markets where these spices are traded
are the centres where people meet
o Slaves: traded at very high cost
Slavery started before Europeans or Americans adopted it
Cultural exchange and ties
o E.g. spread of Islam in West Africa in 8th century
o Economic power -> urban growth, education, culture
Many difficulties in documenting precolonial trade
o Methods:
Archeology, historical linguists, scientific techniques
Motivations beyond economy: sociocultural, political, religious
From local to intercontinental scale & highly varied depending on time and region
Local perspectives vs external traders
o Autonomy and complexity of local economies
AFRICA: CARAVANS OF GOLD VIDEO
Caravans of gold: Shows what trade looked like
Mali: today among the poorest countries, 600 years ago wealth
o Economy based on gold
Long before European contact, West Africa was part of a vast, peaceful, and sophisticated
global trade network connected to North Africa, the Middle East, India, and China.
Empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were wealthy, stable, and highly organized,
challenging the idea that Africa lacked civilization, trade, or global connections before
Europe.
Pre-European Trade & Global Connections
A powerful trade network existed across Africa before Europeans arrived.
Trade routes connected inland West Africa to North Africa, the Sahara, mediterranean world,
the Middle East, India and China (indirectly through global trade networks)
The Niger River was a major inland trade artery, moving goods across vast regions.
The Mali Empire and Wealth
The medieval Empire of Mali was one of the wealthiest trading systems in the world.
Mali’s wealth was based largely on gold, especially from regions in present-day Mali and
Ghana.
Trading cities like Djenné (Jenné) and Mopti were major commercial centers.
Gold was used as:
o A medium of trade
o A symbol of status and political power
The wealth of West Africa influenced neighboring regions and distant markets.
Gold and Regional Power
4
RELATIONS
1
,CLASS 1: INTRODUCTION
THE IMPORTANCE OF MAPS (ZELEZA, 2006)
More than a representation of the geographical world
Cognitive system, a material culture, and a social construction
European mapping of Africa & imperialism:
o Exploration and colonisation
o Ideological architecture
E.g. Mercator’s projection
Kingdoms
How do people think less about oldest continent in the world?
o Africa has always mattered: it is the origin of human kind
o Scientifically speaking
o Leakeys (british people) studied origin of IR
Why does racism exist if everybody knows scientifically that we are from that continent? Eg
gorillas and monkeys
AU urges adoption of world map showing continent’s true size
2
,WHERE TO START?
Africa’s history didn’t start with Europe
Its history, identities, languages and its international relations existed long before modern
colonisation
“Precolonial” Africa
o Precolonial/ colonial/ post-colonial divisions: risk of homogenising or idea of
‘prehistory’ (see Táíwò, 2023)
Putting colonial in the center
o Instead recognise complex and many different histories before European
colonisation
Powerful empires and major cities like Timbuktu, Gao, Djenne
Colonialism and slavery introduced by Europeans
o And to create baseline to understand colonialism and its disruptions
AFRICAN GLOBAL TRADE
Countries on border on the oceans matter a lot economic advantage over landlocked
countries
o Somalia, Djibouti, Egypt: ocean
Reframing importance of the continent in IR
Columbus invented Africa? No he just colonized it
Vast trade networks: within Africa and between other regions of the world (see e.g.
Chirikure, 2017)
o E.g. trans-Saharan trade, Indian ocean, Mediterranean
o Trade routes matter: trade between west African cities and lgea
o Often hearing China-African and India-African relations presented as if it is new
not true, trade has been there for a long time
Not isolated from the rest of the world!
Gold, tobacco, copper, spices, salt, ebony, ivory, skins, slaves…
o Food drives IR
3
, Spices that come from Africa, those markets where these spices are traded
are the centres where people meet
o Slaves: traded at very high cost
Slavery started before Europeans or Americans adopted it
Cultural exchange and ties
o E.g. spread of Islam in West Africa in 8th century
o Economic power -> urban growth, education, culture
Many difficulties in documenting precolonial trade
o Methods:
Archeology, historical linguists, scientific techniques
Motivations beyond economy: sociocultural, political, religious
From local to intercontinental scale & highly varied depending on time and region
Local perspectives vs external traders
o Autonomy and complexity of local economies
AFRICA: CARAVANS OF GOLD VIDEO
Caravans of gold: Shows what trade looked like
Mali: today among the poorest countries, 600 years ago wealth
o Economy based on gold
Long before European contact, West Africa was part of a vast, peaceful, and sophisticated
global trade network connected to North Africa, the Middle East, India, and China.
Empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were wealthy, stable, and highly organized,
challenging the idea that Africa lacked civilization, trade, or global connections before
Europe.
Pre-European Trade & Global Connections
A powerful trade network existed across Africa before Europeans arrived.
Trade routes connected inland West Africa to North Africa, the Sahara, mediterranean world,
the Middle East, India and China (indirectly through global trade networks)
The Niger River was a major inland trade artery, moving goods across vast regions.
The Mali Empire and Wealth
The medieval Empire of Mali was one of the wealthiest trading systems in the world.
Mali’s wealth was based largely on gold, especially from regions in present-day Mali and
Ghana.
Trading cities like Djenné (Jenné) and Mopti were major commercial centers.
Gold was used as:
o A medium of trade
o A symbol of status and political power
The wealth of West Africa influenced neighboring regions and distant markets.
Gold and Regional Power
4
