How Colonizers Broke Us Apart

Beautiful Africa

The Strategy 

Up to today we remain divided and much of that division traces back to our colonizers. The Europeans used a strategy that outsmarted direct confrontation. They called it “divide and rule.” Having witnessed strong resistance in African communities, they preferred a cheaper victory: make Africans fight one another, then subdue the winners with arms and ammunition. Perhaps the idea was born over coffee in an administrative office; whatever the origin, they planned it meticulously.

A Heinous Legacy

I consider divide and rule one of the most long‑lasting and heinous schemes ever carried out on African soil. Some colonial systems failed here, but others thrived and have been passed down through generations. The policy’s impact has been massive and destructive, and it shows little sign of disappearing soon.

Tribalism and Nepotism

Tribalism is a direct offspring of divide and rule. From tribalism sprang nepotism. These were ugly births;social maladies that should never have been allowed to take root. We praise our grandparents as wise, but wisdom is not guaranteed by age. Some elders accepted colonial deception and helped turn neighbours into enemies. The colonizers were visitors and foreigners, yet they managed to destroy relationships and dynasties that had lasted for decades, even centuries.

Precolonial Relations 

I do not deny that enmity existed among communities before colonization, but it was generally mild hostility enough to keep kingdoms alert and their defences effective. Killings were limited. Soldiers fought when necessary, and casualties were relatively low. Those were the precolonial days—the old order.

Continuing the Legacy

Now, before we learn from our mistakes, we keep butchering one another and slitting throats over cultural norms and language. By the time we realize how foolish this is, many more lives will have been lost. I am not sure those souls will ever rest in peace.