Essay Example: Reflections on the Film 'The New Scramble for Africa'

Unlike conventional narratives about Africa being backward, inferior, and uncivilized, this film shows that the continent is full of resources that other countries are trying to harness. African countries are coming from colonization, and some of the countries are still tied up to their former colonizers, such as Francophone countries. The central bank of France, for instance, holds financial reserves for some countries in Africa. With the background of colonization, which led to the power imbalance between these former colonies and France, this move is not in the interest of those African countries. It appears that years after colonization, Western countries are still trying to get a hold of African countries. Eastern countries are looking to get a hold of Africa, such as the Chinese shown setting businesses there.

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I have always assumed that Africa is a disease-stricken continent coupled with civil wars and ethnic clashes, and which relies on aid from western countries. However, after watching this film, I believe that some of these 'aid' initiatives are strategic positioning of the western countries to benefit from the resources of the African countries. The narrative that African countries are always in need of help, including military aid, is merely a scramble for Africa, but less aggressively than colonization. The narrator questions the logic of training militants in corrupt regimes, and whether that serves the corrupt regimes. I agree with that assertion, and I think that foreign countries benefit from the corruption in African governments. For instance, if a fraudulent government misuses loans meant for projects, they keep borrowing, and this further entangles them with the lender.

Foreign countries would not be fighting for territories in Africa if it was not economically beneficial. Despite the United States of America using the narrative of countering global terrorism, it is clear that there is an ulterior economic motive. The interventions of the US on global terrorism seem to have caused further instability, for instance, in the case of Kenya and Somalia. The terrorist militants attacked a Kenyan mall as retaliation for the military intervention, which was part of the work of the US. As the narrator mentions in his interview with a former prime minister of France, terrorist militia groups come up as a result of the foreign military presence in their countries. It seems like resistance to foreign occupancy. Once these terrorist groups have cropped up, the foreign militants and countries find more reason to stay in those countries.

The 'New scramble for Africa' shows that the continent is growing economically. The film notes that seven out of ten fastest-growing economies are in Africa. Both Western and Eastern countries are positioning themselves strategically in Africa. However, it seems that despite this 'scramble' Africa is losing. Africa does not seem to have its agenda to present to these countries, which are fighting for her. The resources being fought for are in Africa, yet the continent does not have the upper hand in negotiating. It risks becoming a battleground for the east and west to weigh out their powers. The youth in Africa, however, seem to have a sense of pan-Africanism and a clear vision of where they would like to see the continent. Since they constitute the larger number, they are a force to reckon with and are most likely to salvage the situation in the continent and steer it to economic success.