Mzuvendi,
You are mixing two things here: the acquisition of African land and the viability of running self-sufficient colonies. Yes, the reasons why they came to Africa were purely economical and they fought really hard to acquire the colonies. However, grabbing the colonies and using those colonies to create successful enterprises are two different propositions.
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There was no such a thing as - running a self suffiecient Colonies..Most factors led to acquisition of our land, has the root of events happening in their Countries rather than in Africa..none of these wouldn't have happened except for the particular economic, social, and military evolution they were going through their own land..
They came to Africa when slaves trade was at the peak, socially spreading their faith and militarization and all the more enticing if a colony could be set up which gave the European nation a monopoly..
In your post you say "their main objective was to conquer land then create bases for trade". Please show me one colon in Africa, apart from South Africa, that was a base for trade. Our history enumerates tons of reasons why the Europeans came to Africa. Those reasons are true and valid. However, it's also true that they failed to run African colonies successfully.
U said - Our history shows tons of reasons why European came to Africa..Does it exclude trade bases?
Well here we go...
1. Britain had Freetown in Sierra Leone, forts along the coast of Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria apart from Southern Africa.
2. France settled in Dakar and St/Louis in Senegal, Iveory Coast and Benin.
3. Portugal had long established bases in Angola, Msumbiji..
4. Spain had small enclaves regions in north west Africa - Spanish North Africa.
5. Turks controlled Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia (The Ottoman empire)..
6. The Sultan of Oman.. U know what I'm talking about..
Want some more!..
Also I agree with you that economic viability has to be created through innovative technology and investment. However, these aren't the only things you need to have a successful enterprise. As a matter of fact Kaunda, Nyerere and Nkwame used innovative technology and investment as means to pull their respective countries from the abyss of social and economical backwardness. Nevertheless they failed miserably. Therefore economic viability can't only be created through innovative technology and investment. Actually, there are other variables that are equally important as innovative technology and investment.
I would love to hear what Ennovative Technologies and Investment both Nyerere, Kaunda and Kwame created..If we couldn't explore mineral resources we have (i.e Gold), invest heavily in farming industries rather than producing raw material, what ennovation are we talking about..
For clarity, let me mention climate as one of the other important variables. When Europeans conquered Africa, they didn't have recorded climate data. As you know, climate is very important in any agriculture investment. For example, the British used technology and investment such as Railway system and money to create large scale peanut farming in southern part of Tanzania. However, their efforts were thwarted with climate change and they had to abandon everything they invested there.
The Britush did not invest in Railway.. The Germany did...
Then again, I don't buy that European didn't have African climate data..Brother, after slave trade it left a need for commerce between Europe and Africa. I personal believe slave trade wasn'r abolished for the sake of humanright or Africans, but Europeans realised our climate could produce the same and much much more than South America, The Carribean and South of US..
They did Exploration and located vast reserves of raw materials, it include all plantations and cash crops they had slaves shipped to America...
Then they plotted the course of trade routes, navigated rivers, identified population centers which could be a market for finnished goods from Europe. dedicating the region's workforce to producing locally Cotton, Sisal, rubber, coffee, sugar, palm oil, timber, etc etc.... FOR THEM.(Europe). Having all that in Place, then the abolish slavetrade.
The Portuguese colonized Angola and Mozambique for 500 years; however, by 1970 Portugal was one of the poorest countries in Europe. Why? Because they spent a considerable amount of their resources to maintain those colonies while other European countries explored other options. The same scenario could be applied to Spain with her colonies in Africa and South America
Portuguese are the only one who invested fully in making self sufficient colonies..Just visit Portuguese colonies (Angola, Msumbiji, Brazil) U will understand my point of view..
Most European treated Africa as the land of exploitation, from slave trade to Capitalism..They exploited the land, mineral and human resources resulting in those colonies dreadful condition..But again there isn't much different between them and our Presidents..