THE MAN BEHIND AFRICA'S PARTITION

140 years ago today, on the 15th of November 1884, European powers came together and carved up Africa with not a single African in the room in what's called the Berlin Conference. This was the brainchild of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and his thirst for German colonies in Africa led to a catastrophic tragedy. The Conference sparked the scramble for Africa among European powers. Participants drew arbitrary borders, disregarding cultural and political groups, causing disruption and conflicts. The result was the exploitation of Africa's resources by colonial powers. Bismarck's actions had devastating consequences for the African continent.