Posted On November 3, 2019 by Karin Smith
Concerns Prove to Be Well Founded
By 1994, with the election of Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa, the decolonization of Africa was complete. Western European governments, amidst much political turmoil and violence, had been driven from the Dark Continent. China and Russia were the only two world powers to actively support this decolonization of the continent. The US found itself in a very difficult position. Whilst they supported the concept of national self-determination, their ties to European allies, who maintained ties to their former colonies, created a conundrum.
The administrations of both Truman and Eisenhower were concerned that the withdrawal of European allies from African colonies could lead to Soviet supported communist parties achieving power in the region. These concerns proved to be well founded.
