Preconditions of Socialist Development in Africa

Abstract

In the last ten years more than thirty African countries south of the Sahara have regained political independence from colonial rule. These countries represent a great range of differing economic and political conditions, and any attempt to generalize from their varied experiences runs the risk of oversimplification and distortion. However, there are some common factors in these experiences—particularly the acquisition of a nominal political independence which left the colonial economic structure largely intact, the external pressures from monopoly capitalism these countries have faced, and the inherent problems of economic underdevelopment—which make some generalization possible and worthwhile.

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