Unajua? – One of the longest colonial wars were the Xhosa Wars that went on for 100 years!

A colonial war is a war fought by colonialists to rule people and take over their land.

This article is about 11 colonial wars in Africa. 

You will read about colonial wars, the people that fought in them, the time and places in which they took place and how they changed history.

Click to Read: Intro to West African Art

Taarifa💡

Taarifa means information in Swahili. Under every “Taarifa” you get general information about every war, like the modern-day country in which it happened.

11 Famous Colonial Wars In Africa That Changed History

Before you get to reading… 😮🤧

In 1884, during the Scramble for Africa, leaders of seven European countries met at the Berlin Conference to choose what parts of Africa they wanted to colonize.

Mind you, no African was at the conference so when Europeans got to Africa to take over land, Africans resisted in what sometimes became “colonial wars”.

Colonial wars usually ended with Africans keeping or taking back their land and freedom from Europeans, or with Europeans taking over African land and people.

Africans fought against colonialism from its start in the late 1800s, until African countries became independent, from the 1960s onwards.

Learn more here >> African independence movements 

British colonial wars in Africa

#1 colonial war in Africa

Mahdist War

The Mahdist War (1881–1899) was mainly fought between Mahdist Sudan, and the Khedivate of Egypt and Britain.

Mahdist Sudan was a state that was started by Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah to stop the Khedivate of Egypt’s rule over Sudan.

After the Mahdist War, Britain and Egypt colonized Sudan, it became the condominium of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan which lasted until Sudan’s independence in 1956.

Taarifa💡

Mahdist War
Mahdist State vs Egypt and Britain
When: 1881–1899 - 18 years
Where: Sudan, South Sudan, Egypt, North Africa
Result: Anglo-Egyptian victory

Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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#2 colonial war in Africa

Xhosa Wars

The Xhosa Wars (1779-1879) were a total of nine wars between the Xhosa Kingdom and Britain, and other colonizers like Trekboers.

The wars happened on and off for 100 years, in the end the Xhosa kingdom was added to the British Cape Colony.

After the Xhosa Wars, and the Anglo-Zulu War (1879) that happened soon after, Britain had control over more land in South Africa.

Taarifa💡

Xhosa Wars
Xhosa Kingdom vs Britain
When: 1779-1879 - 100 years
Where: Eastern Cape in South Africa, Southern Africa
Result: British victory

H. R (Hugh Robinson)Lumley Graham, and Hugh Robinson, Officers of the 43rd Lt.-Infantry, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (image cropped)

Sol Plaatje became the first black South African writer after writing “#%&*@” … you can find his book here > Books About Colonialism In Africa

#3 colonial war in Africa

Dervish movement

The Dervish movement (1899-1920) was a war against British and Italian colonialism.

Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, aka Mad Mullah (by Britons) was the leader of the Dervish movement. He is known as the “Father of the Somali Nationalism”.

The Dervish movement lost to Britain and Italy, almost a third of Somalians died, and Somalia was made into the colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland.

Taarifa💡

Dervish movement
Dervishes vs Britain and Italy
When: 1899–1920 - 21 years
Where: Somalia and Ethiopia, East Africa
Result: British victory

The Sphere, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

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9 Major Independence Movements In Africa For You To Study

 

French colonial wars in Africa

#4 colonial war in Africa 

French conquest of Algeria

France led the French conquest (1830-1903) to have full control of Algerian land and people after they made Algeria a colony (French Algeria) in 1830.

The period of the French conquest is also known as the Algerian genocide, because by 1875 almost 1 million Algerians were killed.

Throughout the war many leaders fought against French colonialism, like Emir Abdelkader, the “Saint among the Princes, the Prince among the Saints”.

Taarifa💡

French conquest of Algeria
Algerian resistance forces vs France
When: 1830–1903 - 73 years
Where: Algeria, North Africa
Result: French victory

Auguste Raffet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

#5 colonial war in Africa

Dahomey Wars

The Dahomey Wars (1890, 1892-1894), or the First and Second Franco-Dahomean Wars were fought between the Dahomey Kingdom and France.

King Béhanzin led the Dahomey kingdom to war with the all-female army of the Dahomey Amazons.

After the Dahomey Wars the King was exiled to Martinique and the Dahomey kingdom was added to the colony of French West Africa.

Taarifa💡

Dahomey Wars
Dahomey Kingdom vs France
When: 1890, 1892-1894 - 3 years
Where: Benin, West Africa
Result: French victory

Unknown author (from the book: Amazons of Black Sparta by Stanley Alpern), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

See real life 😱 Benin Bronzes in: 11 West African Artifacts

#6 colonial war in Africa

Mandingo Wars

The Mandingo Wars (1882-1898) were fought between the Mandingo Wassoulou Empire and France.

The Almamy Samori Ture started the Wassoulou Empire which was in parts of the modern-day countries of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali and Sierra Leone.

At the end of the Mandingo Wars the Almamy was arrested by French forces and the Wassoulou Empire was added to French West Africa.

Taarifa💡

Mandingo Wars
Wassoulou Empire vs France
When: 1882-1898 - 15 years
Where: Mali, Guinea and the Ivory Coast, West Africa
Result: French victory

Henri Gaden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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11 Types of West African Artifacts And Their Meaning

Portuguese colonial wars in Africa

#7 colonial war in Africa

Angolan War of Independence

The Angolan War of Independence (1961-1974) was fought between Angolan nationalists and Portugal.

By the end of the 1960s most African countries were independent, but not Portuguese Africa (and other colonies).

The Angolan War of Independence was part of the Portuguese Colonial War which was fought in the modern-day countries of Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau – each became independent after the war.

Read about the Portuguese Colonial War and other major independence movements in Africa here.

Taarifa💡

Angolan War of Independence
MPLA, UNITA, FNLA vs Portugal
When: 1961-1974 - 13 years
Where: Angola, Southern Africa
Result: Angolan victory

Rob Mieremet / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

#8 colonial war in Africa

Battle of Mbwila

The Battle of Mbwila (1665) was fought between the Kingdom of Kongo and Portugal.

The king, António I of Kongo, and most of the royalty were either killed or sold into slavery in the Americas, which made the Kingdom of Kongo weak.

Some Kongo royalty ended up on sugar cane plantations in Brazil from which they escaped and started the Quilombo dos Palmares.

Taarifa💡

Battle of Mbwila
Kingdom of Kongo vs Portugal
When: 29 October 1665 - one day
Where: Angola, Central Africa
Result: Portuguese victory

James William Buel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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Italian colonial wars in Africa

#9 colonial war in Africa

Abyssinian War

The Abyssinian War was fought between Ethiopia and Italy in wars like the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896) and the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1937).

Ethiopia was never colonized but it was occupied by Italy while Emperor Haile Selassie was in exile. By 1941 he was back in power – during World War II.

The Italo-Ethiopian Wars were important events before World War II, they showed the League of Nations’ failures, however, Ethiopia still became a founding member state of the United Nations.

Taarifa💡

Abyssinian War
Ethiopian Empire (Abyssinia) vs Italy
When: 1895-1896, 1935-1937 - 3 years
Where: Ethiopia, East Africa
Result: Italian victory

Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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Spanish colonial wars in Africa

#10 colonial war in Africa

Ifni War

The Ifni War (1957-1958) was fought between the Moroccan Army of Liberation (ALN) and Spain, to take Ifni, Tarfaya and Western Sahara from Spain.

In 1956 Morocco became independent from France and Spain, but Spain had kept Ifni, even after the Ifni war.

Close to 15 years later, in 1969, Ifni became part of the country of Morocco.

Taarifa💡

Ifni War
Moroccan Army of Liberation (ALN) vs Spain, France
When: 1957-1958 - one year
Where: Morocco, North Africa
Result: Spanish victory

marocpress, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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German colonial wars in Africa

#11 colonial war in Africa

Herero Wars

The Herero Wars (1904-1908) were fought between the Herero people and Germany in German South West Africa. It is also known as the Herero and Nama genocide.

During the Herero Wars more than 50% of Herero people died while much of the rest were taken to concentration camps or forced to work.

In 2021 Germany said that 1.1 billion euros would be paid back to Namibia, over 30 years, for the “reconstruction and the development” of Namibia but many experts, like the Herero chief Vekuii Rukoro disagree with it.

“we Germans accept our historical and moral responsibility and the guilt incurred by Germans at that time.” – German politician, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul (2004)

Taarifa💡

Herero Wars
Herero and Nama peoples vs Germany
When: 1904-1908 - 4 years
Where: Namibia, Southern Africa
Result: German victory

Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

9 Major Independence Movements In Africa

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Continue reading, friend 

THINK ABOUT IT! What wars changed history where you’re at?

To the person who learns: teach others.

~ African Proverb ~

Word Bank📚🧑🏿‍🏫

Battle

Colonialism

Colonial rule

Condominium

Conquest

Exile

Genocide

Independence

Invasion (invade)

Modern-day country

Occupation (occupied)

Resistance

State

Read More 🙂 

Germany Has Officially Recognized Colonial-Era Atrocities in Namibia. But For Some, Reconciliation Is a Long Way Off by Suyin Haynes (TIME Magazine)

Germany agrees to pay Namibia €1.1bn over historical Herero-Nama genocide by Philip Oltermann (The Guardian)

My grandfather and The Ifni War (1957): The Decline and Agony of the Spanish Empire by Joel Bellviure (Medium)

References

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! – Amos 5:24

This post was all about colonial wars in Africa