AAPC Second Conference in Tunis: Fighting Neocolonialism and Imperialism
From January 25 to 30, 1960, the All-African Peoples' Conference (AAPC) convened for its second meeting in Tunis. This gathering took place during a period of intense political transition across the continent, marked by a growing tension between conservative leaders and avant-garde elements seeking radical change. Notably, key figures from the previous Accra Conference, including Mboya and Nkrumah, were absent from this session.
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Key Facts
- Date: January 25–30, 1960.
- Location: Tunis.
- Primary Focus: The Algerian War of Independence and the fight against neocolonialism.
- Major Action: Adoption of a proposal for an "international corps of volunteers" to fight in Algeria.
- Public Protest: Participants joined over 200,000 Tunisians to protest French atomic tests in the Sahara.
- Core Objective: Achieving true national sovereignty by eliminating economic dependency on imperialist powers.
The Struggle for Algerian Independence
The Algerian War of Independence served as a central theme of the Tunis conference. In a move reminiscent of the International Brigades of the 1930s Spanish Civil War, the conference adopted a proposal from Moroccan and Algerian delegates to create an international corps of volunteers to support the Algerian fight for freedom.
Beyond military support, the conference addressed the environmental and humanitarian concerns of the era. Delegates stood in solidarity with more than 200,000 Tunisians in a massive protest against the French government's atomic testing in the Sahara desert.
Confronting Neocolonialism
A significant portion of the conference was dedicated to the threat of neocolonialism—a term describing the tendency of nominally independent states to remain subjugated to former imperialist powers through economic dependency and other indirect pressures.
The Economic and Social Resolution
The conference passed an Economic and Social Resolution asserting that political independence is meaningless without economic liberation. The resolution highlighted several critical issues:
- The colonial system left African economies underdeveloped and fragmented.
- Imperialist countries often substituted political domination with economic control.
- Foreign powers used economic aid as a tool to divide African territories and isolate independent states.
- There was a severe lack of technical cadres and finance within African nations.
The conference affirmed that independence is a prerequisite for all economic development and urged independent African states to intensify efforts to break their economic reliance on imperialist nations.
Combatting Foreign "Enclaves"
The general resolution specifically targeted the creation of foreign "enclaves"—specialized industrial, agricultural, monetary, and financial institutions controlled by imperialist powers. The conference observed that these enclaves allowed foreign powers to exploit Africa's mineral, vegetable, and human resources while binding African economies through strict controls on trade, currency, and customs.
To counter this, the AAPC proposed the creation of common organizations for finance and commerce, as well as research centers to train the technicians necessary for sustainable social and economic progress.
Critique of the French Community
The conference was particularly critical of the French government and the establishment of the French Community. The delegates viewed this community as a new form of imperialist domination designed to impose bonds on countries on the threshold of independence, thereby depriving them of true national sovereignty.
| Focus Area | Key Concern | Proposed Action/Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Military/Political | Algerian War of Independence | Creation of an international corps of volunteers. |
| Environmental | French atomic tests in the Sahara | Mass protests with Tunisian citizens. |
| Economic | Neocolonialism and foreign enclaves | Establishment of common financial and commercial organizations. |
| Sovereignty | The French Community | Rejection of bonds that limit national sovereignty. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the primary purpose of the second AAPC conference in Tunis?
The conference focused on supporting the Algerian War of Independence and addressing the systemic issue of neocolonialism to ensure that newly independent African states achieved true economic and political sovereignty.
What is neocolonialism as defined by the conference?
Neocolonialism is the tendency of states that have gained nominal political independence to remain subjugated to imperialist powers due to economic dependency and other controlling factors.
How did the conference propose to fight economic dependency?
The conference recommended liquidating foreign military establishments, removing foreign-controlled economic "enclaves," and creating common African organizations for finance, commerce, and technical research.
Why was the French Community criticized?
The conference viewed the French Community as a modern form of imperialist domination that sought to impose restrictive bonds on North African territories, limiting their actual national sovereignty.
Who were the notable absences at the Tunis conference?
Key leaders from the previous Accra Conference, specifically Mboya and Nkrumah, did not attend the second conference in Tunis.