Dependence, independence, interdependence

Independence is a difficult concept to think about, one that is constitutive of the idea of the nation-state and the related desire for self-governance. In Africa, political independence was formally won by most states following colonization and decolonization. However, the very nature of independence, with its links to the former colonial powers, and the internal difficulties involved in building newly independent states in a constantly changing global context, make it necessary to review the understanding of this concept and to identify a number of avenues to reconsider it in relation to the concept of interdependence.