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The Scramble for African Oil

The Scramble for African Oil

Douglas A. Yates

(2012)

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Abstract

This is a history of the abuses suffered by Africa through colonial, imperial and capitalistic scrambles for oil that have plagued the continent for centuries. France, the US, Portugal, Spain and other western nations have continually plundered Africa’s resources, leading to political corruption and the annihilation of democracy that continues to this day.

Extraordinary stories reach far into the depths of domination and control. Neo-colonialism in Gabon, Yankee Landlords of Cabinda and the World Bank in Chad are explored, as is the growth of kleptocracy, the rise of multinational corporations and the legacy of slavery.

Concluding with evidence of how Africans have refused to remain passive in the face of such developments, forming movements to challenge this new attempt at domination, this book challenges our understanding of Africa, raising questions about the consequences of our reliance on foreign resources.
'Yates brilliantly scales the walls of the oil fortress in Africa and shines a light into the complex politics - local, national and global - of the oil and gas industry'
Michael Watts, 'Class of 1963' Professor of Geography and Development Studies at the University of California, Berkeley
'Essential reading for anyone seeking an understanding of the 'resource curse', the global exploitation of Africa's resources and the troubled state of African politics'
Michael Klare, Professor of Peace and World Security Studies, Hampshire College and author of Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Contents v
List of Tables, Figures, Boxes and Maps vi
Abbreviations and Acronyms viii
Acknowledgements x
Introduction 1
Part I: Power from Above 11
1 - Foreign States and Trade Relations 13
2 - Multinational Corporations and Nationalization 35
3 - International Organization and Governance 57
4 - Rentier States and Kleptocracy 79
5 - Praetorian Regimes and Terror 101
Part II: Power From Below 127
6 - Journalists and Intellectuals 129
7 - Political Parties and Elections 155
8 - Armed Struggle for Independence 178
9 - Popular Resistance and People Power 200
10 - Unscrambling the Scramble for African Oil 218
Bibliography 239
Index 248