SULAIMAN SAIED TAFIDA

Saiedtafida2000@yahoo.com

A SHORT HISTORY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AMONG PRE-

COLONIAL AFRICAN STATES. BY BRINGING OUT TREATIES,
PROCEDURES OF PEACE, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL PRACTICES IN
THE RELATIONSHIPS

Diplomacy being a name given to official canals of communications and

negotiation between two sovereign nations, involve all aspects of interest
representations. It is a practices and institutions by which nations conduct their
relations with one another. Originally, the English term diplomatic referred to the
care and evaluation of official papers or archives, many of which were treaties. In
the 18th century diplomatic documents increasingly meant those pertaining to
international relations, and the term diplomatic corps was used to signify the body
of ambassadors, envoys, and officials attached to foreign missions. In 1796 the
British philosopher Edmund Burke castigated the French for their “double
diplomacy” during the Napoleonic Wars; since then the term diplomacy has been
associated with international politics and foreign policy. (Michalak 2009)

Even though the name “Diplomacy” has its roots in the 18th century, the act of
diplomacy predates the 18th century; evidence is the pre-colonial diplomacy. The
pre-colonial diplomacy is the relations in the pre-colonial Africa. Evidence has
shown that, there has never being time when any of the African civilizations
remains in isolation from each other and, or the world at large (Smith 1973). The
letters interchanged between the Mai of Bornu and the Ottoma pasha of Tripoli in
1555, the treaty of truce between Kebbi and the Sokoto caliphate, which led to
peace for eight years, are few among the examples. This paper will critically
discuss diplomatic relationships between pre-colonial African states. The Kenem
Bornu empires and its relations to other African states will be our focal point.

Pre-colonial Africa generally refers to the period before African domination by the
European powers. That is before colonialism. Colonialism simply seen as
one country’s domination of another country or people—usually achieved through
aggressive, often military, actions—and the territory acquired in this

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manner. (Cell 2009) This paper will center on the international relationships and
diplomacy between the African states that took place before the European
intervention into the polity of African states.

Prior to colonialism, heterogeneous Africa was organized into states, nations and
localities. Each state has its sets of rules, leadership procedures and culture. Due to
its large region and population, there is a struggle for control of power, resources
and land. These natural struggles for nature therefore led to means of inter states
relationships. Most of the relations either took the form of alliance, subservient or
truce; for economic benefit, political alliance or protection. The Alliance of Hausa
states in the Sudan and Bornu empires may be sited as good examples. Most of the
relations in Sudan are military related, but it will be wrong to generalize, because
trade and as well as high governmental relationships between the states were also
obvious (Fage 1996).

The Kingdom of Kanem, emerged east of Lake Chad in what is now southwestern
Chad by the 9th century AD. Kanem profited from trade ties with North Africa and
the Nile Valley, from which it also received Islam. The Saifawas, Kanem’s ruling
dynasty, periodically enlarged their holdings by conquest and marriage into the
ruling families of vassal states. Because of the conflicts of the region, around 12th
and 14th centuries, the Saifawas were forced to move across Lake Chad into
Bornu, in what is now far northeastern Nigeria. There, the Kanem intermarried
with the native peoples, and the new group became known as the Kanuri. The
Kanuri state, centered first in Kanem and then in Bornu, is known as the Kanem-
Bornu Empire, hereafter referred to as Bornu. (Robert 2009)

The Bornu empire’ practice of using diplomats to negotiate war and peace as well
as practical matters such as the development and protection of trade, the conclusion
of treaties and the establishment of frontiers indicates the existence of an
international system of diplomacy in western Sudan (Fage 1996) for example as
early as 11th century, there was exchange of diplomats between bornu and many
state in the Sudan.

Around the 11th century, There was exchange of representatives between Bornu
and Kanema and between Bornu and Bagirmi. Bornu also exchanges Ambassadors
with the Tunis and Egypt in the 13th century. These Ambassadors like modern term
has multiplicity of purpose quite apart from serving as the medium of
communication and governmental contacts between those empires. They were also
used for negotiation intelligence ceremonial functions etc. (Fage 1996)
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As in the present times, Diplomacy in the 11th to 13th century Precolonial Africa
had accorded different status, to Ambassadors of different states, but they all enjoy
a certain diplomatic immunity. There are different accounts that show that Bornu
emperor, Mai Idris sends an Ambassodor on a peace Mission to the sultan of
Bulala. And most Established hausa lands of these areas. This is evident in the
existence of Bornu embassies in Abuja, Sokoto, Zazzau and Katsina. The
embassies names are known as Bakon Bornu in Abuja and Sokoto. The Magajin
mallam in Zazzau and the office of Mansa in Katsina

Truce and peace treaties where also written within the Sudan in anticipation for
protection or trade alliance. Some of these states occasionally ware augmented by
the dispatch of visiting embassies. There was also the use of ad hoc diplomacy,
usually in response to heart threatening circumstances. The alliance between Mai
Usman Ibn Idris and the sultan of Egypt in 1321 was brought about by the
necessity to wedge jihad against the neighboring unbelievers. That of Bornu and
Ahir was forged by the common desire to defeat Kebbi threats. Similarly the
alliance between Borno and Kanem against the Sokoto caliphate forged through
this method. (Fage 1996)

Fage further quotes explores writing that, After the fall Ngazargamo to the Fulani
Jihadis 1n 1808, Mai Ahmed appeal to El-kanem, a kanembo scholar who mobilize
his Shuwa arab and and Kanembu followers to successfully stop the east ward
advancement of the Fulani Jihad, this Action in turn lead Sokoto to enter, Egypt to
further isolate Burno and deny it any chance of getting new allies and also isolate
her from the then international environment and economically (Fage 1996) And
shows a good example of the present sanctions imposed by the super powers like
America and United Nations.

The Diplomatic ties during this era of pre-colonial African states, was an important
part that had all the features, which the modern diplomacy borrowed from. For
example, Fage 1996 Quoted Arabian Historians stating that a large part of the pre
colonial diplomatic activities concern trade, academic studies, tradition and Polity.
For the accounts, the diplomatic activities between Bornu, kanem, Wadai, Bagirmi,
Bulala, and Dafur, was to insure the protection of the trans-Saharans trade roads.

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References

Cell, John W. (2009) Colonialism, Microsoft Encarta 2009. Microsoft Corporation.

1993-2008

Fage, K.S, 1996 Pre-Colonial international Relations in western Sudan,and

Appraisal, Danmasani, Vol. J, No 1 1996

Kenneth Minogue Politics, Avery short introduction. Oxford

University press, New York, 2000

Michalak. Tanly J (2009) Diplomacy, Microsoft Encarta 2009. Microsoft Corporation.

1993-2008

Smith, R. (1973) Peace and Palver, International relations in Precolonial West

Africa. Journal of African history, great Britain (1973)

Stock, Robert (2009) Kanem-Bornu Empire Microsoft Encarta 2009. Microsoft

Corporation. 1993-2008

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