On 15 November 1884, European powers convened in Berlin to officially regulate the colonisation and trade in Africa, marking the formalisation of the "Scramble for Africa."
Convened by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, this international conference aimed to establish ground rules for European territorial claims on the continent, curtail conflicts among imperialist nations, and legitimise their pursuits under the guise of commerce and civilisation.
By the conference's end in 1885, Africa had been dissected on maps with little regard for indigenous boundaries or cultures, ushering in an era of profound exploitation, resource plundering, and socio-political upheaval that would reverberate across generations.
