A Salute to Our African Nations: Ghana and Mauritius  

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER:

This article continues our salute to the independence anniversary of African nations. This acknowledges our respect and appreciation of our brothers and sisters among us as we work together to build better lives. 

Ghana became the first Sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule on 6 March 1957. Formerly known as the Gold Coast, the territory had been under British control since the 19th century, following a series of conflicts with powerful local states such as the Ashanti Empire. After World War II, nationalist movements grew stronger, demanding self-government and an end to colonial rule. Political activism, strikes, and constitutional reforms throughout the late 1940s and 1950s paved the way for full sovereignty.

The independence movement was led by Kwame Nkrumah, whose Convention People’s Party mobilized mass support with the call for “self-government now.” Following electoral victories and negotiations with the United Kingdom, Ghana achieved peaceful independence in 1957, with Nkrumah becoming prime minister and later president. Ghana’s independence inspired liberation movements across Africa and marked the beginning of widespread decolonization throughout the continent.

Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom on 12 March 1968 after more than 150 years of British rule. Captured from France in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars, the island retained strong French cultural and legal influences while developing as a plantation economy reliant first on enslaved labor and later on indentured workers from India. In the 20th century, political reform and growing demands for self-government led to constitutional negotiations with Britain. Following elections and a constitutional conference in London, Mauritius peacefully achieved independence as a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth.

The independence movement was led by Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who became the country’s first prime minister. Despite early concerns about economic vulnerability and ethnic tensions, Mauritius remained politically stable, holding regular free elections and maintaining strong democratic institutions. In 1992, it became a republic while preserving its parliamentary system. Independence laid the foundation for economic diversification and the transformation of Mauritius into one of Africa’s highest per capita income economies.