UK’s Foreign Secretary Will Say That His Country Looks For New Friends in Africa
Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly attends the second day of the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022.
The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and officially left the bloc in 2020. Since then, the country has been looking for new partners, turning its eyes to Africa, where it used to have numerous colonies.UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is on Monday expected to say that the UK is looking for new friends in Africa, Asia, and Latin AmericaDuring his Monday speech at the Foreign Office, Cleverly will reportedly state that London “must look beyond its traditional allies.”The speech is anticipated, as the UK is trying to find a new place for itself in the world after its exit from the EU and subsequent disruption of its ties with other European countries.The UK has a long history with African countries, dating back to the colonial period. The British colonization of the resource-rich continent began through individual companies and businessmen, who were independent of the Crown. 
AfricaRamaphosa Meets PM Rishi Sunak, Discusses Important Areas of UK-South Africa Bilateral Collaboration24 November, 08:23 GMTShortly thereafter, the Crown took control of the economic side of things. Resource exploitation was not the only economic factor, as many indigenous people were captured and sold as slaves in the Americas by European nations, including Britain. During the 19th century, the British Empire expanded into the interior of Africa, discovering numerous opportunities for agricultural projects that could benefit the European market, while pillaging the continent’s resources.Ultimately, Britain established numerous colonies in Africa, including Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Southern Cameroon, and Sierra Leone in the west; Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in the east; and South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland in the south. Egypt was also colonized, but it had a unique relationship with Britain, as another British colony, Sudan, was ruled jointly by Egypt and Britain.
