International Organizations and State Sovereignty in Africa: The case of the Commonwealth

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Résumé

This article raises the issue of the sovereignty of African Commonwealth member states. In fact, with the transformation of the British Commonwealth to the Modern Commonwealth, most studies on the organisation argue that member states are now free from British subjugation. In Contrast to previous studies, the primary goal of this article is to show that despite this significant transformation, not all imperial ghosts have been banished from the organisation. To achieve this, the article employs the complex inter-dependency theory developed by Robert Keohane to examine the persistence of imperial legacies within the Commonwealth and analyse how member states resist these imperial ghosts. For data collection, documentary research is privileged, especially research papers, books, journal articles, and internet sources. The findings suggest that the influence of the United Kingdom (UK) over the Commonwealth persists in contemporary times. This is particularly evident in its neo-colonial posture during the apartheid era and the Rhodesian crisis, wherein the British government opposed the decisions of other Commonwealth member states to impose sanctions on white minority regimes. However, the Commonwealth, particularly its African member states, still succeeded in resisting the British imperial stance, compelling it to reconsider its position. During the Rhodesian crisis for example, Nigeria’s sanctions on Britain pushed it to change its stance and organise negotiations, leading to the establishment of majority rule in 1980. The article concludes with solutions aimed at restoring African agency, revitalising the Commonwealth as a whole, and reinforcing respect for all member countries’ sovereignty. The study contributes to the understanding of the relationships between Commonwealth member states in contemporary times.

Mots-clés

Commonwealth, Sovereignty, State, International Organization, imperial ghosts