Negative Effects Of European Colonization

Rights and freedoms are vital necessities to all humans. From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, Europeans wanted more power and superiority so they colonized in Africa. The arrival of the Europeans stripped the rights of the African citizens and violated their freedoms, as evident in the Sudanese people and citizens of Sierra Leone, and created a damaging reputation of Africa. The European colonization of Africa had lasting negative effects, including human rights violations on the African people and creating a dark and foreign image of Africa to the Western World.
The colonization of the Europeans did not start in Africa, but impacted it the most. One example of the negative effects of European colonization in Africa is clearly evident
Sierra Leone is also of one the countries in Africa suffering from a civil war. This country's civil war was a direct result from European colonization. It was caused by the British and had lasting effects on Sierra Leone. It caused tremendous amounts of deaths and also mentally, physically, and emotionally scarred the people. In fact, it has created many child soldiers, such as Ishmael Beah. Ishmael had to go through many awful things that he would never imagine going through. For example, he “stole people’s food while they slept” because “it was the only way to get through the night” and did other violent things that would not have happened if there was not a civil war (Beah 29). In addition, Ishmael lost many of his family and friends and went through many struggles. He felt that he was “starting (his life) over and over again” (Beah 69). Ishmael’s hopes and dreams of becoming a successful man ended as soon as this war began. Ishmael was one of the many child soldiers whose life was hugely influenced and changed by this civil war. European colonization greatly affected the people of Africa, as evident in the child soldiers in Sierra Leone. Along with this war developing young, inexperienced fighters, this war also helps contribute to the development of a negative image of Africa to the people in the