Secondly, just like there weren't enough strong people around to resist colonisation after the slave trade, today a lot of skilled manpower that would have strengthened African economies has gone away under the so-called brain-drain.

Many relatives and friends of African rulers who have ruined or neglected their countries' health systems go abroad for treatment only to end up in the hands of compatriot medical experts who fled their mismanaged motherlands.

Whether the blame for this is on the African rulers or the Western employers, the result is the same - Africa has been sufficiently weakened enough for recolonisation.

It would have been tempting to absolve African leaders of collaboration in the weakening of Africa - the way you can blame the rich guy for buying your family home for peanuts and rendering you destitute.

Africa's loans should also first be subjected to a referendum if the new colonisation is to be rolled back.