CURRENT INTELLIGENCE ON AFRICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B01737A000800050001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 31, 1952
• Content Type: MEMO

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2, NW is the sr's functional relationship to other
areas politically, militarily economically and oul-
turollr
3. Oat is the ohmmeter ot inte1Ugenoc
from tho point of vim of Ifs on?
4, not is the obarootor ot Ocro nintelli
ammo* on tho area?
Ant
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la OW Arial/IP
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Atria= Intelligence
2* Foch oStb.t?.A
eseneedo &Mt eu nerd tis$ with the area *
funotices3. relationships, with Evrope exceed
other area. In the cams of Preis& and Spanish
the eloddle-,Artera area are elearl,y important also
of a matter:a raters bats on balsas, of less mese
from the point of view of Mariam eeurtty interests than.
c?'estems turopla*
4t is the J127 accepted theory
sonjestiee that* avow 04013.indivithita Wile* re*so
atilt* modem& if anaUsta es* csnetries with chose
tattoos their pest tratniee and aspartame-have tamillorisel
It the grotastag of the countries in the Intelliessee organisttien awez.
liesarrepreduess the sore importest :motional re Lt
the eenntriee themselves, in terms of present ard projeated
divisionsi producing intelligence accordieg to present etandards, these
oorudderati-,essweld arta the eentisad asseeption tc the '',41tatara
Divialate reepenability for lewAtrieon deperideneiel of the varv4us
Etefficleart oteonial powers and for tin Comonetealth countt7 of *rah Africa*
3? 4t is assumed that. denpite the inoream.ng isportonso of both
for Amsrlasa seeurity and the cosparatien peneity of Americas taxer.
t them, the tntelligence :mission of CCX is still, net essentially
Africa than for any other part of the mold, This is to
the many Interesting problems which ea area promote*
/ions necessarily focus on feta:Ago policy, defense
policy; as internal politica and eoonoede
affecting the stability a the Country or its
teal on Cologonion. ItastAzIest trades am!
ofltty ettrategic materials to the United
ote rate, bale been the target, at
of African intelligmes has
for the Afrlese cola:lies is all
stability of the area ere
and lAist?ifeet trade are
eomporatively tea items
_
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41611?1111?11
MUM, INFONAATION
Intelligence =Africa: Appeedix A
2
AFRICA
is aria adSd, he
Tt is
aileyis
as ono of
is pair-
t a varlet;
Except by long sea ?wages and by air, It in relatively in-
aoceseible to the rest of the world. 3j end large, its papulAtion
is far mere primitive thwa that of any other major area, the great
nedoritr living Ina pagen tribal soeletysod Ina basically non-
monetary seenomr. A third characteristic is the extreme diversity
of the populatiom besides 'owe three million people of European
steak r.nd some half million Asians, there are about 240 million
indigenous Atrial:0 at cultural levels ranging almost from the Stone
Age to that of the Europeans. Five'4uropsan languages are widely
spdnent ard there are literally buntreds or different native languages
and dialects.
A fourth dietinguiehing characteristic fellow* natumelil from
the proceeding tees the entire wee is under Luropeen colonial rule
exoept for Liberia. Ethiopia and Abet migOt be termed the transplanted
Furimpant state of South Afrioa Furthermore the area is economically
colonielas wallas peliticall,y so. Its oterpriseni its
transportetlen facilities and even sone of its egrioulture have groan
up in large part to meet the economic needs of the distant metropolitan
countries rather then those cd'aninteveted dewlopresst of Africa
Itself.
11,
3.4it
(a) the area's reletionips with Western Europe are far
MOT* r- . . A ; twith ny other ares, X the colmmtil territories
the closeness of the tie IMAGO from regtrn to regiem, but in all casee
the higher politieel institutions follow European patterns and basic
policy is laid down in the Eurepeast capitals. Angola and Mbeashique
are in a legal sense overseas provineee of metropolitan Portugal;
35 representatives from the French African tarritori,:s sit in the
National amaentay in Paris. on the other hand, various perteof Britiab
ftI
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41:"ITY INFORNAPOW
lama
autononyi
ominionoft, lr
ed somberof t
AMO closely pa tt
cesarti have vari
siting territories
t external relations
S.
p,2
South or
ted
Africa, Ago 104sittains
-Isonesalths het with
notais owing to
tee* and the
The UN
the part
0011
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respective African territ
plementing their Own eeonoarle
otherwise unobtainable within their
directly by means of the colonies' earningsin in
Fox. example, in 1930 the area as a whole sold over 0
worth of goods to the United States (in addition to Ame
piling purohases) and over 90 percent of this sun contributed to the
dollar positions of Britain, France, Belgium and Portugal. Portugalls
consistent role as creditor nation in the European Payments Union is
due in large part to its African territories' favorable trade balance*
with the other EPU members; while sterling, without the earnings of
British colonial Africa and the Union of South Africa would be in a
much, worse position than it now is. To preserve their awn preferred
economic positions in their colonies all four European powers keep a
fairly careful eye on the foreign economic relAions of the territories -.-
insisting, for example, that e13.United States government aid programa:,
be channeled through the metropolitan capitals
h other major areas of the verld Africa outh of the Sahara has
comparatively few economic relations. Trade with the Soviet orbit is
negligible. Oil is supplied to snob of the continent by Western cow.
Penies from Persian Gulf sources, but colonial Afrioa's oil require-
ments are very small. In the past year or two Japan has been making
rapid strides to win back its prewar African markets for cheap con-,
umer goods. Bow little all this non-European trade adds up to,
however, is evident from a few illustrative figures. Nigeria for
example, in 1951 sent about BO percent of its exports to Western Europe,
about 14 percent to,the.United Staten, and only 6 percent to all the
rest of the world. BezamItque, situated though it is on the Indian
Ocean, sent in 3.950 only 0 percent of its exports to Asian countries
on the Indian (bean, as against 57 percent going to western Europe,
6 percent to the United States and a residual 29 percent going mainly
to nearby African countries, (Nesambique's imports were even more
heavily weighted in favor of Western Europe and against the Indian Ocean
area.) The Union of SouthAfrioal exporting heavily to neighboring
African colonies, nevertheless sent 66 percent of its exports to Western
Europe tn 1951 and only about 4 percent to India and the middle East.
Afx.
3
of com-
ties
and in
de.
=denary
took
(d) prally, the nant non-indigenous influence throughout the
area is tka of Western Europe with the single except on of American
influence in Liberia. In each of the colonial territories the language
of the metcnolitan power is the medium for all higher education, for
government adudnistration above the local level, and for the more im-
portant commercial transactions. With a few exceptions, such as the
schools maintained by the immigrant Indian commity in British East
Africa, all education beyond that provided by the traditional initiatory
rites of the native tribe is Western-organized, springing from the
initiative either of European and Ame4can missionary enterprise or of
the colonial governments themselves. e French territorial governments
net
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PICT
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SECURITY INFORMATION
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IET
8
CA)
0
rralfilek 3440.
0
-0 Ann Portssitosse
(14 &Ina* txtilonios
Eta bleak Orton*
Moils
V 30,0 I sh Colonies
0
0
84) Union of 3outh
8 Attica
01
2.1
Prowl & pad*
North Af'riest
76
2
and.
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AMITY INFORMATION
3
through 30 April 1952. The nine branches of t OOI rag
divisions have been WWI as the categoriee for listing re es
to other areas, and the two further categories of "United one
and "Other African" have been added to record any remaining refer
ewes to externs' bodiee other than the United States. It is be?
lieved that analysis of the half dozen Ourrent Intelligence Review
articles Which have treated Africa south of the %bare would show
a similarly Strong ooncentration on Western Europe as the other area
of the world most involved; but such 4R analysis would perhaps be
less objective than one based primarily an 0O110 intolli nee intake
for an arbitrarily selected period
Probl
c rmw mit
one of stead
. Clearly,
of the area.
other re
ing
is
parts of
rich in strategic minerals, have never been
and the full exploitation even of the already
robably Aependent on further investigations of
f tropleal diseases and the soeinlogical prob
incentives in a primitive tribal society.. Lard utili+
nation questions, food problems, transportation surveys, local ad.
ministration studies, race relations in regions of three and even
four separate racial communities, and the general problem of the
gradual accession of backward and dependent peoples to political
responsibility .0- all those are subjects of indirect but real sig.
niacin*, for' American security interests.
It does not necessarily follow, however, that it is OCIa mission
to deal with these questions to any significnti,y greater extent
than OOI has in the past. Some are clearly topics for the universities,
others for the research organizations of state or other government
agencies. The mission of the CUI regional divisions is necessarily
of a more summary sort, even on so critical anima as the Soviet
orbit, where the detailed research is by commas consent left to ORR
Osssrally speaking, intelligence produotion throughout the regional
divisions has focused on UTO following main pointes
(a) 0overnme.t foreign policy
(b) Ooverna,nt defense policy
(0) Government economic policy, part
(1) the general economic stabi
f the ares
or United
cope for expanding
von in terri
of the territory
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SECURITY NINIATNIN
A
and
(2) a
&nal
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SECURITY INFORMATION
vonsine the oisAls
tearonocut woven*
shawl great),,y fro OM
it is not ties product', on figives the,.
Merl. Browses boor to total ion*bum
sonteolvolated by the United 3tatoo to
t Li W47 eland:tad inforoctiono
of uranium* occoial consideretImet
time of other CU ?Memo
Aeries p* 7
0010 grestkir iziereeksed demand
on Attlee3 nacos it is dettood
in the vicinity of African atm
intensity eerutiny which
for the no loos essential
cells of VeneseaskA.
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c.:.1.411111 p? $
SECURITY MOWN
I
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'9141111441c
SOWN BWORMATMN
A
SECRET
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dttrApipar
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SECURITY INFORMATION
It be noted thst the demands o
ded to severance ot
erased entonoW
rt h Arries,
important reeour
control* except in
e irench Cerceean
Algeria* but no other pert of
renteed ty the Worth tlantie ":re
itAte Wit air basso ttes there,
ot runisis* but the ?ranch hese se far
er the country. The kay naval tKISO is
Prend4 are elosIxbuil4inE 41) Vara
ant in ths Mediterranean area,
ground troops La the area*
ollow the practice of usinc
se,
0:L.),Trirt
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a ...
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Vortfl frica,pv, 3
of the
back to
Cairo tor
world is unqueett
political aspirations of
creasing
diatoly stratogie reason, than for its
frioa tha general criteria of Xi's main
f Appendix A* one finds thet here* as in U
fordo,. polity and defense polity ars
:uropetn conetitute the largeet s
end economic developmenta. Communises
in French North Afriea than elseehere on
etittdd ttoountered in various ','elet t'Urcp zI ticoun
tone or 7an4.test trade* *ad of the of str
Uni'ed States and its allies* are almost negligible
howl* the tjrong cultural affinity bottom Trench end !,!panish
large regions of the Middle Mast ie rafter cot ,ptrallaisel
of the tinhars, It oomplicates the int-Oat:met Problem in
For on thing* thiesuitural band Amcourtges and strenkthene
mallet agitation agAinet the French...controlled governumats
and mast therefore be taken fullr into account in any ostimts
* stability, The limitations or the ?zelem faith in in--
Leal orientation are* however, strongly suggested ty
Awivit Union of large regions whore the population is
uoslen as In French and ipanish NOrth tfrict,
ch this .kralo cultural tie complicates the intelligenoe
in influencing independent Moslem states to adopt
ranee and its allies, For excawle* the rodent move
on before the UN tecurity ;;ouncil dhplomtt!,t
by fuming it to choose_.ounlielybettsten
gonizing the Moslem states; and evaluations of
ease, both in the Verlem states und elsewhere in
the world, aosordingly bocwe significant currant intelligence, (Tao situa-
tion was ineidentally responsible for a large proportion of the items on
North Africa enumerated lathe table between pp, 4 and 5 of Appendix A an
in the Current Intelligence est between I January mid 30 Vril
4r reoponoible she for the faat that over two...andsothalf time*
as mantv reference* were noted to tonstemlntspwAs countries Al to those in
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A
problem on Pio
ettitudee unfrion
to bring the
mmbarresse4 the Unit
antagonising Prance
national rogations to
41rett
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Pahtilif INFMATIOP
North ,friesj ;4 4
the Eastern, Utditerranten and Indian Ocean orate) n th,I.a septet of North
-frioan intelligence productiessa however, there would be no significant
advantage in havinr North :,friou and tht 1:osleg. states in the sane intelli?
renot arts, sin** thy restliona of Lestern %Urossan stat4s to -:unitian and
moreetandevel? art just aa Important considerations For 4terican
forairn polity. In the l'irticular Tunisian case referred to, it sat evident:lr
?ranee's rtestion which was deadest.
ln general, it ia eafest to stemma that the no,nre of the Mnited Aatte
se=rity Interest in an arta neseseargy conditiow I t nature of uCIIs
intelligence interest. A the present timo the primary 7nited ::tutts ateurity
intertst An this arts is the NATO and other '-sotorn 1LLrboots there;
corx3apoitrg1, Xi's interest in the area must focus iiij on the
factors likely to make these bates available or ones's-I1e:1*. These factors
are admittedly everting sorts and strengths. Popular nationalist feeling
is ones tnd it uould certain seem to be ci responsibility to wateh far
aAr indieltiona that it *y be approaching the point whore, as in 7ypt now,
it ccall rAse tho question of whether -:;satera military 14-1WC7 ZVVO still. four
operable. the present and immediate future* botewor. It la altar that the
main ttaLmr &fretting the availability or French North -Yrict,albbas, is to he
rowevi in tioesrommatal offices in ?aria a feetor which CIcannot hrndle alth
xaximun L'fattivenees if it is separated from other French policy conaiderations.
l'iowever strong tile nortm African area's cultural relations vitk Arab
etltees therefore, whatever its future political 4evolopment .Allt be, for
the prectleal preblessofeurrent Intelligente the drat 47,t7,1 !v4r; rrl-r,4nrily 4
.atern :law,zan =Ai:dna 4iddie ::actern coAtext.
a Thet enumeration ran not mAthematisally exact* since tG 1 psrdent checkers
of the 9orth ,frinun items got slightly varying results. theogh not differing
as to the gener4 proportions involved. ,
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