ABSTRACT
The Songhoy Empire was a model of African integration. Today, African integration and African unity have a central place in the Malian constitution, and it is essential that the next generation appreciate this important political orientation and legacy. At a time when so-called “tribal” wars in some African countries undermine their internal cohesion, one wonders if African unity or an African Union is not a dream. However, a correct analysis of African geopolitics reveals that these so-called “tribal” or ethnic wars are merely the result of the continuing interference of former colonizers and slave masters. Quite hypocritically, however, these “tribal” wars instead are blamed on the supposedly “immature African.” Clearly, the seeds of war in Africa today have been planted and nourished by covetous, dominating, and predatory foreign powers and their local mercenaries in Africa. This chapter will examine various aspects of African integration before these developments interrupted the fl ow of African autonomy. An important legacy of the Songhoy Empire was the level of integration that was achieved through language, inter-ethnic marriage, empire-building, the power of religion, education, and good governance.
