African resistance to colonial conquest: The case of Konkomba resistance to German occupation of Northern Togoland, 1896-1901

Abstract

In spite of the evidence provided by recent studies on armed resistance, it is still widely believed that centralized societies were the only ones that resisted colonialism by the use of arms. In the narratives of local resistance to the German conquest of northern Togoland, it is still believed that only the centralized kingdoms of Nanumba and Dagomba resisted the German occupation of the region. No mention is made of the exploits of the non-centralized peoples like the Konkomba. This study shows that the Konkomba, a non-centralized society, did not also choose armed resistance against the German occupation of their territory in northern Togoland, but they also succeeded in resisting the German occupation for a longer period than their centralized neighbours. It further buttresses the argument that it is completely false to assume that only centralized societies chose armed resistance as a reaction to colonialism. The data used in this study was obtained from archival documents and oral information collected by the author between June and July of 2009 and January, 2012