Salaga Area

Salaga area (also Neutral Zone ) was the name of a late 19th century between the colonial powers Germany and Britain disputed territory around the city Salaga in present-day north-western Ghana.

Geographic space

The Salaga - area extended in a north-south direction between the mouth of the Dako River in the White Volta and the 10 degrees north latitude. To the east and west boundaries of the Kingdom of Dagomba formed the outer boundaries, was so loosely defined a square-shaped area as a neutral zone with the mouth of the Trubong in the Black Volta as western border.

Due to the establishment

In conjunction with the Heligoland - Zanzibar Treaty, the governments discussed from London and Berlin and others also about a possible border between German and British spheres of influence in West Africa, ie coast and in the hinterland of the Gold and the Mina ( Togo ). One first discussed a solution, which provided a demarcation of borders, large parts of the Mamprusi - country and the Kingdom of Dagomba would be divided into the British sphere of influence, while the areas east of the lower Volta to Ho, Kpandu and a large part of the Peki - area German territory would be awarded. However, it came into being in this question there is no contractual agreement.

One of the main reasons for the failure to reach an agreement was in need of a division of the disputed area along ethnic lines in order to avoid future conflict potential. But a boundary line along the White Volta, who would have considered such a largely appeared to be unacceptable to the British, but it was for the possession of important trading centers. Salaga and Jendi were after all the endpoints transsaharischer important caravan routes. In addition, the target of the British demarcation would have led to the quite significant polity of Mamprussi and Dagomba would be shared, and in both cases the main residences of the local authorities were distributed both on German as well as British sphere of influence. In addition, part of the Mamprussi would have been in the north under French sovereignty. Also on the British side it was clear to him that such a state long-term hid a dangerous potential for conflict. For example, the king of the Mamprusi resided in Gambaga that belonged in this case to the British area of ​​interest, while their main chiefs resided in Sansanné mango, which was on the German side, however, was a large part of the agricultural production of the Mamprusi in the north to French territory. Of course, from a British perspective should a union of Mamprussi because they had the king on his side, optimally take place under British suzerainty. However, since no agreement was achieved, initially agreed on the establishment of a mutually binding neutral zone.

Resolution

The Neutral Zone was dissolved with a German -British Agreement of 14 November 1898 which was ratified in combination with the German -British Samoa Treaty 1899. The new frontier was largely in line first classified as objectionable variation of a division of the kingdoms of Dagomba and Mamprusi. The new Anglo-German border ran in the Dagomba country largely along this stream of Dako. It was left to the settled on the German side Mamprusi to relocate to their relatives on the British side, while it was released on the other side of the Tschekossi on the British side, emigrate to the German territory. Only concerning the Dagomba the leaders of European governments had no concepts, especially as the Dagomba far jedweger European influence had successfully resisted. On this issue, especially the fact played a role that the Dagomba king and his principal chiefs were separated by the demarcation, besides also bitter national rivalries came here but by the two European colonial powers to bear, after all, were in the Dagomba country with Salaga and Jendi the southern endpoints transsaharischer important caravan routes, which a dominant European power military control and thus the possibility of a tax collection opened.

Through the 1919 final was dividing the former German colony of Togoland between France and Britain in turn the entire original Salagagebiet came under British rule and thus was ultimately part of the newly independent state in 1957 Ghana.

Swell

• David Owusu -Ansah, Daniel Miles McFarland, Historical Dictionary of Ghana, London 1995.
• Alan E. G. Watherstone, The Northern Territories of the Gold Coast, in: Journal of African History, 7 ( 28), 1908, 344-372.
• Danckelman, Neutral Zone, in: German colonial lexicon, Volume II, Leipzig 1920, p 647

• Historical territory (Africa)
• German Colonial History ( Africa)
• British Colonial History ( Africa)
• History ( Ghana)
• German colony of Togo