neokoloniale

Neocolonialisme, or neokoloniale in its adjectival form, is a concept describing how formal political independence does not necessarily end external control. It refers to patterns of influence in which former colonial powers or other dominant economies continue to shape the political and economic destinies of former colonies through non-military means—primarily economics, trade, aid, and cultural power. In Dutch usage, the term is neokolonialisme, with the adjective neokoloniale.

Originating in anti-imperialist and postcolonial discourse in the mid-20th century, the term is closely associated with Kwame Nkrumah, who in 1965 described neocolonialism as “the last stage of imperialism.” Since then, scholars across Africa, Asia, and Latin America have used the term to analyze how dependency, debt, multinational corporations, and conditional aid can reproduce structures of domination despite political independence. The concept is used alongside development theory, globalization, and postcolonial studies to critique unequal power relations in the international system.

Mechanisms include foreign debt and lending policies, structural adjustment programs, trade regimes that favor core economies, resource extraction by transnational corporations, and aid conditions that influence policy choices. Cultural dimensions—media, language, education, and consumer markets—are also cited as tools for shaping national elites and public opinion.

Critics argue that the term can be vague or deterministic, potentially overlooking agency within postcolonial states and the complexities of globalization. Others defend its usefulness as a critical lens for examining how economic and political power can persist beyond formal sovereignty.

See also: colonialism, postcolonialism, dependency theory, globalization, IMF conditionality.