Cattle Plague Or Rinderpest In Africa

In Africa in the 1890s a fast spreading disease of cattle plague or rinderpest had a terrifying impact on people's livelihoods and the local economy.In the late 19th century Europeans were attracted to Africa due to vast resources of land and minerals.Europeans came to Africa hoping to establish plantations and mines to produce crops and minerals for export to Europe.

Rinderpest arrived in Africa in the late 1880s.It was carried byinfected cattle imported from British Asia to feed the Italian soliders invading Eritrea in East Africa.Entering Africa in the east,rinderpest moved west like forest fire reaching Africa's Atlantic coast in 1892.It reached Capt 5 years later.It killed 90% of the cattle on the way.

The loss of cattle destroyed African livelihoods.Planters,miners and colonial governments  now monopolised what scarce cattle resources remained to strenghten their power and to force Africans into the labor market.