New Books Network Podcast Summary

Episode: Bernard Forjwuor, "Critique of Political Decolonization" (Oxford UP, 2023)
Air Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Nathan Moore
Guest: Bernard Forjwuor, University of Notre Dame

Episode Overview

This episode features Bernard Forjwuor discussing his book Critique of Political Decolonization (Oxford UP, 2023). Forjwuor interrogates how colonial power persists in postcolonial African states, focusing on Ghana as a central case study. The conversation delves into the ontological structure of colonialism, the limits of political independence, the role of neoliberal institutions, and the inadequacy of prevailing theories of decolonization. The discussion is highly theoretical but aims to spark practical and interdisciplinary reevaluation of dominant narratives in postcolonial studies, political theory, and African studies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Forjwuor’s Background and Book Motivation

• Forjwuor teaches at the University of Notre Dame and developed the book from his Northwestern University dissertation.
• His experience in Ghana, witnessing post-independence interventions from the IMF and World Bank, spurred critical questions:
  • “How is it possible that a democracy, a sovereign nation, will be beholden to this kind of financial institution in its political, economic and sometimes cultural arrangements?” (03:06)
• Ghana’s status as the first Sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence and as a stable democracy made it “the best place to test some of these ideas.” (04:01)

The Endurance of Colonial Structures

• Forjwuor’s argument is not limited to Ghana but extends to other postcolonial states, such as Gabon and Sierra Leone, which face similar patterns of external influence (05:07).
• He links IMF/World Bank conditionalities to the persistence of coups and instability:
  • “This idea that when you borrow money... there are certain conditionalities that are applied... All these things creates economic hardship... that makes the environment rife for some of this dismantling of this kind of political arrangements.” (06:18)

Ontological Structure of Colonialism

• Drawing from Olufemi Táíwò, Forjwuor outlines three colonial formations: settler colonialism, exploitative colonialism, and hybrid forms (Australia/U.S. vs. Africa/India vs. South Africa).
• Colonialism must be recognized as “much more comprehensive than normative scholarship try to represent it.” (08:03)
• He stresses direct/indirect expressions of colonialism and complexities that transcend simple definitions (09:50).

Performance & Performativity

• Inspired by theatre (Mohammed Ben Abdullah’s play Land of Million Magicians) and Jacques Derrida’s performativity, Forjwuor analyzes how independence declarations enact rather than merely describe sovereignty:
  • “The Declaration of Independence performs that which it says, right? So it’s not up to conversation... it performs what it means.” (11:51)
• The performative act of declaring independence does not necessarily dissolve colonial power structures.

Critique of UN Discourse and Apartheid

• The UN Charter’s framing of colonialism and self-determination privileges certain forms (settler colonialism) and excludes others (apartheid, exploitative colonialism). (13:11–16:45)
  • “By excluding South Africa and apartheid system from this kind of consideration, it also excludes other settler colonial arrangements.” (16:16)

Distinctiveness of Forjwuor's Argument

• He distinguishes his work from:
  • Nkrumah’s neocolonialism (de jure vs. de facto)
  • Standard postcolonial studies (which, he argues, erroneously presuppose that political independence is radical decolonization)
  • Latin American subaltern approaches (coloniality as distinct from colonialism)
• “Political independence and political decolonization are quite distinct category of things.” (18:23)
• The persistence of exploitative structures post-independence demonstrates that colonialism continues to shape the present.

Methodology

• Adopts an eclectic, interdisciplinary critical practice, influenced by Foucault and Judith Butler’s notion of “desubjugation or poisons” (24:01).
• Theory is used methodologically; notable flexibility to “escape the constraints of normativity” (25:34), integrating archival work for a strong historical foundation.

Influences

• Adam Getachew (Worldmaking after Empire), Gary Wilder (Freedom Time), and Olufemi Táíwò are key intellectual touchstones, though Forjwuor often diverges in conclusions (27:37–29:45).
• He disputes the assumption that transformation always means negation of colonialism:
  • “Transformation can be an evolution in the colonial process.” (28:26)
• Emphasizes the simultaneous exercise and circumscription of agency under indirect colonial rule.

Challenges Encountered

• The “structure of normativity” in language and theory is a major limitation, particularly Eurocentric definitions of concepts like ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom’. (30:41)
  • “Every language, every word has a system, system of governance built into it.” (31:19)
• The necessity to “expand the framework within which you are thinking about colonialism” (32:23).

Use of Historical & Contemporary Sources

• Heavy reliance on both historical records (e.g. British Parliament deliberations about Ghana) and current cases (capital flight, Congo’s resource exploitation).
• He interrogates the paradox of affluent resources and ongoing poverty in Africa:
  • “A country like Congo... is also the most poorest country in the world. How is that even conceivable?” (34:28)

Alternative Theoretical Frameworks

• Finds alternative frameworks (particularly Latin American subaltern studies) insightful but ultimately insufficient due to different starting assumptions about decolonization (36:31).

Practical Implications

• Urges a rethinking of democracy, especially liberal democracy as practiced in Africa:
  • “If what we are practicing in Africa is liberal democracy, it means that democracy has to rise and fall within capitalism, which to me is not... democratic at all.” (38:09)
• Advocates for a “mutually affirmative” relationship between people and politics, free from external pressures (39:40).

Interdisciplinarity

• Promotes interdisciplinarity as essential:
  • “If you’re trained to use a hammer very, very well, you will tend to see the world as a nail... What if the problem you encounter... is an egg?” (41:25)
• Combines constitutional theory, political theory, history, economics, and literary analysis.

Audience & Accessibility

• Intended for:
  • Critical theorists challenging “settled arguments” (43:35)
  • Latin American studies scholars
  • Postcolonial studies researchers
  • Graduate and undergraduate students
• Book is “very theoretical as well, but very accessible.” (45:24)

Future Research

• Forjwuor’s next project will focus on theorizing decolonization itself and its relation to democracy, possibly with counterfactuals imagining Africa without colonial interruption (45:56).
  • “The present is not decolonized. Colonialism is not dead. It has evolved.” (47:13)

Connections to Current Events & Movements

• Highlights resource exploitation in Congo and broader environmental justice movements as fields where his work is relevant and mutually informative (48:43).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “How is it possible that a democracy, a sovereign nation, will be beholden to this kind of financial institution...?” (03:06 — Forjwuor)
• “Transformation can be an evolution in the colonial process.” (28:26 — Forjwuor)
• “Political independence and political decolonization are quite distinct category of things.” (18:23 — Forjwuor)
• “Every language, every word has a system, system of governance built into it.” (31:19 — Forjwuor)
• “If you’re trained to use a hammer very, very well, you will tend to see the world as a nail... What if... it’s an egg?” (41:25 — Forjwuor)
• “The present is not decolonized. Colonialism is not dead. It has evolved.” (47:13 — Forjwuor)

Timestamps of Major Segments

• 01:46 – Forjwuor’s background and book origin
• 03:44 – Centrality of Ghana
• 05:56 – Role of coups and economic conditionalities
• 07:48 – Ontological structure of colonialism
• 10:33 – Concept of performance/performativity
• 13:11 – UN, apartheid, and exclusions
• 17:57 – Comparative academic discourse
• 23:05 – Methodological approach
• 26:53 – Key influencers and related scholarship
• 30:41 – Challenges/limitations
• 33:22 – Historical and contemporary evidence
• 36:31 – Alternative lenses outside West Africa
• 37:45 – Practical implications for democracy and sovereignty
• 41:15 – Value of interdisciplinarity
• 43:32 – Intended readership and accessibility
• 45:56 – Future research directions
• 48:43 – Relation to geopolitical events/social movements
• 50:55 – Upcoming speaking engagements
• 51:49 – Final reflections on podcast platform

Takeaway

Bernard Forjwuor’s Critique of Political Decolonization challenges the assumption that political independence equates to true decolonization, arguing instead that colonial structures persist and adapt in postcolonial states, especially through economic and institutional pathways. The book calls for an incisive critical, interdisciplinary approach to democracy, sovereignty, and liberation—one attentive to historical complexity and skeptical of normative "settled" narratives. As Forjwuor emphasizes, “Colonialism is not dead. It has evolved.” (47:13)