Africa without European colonization

[politicus]

How would sub-Saharan Africa north of the Limpopo have developed if the Europeans hadn't colonized it and had left their coastal forts in West Africa around 1850 after the end of the Transatlantic slavetrade.
Disregard the small Portugese coastal settlements as they are of limited consequence.

Moslem slave hunters are still a problem in this scenario.
11 million African slaves went east (mainly to Arabia but a few of them to India and beyond), 12 million across the Atlantic.

What happens to:

- Statebuilding/adequate defence
- Economic development and modernization
- Healthcare and education

(Please don't use this thread to discuss whether such as scenario was likely or not. I am aware that it would have been highly unlikely for a number of reasons)

[politicus]

There were several answers to this post (3 or 4) with a fine discussion. Why have they been deleted?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

There were several answers to this post (3 or 4) with a fine discussion. Why have they been deleted?

People can delete their own posts, and I don't recall doing any deletions. If I did delete posts, it probably was to delete posts made by socks and/or banned users. 

[Simfan34]

When I have some time tomorrow, I hopefully will be able to post some thoughts.

[politicus]

When I have some time tomorrow, I hopefully will be able to post some thoughts.

Okay, there was a lot of discussion of private consortiums making their own colonies using mercenary army etc. It seemed to be the dominant view that some form of colonization was inevitable.

But a no European colonization whatsoever (state or private) scenario is the most interesting IMO.

[ingemann]

I have a really hard time seeing how Africa could avoid being colonised, and if European states hadn't done it, we would likely see European companies doing it instead (in which case the Congo Free State would be the model).

But let's imagine it didn't happen. In that case we would likely see newly Christianised coastal tribes conquer the inland tribes, creating large kingdoms of subjected people. The reason I think the coastal tribes would win out, would because they would have access to European goods and know how, and I think converted state would benefit from missionaries bringing them into contact with the European and American intelligensia.