S ah aran , ▁Red ▁Sea ▁and ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁slave ▁tr ades . ▁ ▁Col onial ▁era ▁▁ 1 8 8 4 – 1 9 4 5 ▁The ▁Berlin ▁Conference ▁( G erman : ▁Kong ok on fer enz ▁or ▁" C ongo ▁Conference ") ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 4 – 8 5 ▁reg ulated ▁European ▁colon ization ▁and ▁trade ▁in ▁Africa ▁during ▁the ▁Imperial ism ▁period , ▁and ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁Germany ' s ▁sudden ▁emer gence ▁as ▁an ▁imperial ▁power . ▁Cal led ▁for ▁by ▁Portugal ▁and ▁organized ▁by ▁Otto ▁von ▁B ism ar ck , ▁first ▁Chan cell or ▁of ▁Germany , ▁its ▁outcome , ▁the ▁General ▁Act ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Conference , ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁formal ization ▁of ▁the ▁Sc ram ble ▁for ▁Africa . ▁The ▁conference ▁us her ed ▁in ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁height ened ▁colonial ▁activity ▁by ▁European ▁powers , ▁while ▁simultaneously ▁elimin ating ▁most ▁existing ▁forms ▁of ▁African ▁aut onomy ▁and ▁self - g overn ance . ▁During ▁this ▁ ▁colonial ▁time , ▁the ▁economy ▁of ▁Africa ▁was ▁re - arr anged ▁to ▁serve ▁Europe ▁and ▁Europe ans , ▁and ▁the ▁European ▁industrial ▁chain ▁began ▁in ▁Africa ▁and ▁ended ▁in ▁European ▁industrial ▁w are h ouses . ▁ ▁All ▁of ▁Africa ▁would ▁ultimately ▁fall ▁under ▁European ▁colonial ▁rule ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁with ▁the ▁exceptions ▁of ▁Eth iop ia ▁and ▁Liber ia . ▁The ▁partition ing ▁of ▁African ▁territory ▁among ▁European ▁reg imes ▁often ▁viol ated ▁existing ▁boundaries ▁recognized ▁by