The broadcaster disabled comments under the tweet after being accused of “rebranding colonialism”
Commentary under A has been removed by BBC tweet celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s “longstanding relationship”With Africa After the Post drew public outrage with people calling it a tribute to Africa “rebranding of colonialism.”
The post in question was published on Twitter by the BBC’s African arm on Thursday in the wake of the long-serving monarch’s death, and featured a four-and-a-half-minute video celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s relations with Africa and its leaders throughout her 70-year reign.
However, there were many who disagreed with this post and stated that BBC tried to “rebrand colonialism” by sugarcoating Britain’s rule over Africa, which continued into the late 20th century. Zimbabwe gained independence from the UK in 1980.
Many went on to provide examples of how African freedom fighters suffered at the hands of the their British oppressors throughout the years, with some users citing Kenya’s Mau Mau anti-colonial uprising which resulted in 1.5 million Kenyans being kept in British concentration camps and heavily patrolled villages, amid widespread starvation and torture.
“She became queen while on tour in Kenya. Africans were segregated, enslaved, tortured and killed on their own lands,”One user on Twitter wrote: “This is what the BBC consider a long term relationship.”
Elizabeth was never in a loving relationship. It was colonialism and imperialism that forced us into it. CORONIAL relationship
— NoX_Malcom (@NoXs_Malcom) September 8, 2022
“We never had a relationship with Elizabeth, it was imperialism and colonialism, meaning it was forced into us. COLONIAL relationship,”An additional point was made.
Some, however, did try to defend the post, with one person writing that people were now using the Queen’s death as a means to criticize everything Britain has done in the past 70 years.
After the outpouring of negative comments continued, BBC Africa decided to ban all new comments and allow only those that have been tagged to comment on the post to continue to make them.
On Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II of Scotland died at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the tender age of 96.
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