Catalogue description Records of the African Divisions and Departments of the Commonwealth Relations Office and Commonwealth Office

The original organisation of the Commonwealth Relations Office from 1950 included no divisions specifically to deal with relations with Africa. Rather, there were general departments in other divisions which handled matters of common interest for all member states of the Commonwealth (eg economic policy, trade and development, defence etc). It was not until 1956 that the benefits of 'territorial' divisions to deal with issues particular to certain geographical areas within the Commonwealth was first recognised with the formation of the Africa and General Division.

From 1956 until the merger of the Office with the Colonial Office to form the Commonwealth Office in 1966 there were always, despite frequent administrative reorganisations, at least one and sometimes as many as three African divisions within the Commonwealth Relations Office.

Before the formation of the Africa and General Division, there were some departments dealing specifically with relations with Africa. From 1949, the Finance and General Division contained both a Territories Department (dealing with Basutoland, Bechuanaland, and Swaziland, still colonies but not dealt with by the Colonial Office because of their close links to South Africa) and a Southern Rhodesia and Communications Department. In 1953, with the formation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, these departments were merged to form a Central African and Territories Department (still within the Finance and General Division).

In 1956, the Finance and General Division was broken up and the Africa and General Division formed, consisting of the Central Africa and Territories Department and a new Migration and General Department. At the same time, a Ghana Department was created within the Political Division to deal with relations with the independent state consisting of the former Gold Coast and British Togoland, which gained independence in 1957.

In 1959, the Central Africa and Territories Department was abolished and its functions split between new Central African and Southern Africa Departments, still in the Africa and General Division. The Southern Africa Department was abolished in November 1961.

In 1960, Nigeria became independent and a Nigeria Department was created in a new Africa Division, (the general functions having been redistributed from the former African and General Division). The Ghana Department was abolished, and its functions were incorporated into a West and General Africa Department. Following the independence of Sierra Leone, Tanganyika (1961) and Uganda (1962), the Africa and Political Division was formed in a general reorganisation. It comprised an Africa Economic Department, a separate West Africa Department, and an East Africa and General Department.

The Central Africa Department was abolished after the formation of the Central African Office. In 1963 to 1964 there was briefly a department dealing with United Nations and General Africa, and a separate East Africa Department was created.

There was a further general reorganisation in 1964. An Aid Division was created, which included a Development and Financial Policy and West Africa Economic Department. The Central African Office was abolished and its functions and staff absorbed back into the Commonwealth Relations Office, with three departments: Malawi and Central Africa Economic, Malawi having become independent in 1964; Southern Rhodesia; and Zambia (independent, 1964). A separate East Africa Division dealt with Uganda, Kenya (independent in 1963) and Tanzania (Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which gained independence in 1963). It had an East Africa Economic and an East Africa Political Department. There was also a hybrid Far East and West Africa Division which included a West Africa and General Africa Department.

There was one further general reorganisation of the Office in September 1965 before it was joined to the Colonial Office to form the Commonwealth Office in August 1966. Economic matters were removed from the Central Africa Division, which was reorganised into a Malawi and Zambia Department and a Rhodesia Department. An East and West Africa Division was formed, consisting of the East Africa Political Department, a second incarnation of the West and General Africa Department, and a new Development Policy and West and East Africa Economic Department.