Ethnic conflict management in africa pdf

In developing country incidence were low and in the developing sever. Interethnic conflicts and their impact on national. Cigis african regional conflict management project. It has been blamed for outmoded values and regressive consciousness, for fostering corruption and destructive conflict and now there is some concern that the. I political cycles and interethnic outcomes in nigerias postindependence history. The conflict is usually not about ethnic differences themselves but over political, economic, social, cultural, or territorial matters.

From mandela to zuma katabaro miti university of pretoria, south africa abstract this article looks at how the three presidential leaders of south africa nelson mandela, thabo mbeki and jacob zuma, have dealt with various conflict situations on the african continent. They may share the same language, religion, territory or economical system. Additionally, the use of international troops during coups promotes human cruelties and abuse of human rights of the. Africa journal of international and comparative law, 23 3, pp. The article examines the reasons for the prominence of the ethnic discourse in contemporary african conflicts and the impact of such discourse on their management and outcome. Pdf conflict in africa download full pdf book download.

Africa s salvation depends on the development and implementation of effective institutions of ethnic conflict management. A conflict, as a state of disagreement may lead to crisis or violence peters, 2006. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic groups position within society. Developing country management ethnic conflict by participation and justice policy that the equality is the best way for resolve this problem. It can also be said to be an incompatibility, as of two things that cannot be simultaneously fulfilled. Indigenous systems of conflict resolution in oromia, ethiopia. Project muse the roots of ethnic conflict in africa. Conflict and state security in the horn of africa 41 that determine relationships. Those mechanisms were geared toward fostering peaceful coexistence among the africans.

The basis of understanding conflict, security and collective wellbeing of people includes relationships that dominate interactions of two or more entities in contact with one another. Ethnicity, ethnic conflict, peace education, social justice, sustainable development 1. The concept paper series is the joint centers paper series addressing topics and concepts of foremost importance for understanding the dynamics of. Create a study guide for your students with prezi video. Recent years have seen many regions of africa involved in war and internal or external conflict, from the seven or so countries directly involved in the democratic republic of congo drc to the sierra leone crisis and the war in ethiopiaeritrea and the various other civil wars. Ethnic conflict is defined as any episode of sustained violent conflict in which national, ethnic, and religious or. Pdf theories and practice of ethnic conflict management in. Throughout the continent, violent conflicts dramatically and simultaneously erupted almost all over the place. Background before the advent of colonialism, the communities living in africa had their own conflict resolution mechanisms. Existence of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms such as negotiation, reconciliation, mediation and others is evidence that these concepts are not new in africa. Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and institutions. Au and conflict management in africa the 1990s was a particularly turbulent and challenging time for africa. Stop wasting time in meetings and be more productive at work.

The preface provides a general overview of the ideas on which the book rests. It first raises the general question as to whether ethnic representation of conflicts exacerbates them or moderates them and why. Conflicts and causes of conflicts in africa project topics. A historical analysis of ethnic conflict in nigeria osadola oluwaseun samuel research paper postgraduate african studies culture and applied geography publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay. Pdf african union and conflict resolution in africa. These o s cieties are often characterized by persistent deeprooted and identityrelated. But incidence of ethnic violence was different in varying country. Africa hardly attracts media attention despite pressing concerns.

Godfrey mwakikagile, ethnic politics in kenya and nigeria huntington, new york. Apr 30, 2010 while the ethnic group is the predominant means of social identity formation in africa, most ethnic groups in africa coexist peacefully with high degrees of mixing through interethnic marriage, economic partnerships, and shared values. From mandela to zuma katabaro miti university of pretoria, south africa abstract this article looks at how the three presidential leaders of south africa nelson mandela, thabo mbeki. Misinterpreting ethnic conflicts in africa africa center for strategic. Ethnic conflict and sustainable development in nigeria. This final criterion differentiates ethnic conflict from other forms of struggle. Conflict is a situation whereby individuals, groups, or countries are involved in disagreement over an issue. Since the prehistory of ethnic conflict management is largely forgotten, a digression may be permitted here.

An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more contending ethnic groups. Ethnicity is typically not the driving force of african conflicts but a lever used by political leaders to mobilize. Based on a qualitative analysis of conflict in africa, this paper has identified broad types of conflict in order to understand better the conflict dynamics, causes and drivers on the continent. Conflicts and causes of conflicts in africa project. Export a ris file for endnote, procite, reference manager, zotero, mendeley export a text file for bibtex note. Reexamining ethnic conflict in subsaharan africa yale political. Sustainable conflict management mechanism in africa.

Rankopo university of botswana introduction traditional conflict resolution processes are part of a wellstructured, timeproven social system geared towards reconciliation, maintenance and improvement of social. A study of the nawurigonja conflict in northern ghana cletus kwaku mbowura lecturer department of history university of ghana ghana abstract for many years northern region of ghana has been in a state of turmoil and atrophy due to intermittent inter. However various communities in africa call it various names. The significance of ethnic conflict management in africa is underlined by the continents underdevelopment and weak economic growth. Africas salvation depends on the development and implementation of effective institutions of ethnic conflict management. Horowitz april 1998 paper prepared for the annual world bank conference on development economics, washington, d. The lessons from the mixed successes of regional conflict management actions, such as the west african intervention in liberia, the east african mediation in sudan, and international efforts to urge talks to end the conflict in angola, indicate friends and neighbors outside the state in conflict have important roles to play in increasing. Colonial production, extraverted and coercive as it already was, was ruthlessly reorganized to produce record amounts of primary agricultural and mineral commodities for the imperial armies and economies. Indeed, if they did not, nearly every village and province in africa would be a cauldron of conflict.

Ethnicity is typically not the driving force of african conflicts but a lever used by political leaders to. Conflict in africa available for download and read online in other formats. Ethnic groups are, to be sure, inventions and constructions in some measure, but they are also decidedly real, even in the sense that states are said to be. Electoral systems and conflict in divided societies ben reilly and andrew reynolds 1 t his work examines whether the choice of an electoral system in a culturally plural society can affect the potential for future violent conflict. Ethnic conflict project south africa by charlee anderson on. Using nigeria and south africa as case studies, it compares the management of ethnic conflicts in both countries and shows the difficulties in managing deep. Conflict can be defined as a clash or disagreement often violent between opposing groups or individuals. The paper compares the management of ethnic conflicts in nigeria and. Several nations are faced with the opposition fighting to dislodge incumbent regimes that have unyielding commitment to. Theoretical approaches to conflict and order 5 they operate,19 neoliberals,or those influenced by the grotius tradition,go one step farther than the moderate realists and see regimes as independent variables influencing international order and cooperation. Ethnic civil war is defined here as a conflict in which either or.

This points to the need for a change in the continents approach to conflict management. The paper compares the management of ethnic conflicts in nigeria and south africa witha view to underscoring the intricacies in managing deep. Ethnicity and conflict management in postcolonial africa. Inter ethnic conflicts and their impact on national development, integration and social cohesion. Conflict resolution and peace building mechanisms remain problematic for most societies in africa including those in ethiopia, as most of them are trying to imitate western modalities rather than using their own indigenous institutions. An ethnic group is a set of people that share common racial and cultural characteristics.

Nasongos preface sets the stage for the roots of ethnic conflict in africa. International and local actors attention has been focused on dealing with conflicts in africa. The case of ghana and botswana kwaku oseihwedie and morena j. Conflict prevention, management and reduction in africa.

This paper proposes, among other things, that ethnic conflicts in africa are fallout of colonialism. The conflict is usually not about ethnic differences themselves but over. Indigenous conflict management and resolution mechanisms. Another cause of ethnic conflict in africa is the challenge associated with political tension, especially in the nations that are emerging from one party and dictatorial regimes into democracy. African union and conflict resolution in africa article pdf available in mediterranean journal of social sciences 527. Uncertainty, each ethnic conflict has its own unique characteristics and, in different contexts, some of these elements will be more prominent than the others, but all of them are the common denominators necessary for ethnic conflict to occur. Regional approaches to conflict management in africa during the august 2001 colombian presidency of the council. Briefly stated, these are the seven themes we intend to sketch in the following discussion of institutional design, ethnic conflict management, and democracy in nigeria. Electoral systems and conflict in divided societies. Regional approaches to conflict management in africa. Peace in africa is not the absence of war, but the provision of the peoples basic human needs. Africa, most ethnic groups in africa coexist peacefully with high degrees of mixing through interethnic marriage, economic partnerships, and shared values. Preventing civil war through institutional design national and ethnic conflict in the 21st century kuperman, alan j.

As he put it, the modern african state was created by colonial powers out of ethnic and regional diversities, and rendered conflictual by gross inequities in power. Pdf ethnic conflict resolution and development in africa. Concepts and theories 25 of treaties and the coining of money is independent of the government of the associated states, and, on the other hand, state governments which in certain matters are, in their turn, independent of the general government. Ethnic conflict, a form of conflict in which the objectives of at least one party are defined in ethnic terms, and the conflict, its antecedents, and possible solutions are perceived along ethnic lines. This paper examines the place of indigenous knowledge in conflict management and peace building, using the hausa speaking people of northern nigeria as a case study. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the author. The causes of ethnic conflict in multiethnic societies. Each of africas countries has a different constitutional design, is characterized by a unique culture and history.

This paper is also meant to be a contribution towards the ongoing search for new means of managing ethnic conflict in africa. They do not necessarily represent the views of the. In this paper the causes and impacts of conflicts in northern region are examined, with particular reference to the konkomba interethnic conflicts. A third group of countries, including zimbabwe, namibia, and modernday south africa, suffers racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural divisions severe enough to require special arrangements to be. It is not clear that ethnicity by itself generates conflict or that it is inherently threatening. Sipri, cohosted a meeting resolving communal conflicts in ghana. Relying on the comparative study of nigeria and south africa, it is the contention in this paper that ethnic conflict which has been at the heart of african countries development problem is a product of skewed economy, authoritarian governance and religious bigotry. Structure and strategy in ethnic conflict donald l. The current attention to ethnic conflict contrasts markedly with the approach of previous periods. In this book, donald rothchild analyzes the successes and failures of attempts at conflict resolution in different african countries and offers comprehensive ideas for. Peters 2006 notes that conflict, at all levels, may arise due to the desire for political, economic and social advantages, greed, egorelated problems. Conflict, conflict management, development, africa, sustainability introduction human conflict is a fact of modern social life and is likely to remain so far the unforeseeable future wherever.

May 12, 2010 africa hardly attracts media attention despite pressing concerns. Kpelle people of li beria, it is called house of palaver or moot. Conflict and the role of the media 5 part one part one conflict, the modern world and the media conflict is one of the defining features of the modern world. And in all three cases, murder was the primary weapon used to facilitate the expulsion of these outsiders and invaders. Pdf african union, conflict, and conflict resolution in. Indigenous conflict resolution and management are proven as less. Like most interethnic conflicts in the northern region of ghana, the root causes of. With regard to conflict, the aprm has stated as one of its objectives the prevention and reduction of inter and intrastate conflict. Pdf on may 14, 2014, olatunji alabi oyeshile and others published ethnic conflict resolution and development in africa. Arbitration is the least used conflict resolution method in tra ditional africa. North africa was a crucial combat zone during both wars. Before the colonial era, some parts of africa had what may be described as ethnic polities political societies with governmental institutions in.

A historical analysis of ethnic conflict in nigeria publish. In sudan, rwanda, burundi, liberia, drc, somalia, sierraleon, angola etc, civil strife and. While the ethnic group is the predominant means of social identity formation in africa, most ethnic groups in africa coexist peacefully with high degrees of mixing through interethnic marriage, economic partnerships, and shared values. One may prefer ones kinsfolk or ones own community without being antagonistic to others.

In this book, donald rothchild analyzes the successes and failures of attempts at conflict resolution in different african countries and offers comprehensive ideas for successful mediation. Causes of ethnic conflict in africa have resulted in several separatist movements and military coups. In africa, strategies such as coercive methods as implied by the power politics, balance of power, and use of state agents to suppress conflicts, would be ineffective in modifying the conflict behaviors. Theories and practice of ethnic conflict management in nigeria. It situates the question of conflict within the context of the northern region of ghana and defines conflict as a situation in which people, groups or. In this book, donald rothchild analyzes the successes and failures of. Identifying africas regional and subregional actors and their mechanisms for handling conflict it is, indeed, the case that the actual number of regional and subregional organisations involved in the management of african conflict may never be known, as there are several ad. Conflict, conflict prevention, conflict management and beyond. Introduction this paper explores the relationship between armed conflict and constitutional and political engineering in ethnoplural african societies. Negotiation, the secret is to harmonize the interests of the parties concerned. For instance, the katanga in zaire, in sudan, in ethiopia, biafra in nigeria, in somalia, and idi amins coup in uganda. This paper examines african conflicts and the roles of the african union au in conflict resolution, focusing on the recent zimbabwe and kenya conflicts.