Africa Notes #3 – Ethnic Africa Notes #3 – Ethnic ConflictsConflicts
• Positives: Built roads, schools, hospitals, technology
• Negatives: Split up ethnic groups and forced them to live with others they didn’t like– This will cause a lot of the
modern wars in Africa today
Effects of ImperialismEffects of Imperialism
Struggles to Build Struggles to Build NationsNations
• African nations tried to set up governments modeled after their colonial rulers– Caused dissent (opposition) among
the people• Some nations were set up as
democracies• Most were single party,
authoritarian, or dictators• ½ of all new nations had power
seized by the military
Struggles to Build NationsStruggles to Build Nations
• Many civil wars raged between ethnicities and factions
• Governments were often corrupt
Modern African ProblemsModern African Problems• Loss of colonial rule hurt the
infrastructure:– (roads, bridges,
transportation, healthcare, and education all affected)
• Trade with the outside world decreased
• Foreign countries own lots of the major industries -Ex: Nestle (Swiss) exploits cheap African labor for Milk, Sugar, Coco, and Coffee
Modern African ProblemsModern African Problems• By the 1980s Africa was in
crisis
• The World Bank wouldn’t give out more loans.
• Opposition parties were legalized, and multiparty elections were held in some countries
Modern African ProblemsModern African Problems• New nations relied
on foreign aid and import food as cash crops are grown instead
• Droughts ravage what little crops there are
• Famines occur in many countries
Population Population Explosion Explosion
Ethnic Ethnic ConflictsConflicts• Rwanda and in Burundi in Central
Africa had one of Africa’s deadliest civil wars.
• Rwanda– Hutus were the majority group, – Tutsis were the minority but had been
placed in control by Belgium– In 1994, extremist Hutu officials urged
civilians to kill their Tutsi and moderate Hutu neighbors.
Ethnic ConflictsEthnic Conflicts• Around 800,000 Tutsis and
moderate Hutus were slaughtered – 3 out of 8 million people lost
their homes– The United Nations stopped
the fighting– It is considered one of the
worst Genocides in modern history
Civil Wars in SudanCivil Wars in Sudan• Sudan gained
independence from the U.K.
• The 1st Sudanese Civil War lasted from 1955-72 – fought mainly between the
Arab/Muslim North and the Christian South
Sudan Splits in 2011Sudan Splits in 2011• The 2nd Civil War lasted
from 1983-2005– Same basic division– Ended with South Sudan
become Autonomous• In July of 2011 S. Sudan
officially became its own country
• This year the N. and S. are both engaging in violence – Possible war – mainly
over OIL
SudanSudan’’s western s western region of Darfur region of Darfur
• In 2004 ethnic violence spread to this region
• Arab militias with govt. support terrorized the non-Arab
-burned villages – drove hundreds of thousands
of farmers off the land
Darfur GenocideDarfur Genocide• The UN, the United
States, and other nations organized a huge aid effort to help refugees
• Many have deemed it a genocide.
– Estimated 400,000 died