Ethnic Conflict and Political Instability in Sub-Saharan Africa

MAIN IDEA: Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are constantly plagued by ethnic conflict and political instability. Today we are going to examine the main causes of this conflict.

Recall that powerful African kingdoms and empires existed in past centuries, but all were limited to distinct sub-regions of the

landmass.

The Political Geography of Africa in the Past

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

No empire or kingdom in the past ever came even close to politically uniting the region.

Even today, the African continent is politically fragmented into numerous countries.

The Current Political Geography of Africa

The Political Geography of Africa in the Past

As a result, Africa has always lacked a larger national identity. In other words, there never has been an “United

States of Africa”. Why?The Current Political Geography of Africa

One of the reasons is based on what you see here on this map.What might it be?

Reasons For sub-Saharan Africa’s Lack of Political Unity:

1) Africa’s vast size makes it difficult to politically unify.

Reasons For sub-Saharan Africa’s Lack of Political Unity:

The second reason is based on what you see with this

map.

What might it be?

Reasons For sub-Saharan Africa’s Lack of Political Unity:

2) Sub-Saharan Africa is too culturally diverse (there are over 2,000 ethnic groups, or tribes).

All of these ethnic groups do not have enough in common to form a national identity and thus form one nation.

Reasons For sub-Saharan Africa’s Lack of Political Unity:

Even today most of the people of sub-Saharan Africa do not describe themselves as “African”, much less as

Rwandan, Nigerian, South African, Sudanese, Kenyan, etc. So, how do the people of sub-Saharan Africa see or describe

themselves?

Sub-Saharan Africa’s political identity has traditionally been based on tribalism- allegiance/ loyalty to a particular

tribe (ethnic group) rather than to the nation.

For example, most citizens of Rwanda describe themselves as

either Hutu or Tutsi, not “Rwandans”.

Up until the late 19th century, prior to the arrival of European colonialism, the political structure of the sub-

Saharan African people was based on a “Stateless Society”.

1) The political geography is based on the traditional lands of a particular tribe (ethnic group), not political boundaries.

CHARACTERISITICS OF THE STATELESS-SOCIETY

Up until the late 19th century, the political map to the left did not exist. There was no Angola,

Sudan, Ethiopia, etc.

As we shall soon discuss, these political entities and political borders were created by the Europeans at the end of the

19th century.

2) A village tribal chief, or a group of elders (all men) would create informal laws and make decisions that

affected only that village.

CHARACTERISITICS OF THE STATELESS-SOCIETY

There was no central government that politically ruled over the various villages within the lands of particular tribe (ethnic group). Each village had

its own “tribal government”.

However, this political structure ended with the arrival of European imperialism/ colonialism in the late 19th century.

Imperialism (colonialism) occurs when a strong nation takes over a weaker nation or region and dominates its

economic, political, or cultural life.

What did the African continent possess that made it very attractive to the industrialized nations of Europe?

THE EUROPEAN SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICAThe industrialized nations wanted “control” of Africa’s abundant

natural resources.Due to the need for natural resources for the industrialized countries

in Europe , European nations were scrambling to carve up Africa.

THE EUROPEAN SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA

This created a problem: several Europeans were trying to claim the same

lands in Africa.

What do you see this leading too?

The nations of Europe did not want to fight each other over control of Africa.

As a result, 14 European nations met in Berlin, Germany 1885 to lay down rules for dividing Africa peacefully.

No Africans were invited to this conference. Why?

Any European country could claim

land in Africa by telling other nations of their claims and

by showing they could control the

area.

European Imperialism in Africa

At the end of the 19th century, Africa was politically and economically dominated by

the Europeans.The Europeans ruled over Africa with an “iron fist”. The Africans were not allowed to participate in the political

process over their own lands. In addition, the Europeans “took” Africa’s abundant natural resources.

European Imperialism in Africa

The Europeans created political boundaries (countries) without

regard to the location of African ethnic groups;

the Europeans combined African

ethnic groups (tribes) who were traditional

enemies.

Consequences of European Imperialism on sub-Saharan Africa’s Current Political Instability

Tutsi Hutu

During the European colonial period, the Europeans also practiced a policy of giving one ethnic group (tribe)

privileges over the other. EXAMPLE: The two main tribes, or ethnic groups, that made up

Rwanda were the Tutsi and the Hutu. They had long been traditionally enemies of each other prior to the arrival of the

Europeans.

RWANDA

Tutsi Hutu

During the European colonial period, the Europeans practiced a policy of giving one ethnic group privileges over the other. Why?This created resentment/ tension between the tribes and

thus prevented the Africans from joining together to resist/ revolt against European rule.

The Europeans wanted the Africans to hate each other more than they hated the Europeans who ruled over them.

RWANDA

European imperialism would dominate Africa until the middle of the 20th century.

However, by the 1950s, the European powers began to withdraw from the African continent.

Why?

The economic and physical destruction associated with World War II left the imperial powers of Europe in ruins.

They could no longer afford to maintain their overseas territorial possessions.

Once started, the decolonization process moved

rapidly.

By the mid 1960s, virtually the entire

region had achieved

independence from the European

powers.

In most cases the transition was

relatively peaceful and smooth.

WHAT IS THE LEGACY OF

EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM

(COLONIALISM) IN SUB-SAHARAN

AFRICA?

1) Most African countries are dominated by political instability- primarily due to the Europeans creating

political boundaries that grouped several tribes together who were traditionally enemies..

Political Legacy of European Imperialism in sub-Sahran Africa:

Political Instability

Genocide

European language and customs

2) Most sub-Saharan African countries have continued to

use the languages of their former

European colonizers.

During the colonial period, European

imperial powers used their own languages

for administrative purposes.

Cultural Legacy of European Imperialism in sub-Saharan Africa:

DIRECTIONS: Answer questions #8-#11 on your study guide using the reading provided to you entitled “Political Conflict and Genocide in sub-Saharan Africa”.