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The Role and Place of EthnicLanguages(l) in ConflictResolution: The Case Of AfricanCountries

By P.K Nzunga

Abstract

The current state of most African countries cannot be dissoci-ated from the Berlin Treaty of 1885, which divided the continentinto zones of European influence. Before this year, mostcommunities in this continent ran their own affairs in relativeindependence, within a clearly understood ethnic region.

The most significant characteristics of an ethnic communitywere it's language and culture. Although the new foreign mas-ters did not always clearly perceive or appreciate these socialelements, the diversity and the wealth of these entities wasenormous in the African continent. The greatest injustice thecolonial masters committed was, undoubtedly, the imposition oftheir language and culture on the colonized minority groups.Tliis article discusses the consequences of this phenomenon inpost-colonial Africa and evaluates the alternative possibilities inrelation to conflict resolution in Africa.

Dr. Nzunga is a lecturer in Linguistics at Kenyatta University,Department of Foreign Languages

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Role et Place des LanguesEthniques dans la Resolution desConflits: Le Cas des Pays Africains

Par M. P. K. Nzunga

Resume:

II est pratiquement impossible de faire une dissociation netteentre les probemes qui accablent les pays africains et le Traitede Berlin (1885), qui divisa l'Afrique en zones d'influenceeuropeenne. Auparavant, chaque communaute ethnique menaitindependamment ses activites, au sein d'une region ethniquebien delimitee. Les traits saillants d'une communaute furent salangue et la culture correspondante. Les nouveauxadministrateurs ne distinguaient pas toujours ces elementssociaux - et les appreciaient encore moins. Or ceux-ciconstituaient une richesse incontestable de la patrimoine locale.L'injustice la plus grave qu'ont commise les colonisateurs, fut1 imposition de leurs langue et culture aux groupes ethniquescolonises. L'article de Nzunga s'efiForce de tracer les consequencescatastrophiques de cette domination depuis 1885 a nos jours.L'auteur suggere des stratagies palliatives, dans le but deprevenir et de resoudre certains conflits, en Afriquecontemporaines.

Dr. M. P. K. Nzunga est Maitre de Conferences (Sciences duLangage), Departement des Langues Etrangeres, UniversiteKenyatta, Kenya.

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Cultural and Linguistic Conflicts

Experts (ethnologists, sociologists, psychologists, psycho-lin-guists, socio-linguists etc.) say that linguistic and culturaldomination, over a long time, leads to disintegration of socialinstitutions of minority groups. The elements of the latter alignthemselves to the values of the dominating culture (whichremains essentially unaffected). The general tendency in theurban centres of African countries is to copy (wholesale) what-ever is happening in western countries. This is usually donewithout taking time to wonder whether the imported thing isbeneficial and/or compatible with the national developmentalneeds.

Experts tell us that this has lead to political, economic,cultural and linguistic dependence which, in turn, has erodedthe African cultural and linguistic identity. In some cases therehas been loss of this crucial element, which sociologists andpsychiatrists claim to be an essential psychic and social balance.

It has in fact been established that "when a person (or acommunity) loses cultural/linguistic identity, and before ac-quiring the identity of the dominating culture/language, thereis a period characterized by mental and social crisis (2).

The socio-political, socio-economic, cultural, educational,socio-linguistic, etc., problems that are tearing through ex-colonies of western countries, would therefore seem to have atleast one common denominator - colonial domination. To solvethem, some native scholars suggest that African languagesshould be taught in schools. Some militants even recommendthat European languages should be replaced with Africanlanguages in all institutions at all levels.

What these militants do not seem to know is that it is notenough for a country to discourage the use European languagesto solve its socio-economic and socio-linguistic problems. Theexperience of Tanzania and Ethiopia has shown that even anAfrican language (Kiswahili and Amharic, respectively), can

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dominate the other local idioms and threaten ethnic/linguisticidentity. The Kenyan census of 1969 provided very disturbingdata in this respect. In this country, the smallest ethnic commu-nities (Rendille, Elmolo, Omotik, Burji, Ajurani) are surroundedby a larger ethnic group. The elderly members of these minoritygroups (over 50 years) are still very attached to the linguistic andcultural values of their community. The younger members of thecommunities (under 50 years) are not. In fact they use thelanguage of the larger community around theirs at all times andstrive to acquire the cultural values of the dominating ethnicgroup. Even when their elders speak to them in mother tongue,they answer back in the language of the larger group. Onedoesn't have to be an anthropologist or a socio-linguist to seethat in a generation or two to come, these minority languages/cultures, will cease to exist. There must be hundreds of minoritygroups in similar predicament across the African continent.

Apparently, existence of two (or more) cultures/languages, inwhich none dominates the other, is possible. According toexperts, it is characterized by constant mutual exchanges at alllevels. The conditions leading to such a situation would only beguaranteed by the establishment of a well balanced and appro-priate ecolinguistic system. That is probably what the Africancountries should strive to do, by determining the role of eachlanguage in the country, as regards integral national develop-ment.

Socio-economic Benefits of Teaching in EthnicLanguages in Primary Schools

In most African countries, official languages (often equal tolanguages of ex-colonial masters) are used by a very smallpercentage of the total population. In fact, the use of the officiallanguages is restricted to the elite circles in the urban centres,and decreases considerably as one moves towards the country-

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side. Inversely, the ethnic languages are still the privileged intra-ethnic mode of communication in rural areas.

The use of these languages in primary schools situated insuch areas would greatly improve communication between theteacher and the pupils. This would facilitate and encourageadaptation of learners, making it easier to absorb subjectcontent, reducing cases of failure and repetition. A pilot projectin Ghana (in the mid 80s) showed that by so doing, the primaryschool cycle could even be reduced to six years. This would helpthe African countries to save billions of dollars, which could bechannelled towards other socio-economic development projects.

It has been established (as we saw above) that loss of ethniccultural/linguistic identity leads to a period of social crisis. Thiscondition could go as far as affecting cognitive development. Useof ethnic languages during the initial three years as media ofinstruction would spare the pupils this unnecessary punish-ment. Since the situation in urban centres is extremely hetero-geneous, the national language can be used.

In the long run, teaching in ethnic languages during the firstthree years would:

• Reduce the advantages the children of the elite have overthose of the general mass, conferred to them by theirmastery of the official language, which they are privilegedto use at home, even before school age.

• Enable the parents to contribute directly to the cognitivedevelopment of their children.

• Reduce the alienation of the ethnic values, created andperpetuated by the exclusive use of foreign languages, atall levels of the educational systems in Africa.

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The Use of National Languages in IntegralDevelopment as Means of Conflict Resolution

Experience in Tanzania and in Ethiopia has shown that localAfrican languages can assume the role of national, and even ofofficial languages. However, foreign languages should still belearned, and used according to the developmental needs of thecountry in question.

In fact UNESCO supports the use of national languages asmedia of instruction from fourth year to the end of primaryeducation. Pilot projects have shown that at this level, nationallanguages can effectively transmit subject content. After thethird year, local ethnic languages can be taught as compulsorysubjects, upto the end of primary cycle.

In secondary schools and in universities, national languagesshould be used to teach arts subjects. European languages(English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.) would probably bebetter suited to teach science subjects, at these levels.

Very high rates of population growth over-burden socialamenities and interfere with economic development plans, inmost African countries. Although efforts have been made to curbthis draw-back, the methods used are cumbersome, ineffectiveand unnecessarily expensive. Foreign languages and models(accessible only to a very small portion of the national popula-tion) are used. Attempts are made to spread information throughnewspapers and TV. which, like foreign languages, are onlyaccessible to members of the elite, and to certain urbanites.Worse still, solutions suggested don't take into account the life-style of the targeted ethnic populations. In most cases, the verykey element on which the success depends is a foreign idea tothe vast majority of Africans.

Family planning. Adult Education, AIDS awareness andFamily Health Care campaigns should be done in ethnic lan-guages in the countryside. Foreign and national languages can

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be used in sub-urban and urban centres, as may be dictated bythe needs. The radio is more widely accessible to urban, sub-urban and rural dwellers. As such, radio programs should beformulated in ethnic languages, in support of the above statedcampaigns.

Better still, the people involved (in social projects and devel-opment plans) should go to the countryside, and win thecooperation of the farmer/pastoralist in her/his own mothertongue.

The Role of Foreign Languages in IntegralDevelopment

In modern times, where they are talking of Global Village andInformation Superhighway, it would be detrimental to easilydismiss foreign languages, for they are used in internationalcommunication. This is particularly true of the very touristiccountries in Africa (Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe. South Africa etc.).Languages such as English, French, German, Italian, Spanish,etc., should still be taught according to the social and develop-ment needs of each African country. These languages are alsoclosely associated with scientific and technological advance-ment.

Sociolinguists tell us that it is not European languages persewhich prevent the development of African languages to interna-tional status and fuel inter-class and ethnic conflicts. In fact thesame argument used against the ethnic and national languageswas used against European languages, when they were domi-nated by the ancient Greek. They were said to be unable toexpress modernity effectively. They had to get out of the Greekumbrella of domination, to develop to what they are to-day.Sociolinguists maintain that such development is only possibleunder the appropriate political, economic, cultural andecolinguistic conditions. That is probably what the Africancontinent should strive to achieve (as one of the basic steps

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towards conflict resolution through communication). Mean-while, foreign languages should remain media of instruction forscience subjects, in tertiary institutions and in universities.

Notes

1. For one to understand this article, it is necessary to clarifythe semantic values of certain linguistic terms used:

• Official language: This refers to the language given themost prestigious status, by the law of the country. It is theone used in official institutions (parliament, army, schools,offices, hospitals...). In Africa, it is more often than not thelanguage of the ex-colonial master.

• National language: This term refers to the idiom that takesthe second place (in the eye of the law). In Africa it is oftenthe most widely spoken language; since it is also the inter-ethnic lingua-franca. Sometimes it is one of the local lan-guages which is promoted to this status. It can also be aregional language, as can be seen with Kiswahili in EastAfrica.

• Cases where the official language is also the nationallanguage are possible (eg: Kiswahili in Tanzania, Amharicin Ethiopia). During the colonial era, the language of themaster was both official and national.

• Ethnic languages: In the eye of the law, all the otherlanguages are considered equal, regardless of the numberof native speakers. They are referred to as ethnic lan-guages.

2. ERIKSON E. M., The problems of ego identity, Glencoe,Free Press, 1963, p. 7

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