In the article titled,“They fled Boko Haram and famine - and then they were forced back,” author Kevin Sieff highlights issues surrounding events of what the United Nations has termed “forced returns” of thousands of refugees, specifically in the case of Nigerians in Cameroon. Sieff informs readers of the thousands of Nigerians that have fled their villages and homes to seek refuge in Cameroon, escaping violent attacks of the Islamist extremists, Boko Haram. Upon escaping, Nigerian refugees are being forced out of Cameroonian villages by the Cameroonian military and other officials, and sent back to the dangerous and hunger-stricken Nigerian villages they initially escaped from. The issue at hand is that Cameroon is one of the 145 countries
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I will discuss the development conversations surrounding the policy issues described above in this section. A development conversation prevalent in our world today is the rising number of refugees around the globe. According to Sieff, the number has topped 20 million (Sieff 2017: 1). Another topic of discussion is the decrease of international support and legal structures available to help support those in need. Whether international aid helps or hinders the further development of a country in need is another conversation, but within the content of the article, Sieff doesn’t take a stance on that discussion but he addresses the fact that international programs are running out of money. Sieff states, “aid groups set up tents, but not enough. The international community was running out of money for food aid” (Sieff 2017: 5). These forced returns of refugees have become a political issue. Discussions in development circles surrounding this political issue include the danger of sending refugees back to environments that are not safe to …show more content…
Fragile and conflicted states are often characterized by poor governance and the lack of capabilities and provisions the government can provide for its people. Although Nigeria may not be a fragile state since it is not on the brink of falling apart, it is still a conflicted area where we are more likely to see refugees and internally displaced people because of these governmental incapabilities. This can result in ethnic clashes, tension and a lack of legitimate consensus due to differences in over 400 ethnic groups. Nigeria represents a multi-ethnic “democracy” in which it is composed of a 36-state federation with ⅔ of the population dominated by three ethnic majority groups that have great power. In such areas characterized by political turmoil and ethnic clashes we see more insurgent attacks occurring. This results in issues such as increasing flows of refugees and IDP’s searching for safety and hiding from insurgencies like Sieff discusses in his article. The important thing is that all of these internal political tensions and the events that they result in shape the development of the country, or the lack thereof in this case. The evolution of Nigeria’s federal system largely represents political tensions that arise. Originally there were 50 governments in Nigeria and there are now around 800. These
I will discuss the development conversations surrounding the policy issues described above in this section. A development conversation prevalent in our world today is the rising number of refugees around the globe. According to Sieff, the number has topped 20 million (Sieff 2017: 1). Another topic of discussion is the decrease of international support and legal structures available to help support those in need. Whether international aid helps or hinders the further development of a country in need is another conversation, but within the content of the article, Sieff doesn’t take a stance on that discussion but he addresses the fact that international programs are running out of money. Sieff states, “aid groups set up tents, but not enough. The international community was running out of money for food aid” (Sieff 2017: 5). These forced returns of refugees have become a political issue. Discussions in development circles surrounding this political issue include the danger of sending refugees back to environments that are not safe to …show more content…
Fragile and conflicted states are often characterized by poor governance and the lack of capabilities and provisions the government can provide for its people. Although Nigeria may not be a fragile state since it is not on the brink of falling apart, it is still a conflicted area where we are more likely to see refugees and internally displaced people because of these governmental incapabilities. This can result in ethnic clashes, tension and a lack of legitimate consensus due to differences in over 400 ethnic groups. Nigeria represents a multi-ethnic “democracy” in which it is composed of a 36-state federation with ⅔ of the population dominated by three ethnic majority groups that have great power. In such areas characterized by political turmoil and ethnic clashes we see more insurgent attacks occurring. This results in issues such as increasing flows of refugees and IDP’s searching for safety and hiding from insurgencies like Sieff discusses in his article. The important thing is that all of these internal political tensions and the events that they result in shape the development of the country, or the lack thereof in this case. The evolution of Nigeria’s federal system largely represents political tensions that arise. Originally there were 50 governments in Nigeria and there are now around 800. These