The Role Of Civil War In Africa

Great Essays
1. Introduction
Durban, South Africa was the place 53 Head of States from across Africa met and created the African Union. The Head of States bid farewell to the defunct Organization of African Unity and welcomed the new African Union. All this happened on July 9, 2002. During the gathering, African leaders praised OAU’s achievements. They welcomed the new Union and argued that this was a new dawn for the Africans. The African leaders elected Thambo Mbeki, the host president, as the new AU president. Mr. Mbeki promised that AU would liberate Africans and bring stability to the continent’s economy. He correctly pointed out at poverty and perennial underdevelopment as the central issues to be addressed by the new union. Other African leaders
…show more content…
Many Africans lay the blame on OAU. Political conflicts in Africa have become bloody and nastier. These political conflicts come from communities, and then it expands to the national level, then to the regional level. Many civil wars have turned into inter-state conflicts (Wallace, 2009).
Civil wars are a clear indication that OAU failed to achieve one of its critical roles, that of bringing unity and solidarity to African States. These are just evidences of how OAU was ill equipped to bring prosperity to Africa. States that have experienced civil wars have relied on foreign interventions to resolve these skirmishes. Political scientists had an emerging consensus that OAU was incapable of tackling the problems present in Africa. Therefore, Africa needed a new path and direction in order to survive (Wallace, 2009).
2.1 Road to
…show more content…
The leaders wanted a new body because there was a demand for improvement of African economy and the need for political integration. Hopeful Africans saw this as a conceptual, theoretical construct, as well some truth element. Certainly, African’s flirtation began during the pre-independence period. Surprisingly, even in the 20th century, the idea of regional integration was with many Africans. For example, in 1910, there was the establishment of the Sothern African Customs Union. The union demonstrated the ability of Africans developing a regional integration. Other integration bodies were formulated in the mid of the 20th century, such as the short-lived Union Douaniere L’Afrique del’ Quest in 1959. There was also the Sene-Gambia confederation in 1981 and the Maghreb Permanent Consultative Committee in 1965. There was the three-member East African Community, which was an on-again-off-again local organization. EAC was formed in 1967, disbanded in 1977, and then revived in 1994. In 1983, 11 African countries established the Economic Community of Central African States. In 1993, 19 African countries formed the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. The same year, 1993, 13 countries in Southern Africa established the Southern Africa Development Community. In 1975, 15 states formed the Economic Community of West African States (Murray,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Colonization of Africa DBQ Essay Nicknamed the “Scramble for Africa”, the colonization of Africa by European Imperialists sparks a wave of controversy in world history. The social and economic effects taking place during this time period were viewed by the Africans, Europeans, and Indifferent people. Together, these 3 different groups gave their point of view and opinion about the situation going on.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Decolonization of Africa by David Birmingham is a detailed account of the struggle between African and European countries to decolonize. As many African countries began to come together, they decided that they were more fit to govern their own people than any outside controllers. However, in this essay I will argue that it was Ghana that created an African revolution and led to more countries becoming decolonized; but it was a long and difficult road for all countries and many things were sacrificed to achieve the ultimate goal of independence. The Decolonization of Africa created a timeline of the decolonization of many African colonies.…

    • 1544 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The United States and various European countries met in 1884-1885 at the Berlin Conference to regulate European colonization of Africa. At this point in history, imperialism was occurring, where a country would increase it’s power by gaining control of another country. European imperialists were deciding the fate of Africa. The Scramble for Africa was three decades after the Berlin conference, where European powers began to colonize areas in Africa. Not all natives were pleased by the Europeans occupying their country.…

    • 1097 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Three decades after the Berlin Conference in Africa the European power is now occupied and colonized in Africa this process later evoking the Scramble of Africa. In the nine documents given each has a specific quality that differs AND relates them to one another. Africa has many actions and reactions responding to the European Scramble that has now taken place. Most of these documents are relatable because each try to convey something that went on during this time. All nine documents will show how in fact they can be categorized into two divergent choices, conflict, and serenity due to the scramble.…

    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Effect of European Control The large continent of Africa is the home to many African tribes. Africa has many resources that other countries desire to have for themselves. During 1884, these European countries met at what was called the Berlin Conference, where they discussed how they were going to divide the continent up between themselves. They gave no say to the people living in Africa.…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In his examination of security threats and violence in Africa, Mangala (2010:88) defines conflict as a ‘dispute or incompatibility between two or more opposing sides... It becomes a destructive force where the capacity to mediate incompatible interests breaks down and those interests are pursued through violence, either at a community, national, or international level’. One of the most prevalent forms of violent conflict in Africa affecting states and civilians are civil wars. Collier & Hoeffler (2004:565) define civil wars as ‘an internal conflict with at least 1,000 combat-related deaths per year’. The greed vs grievance debate examines factors within these categories which drive civil wars.…

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During Europe’s Scramble for Africa during 1884-1885, various European countries assembled at the Berlin Conference in Berlin to discuss the borders and territories of Africa each country would take. The Europeans usually gave the leaders of these territories contracts to sign and sum of money in order to gain consent, but the sums of money were usually not as reasonable as thought by the Europeans and the contracts This resulted in varied reactions from African leaders and people themselves. Some reactions were violent or called for violence, and others were those of giving in, submitting, or.…

    • 1110 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The territorial claims later resulted in newly independent African nations with mixed cultures and different ethnic populations were formed. As a result, countries in Africa are made of up diverse peoples and traditions. Collective community refers to an organized community that places great…

    • 1552 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Pre Colonial Africa

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages

    INTRODUCTION. Pre colonial Africa was has varied has the continent itself. Different circumstances produced different societies with different tradition, customs, and politics these societies rose, fell and adapted as the centuries passed. Despite this variety, it is possible to divide political organisation amongst these communities into two broad categories states and stateless societies. Low population densities and the production of relatively small economic surpluses, hindered the formation of states in many parts of pre colonial Africa.…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Introduction: Law is made and interpreted in many ways throughout the courtroom, the provinces, and even the world. It is difficult to say which system is the most effective as they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Throughout this essay, I will be identifying the keys arguments in Nils Christie’s article “Conflicts as Property,” then comparing it to the court system in Canada. Christie’s article focuses on the idea of how legal professionals are taking other people’s conflicts and altering it to make it fit with our legal system. With this being said, I agree with the points made in Christie’s article.…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Marxist theory states that “capitalists enjoy profits due to surplus value” (Aviles). Rodney argues that this so called ‘surplus’ was African labor and raw materials: “colonies should exist for the metropoles by producing raw materials and buying manufactured goods, the underlying theory was to introduce an international division of labour” (177). This point was demonstrated through examples such as the slave trade, wage labour, technological advancement, and politico-military advances. These examples show Africa being used for everything from military research and development to labor exploitation in the mining industry. In the case of the technological stagnation of Africa; Rodney portrays this in such a way that Europe acted as the gatekeeper determining what technology Africa would be permitted and what would be withheld.…

    • 1752 Words
    • 8 Pages
    • 3 Works Cited
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Europeans met and formalized these agreements to avoid conflicts among themselves. The Conference took place in 1884, a crucial time when the interest in African raw materials and cheap labor took a peak. As a result, Europeans collected vast amounts of the land’s wealth: Rubber, cotton, coffee, precious metals that included gold and diamonds, oils, fish and animal skins. 3. How did Africans react to…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction The collapse of colonialism in Africa in the last decades of the twentieth century witnessed the change in the nature of political party systems in Africa. Soon after independence, one party governments became a hallmark in most newly independent African states. Many of these governments were independence movements who led the fight against colonialism, and therefore inherited the mantle of liberators, and by virtue of this came to dominate post-colonial governments. After independence, Ghana adopted a one-party system of governance under Kwame Nkrumah’s Conventional Peoples’ Party (CPP).…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Pan African Movement Essay

    • 1733 Words
    • 7 Pages

    For the first time the congress did not ask for recognition or favors from European powers. They unequivocally demanded an end to colonialism in Africa, in addition to demands for social justice and rights. All schemes of half freedom were rejected. The Manchester Congress gave an impetuous to the goal of achieving national independence. The next conference was in Ghana, this was a Pan African milestone as it was the first to be held in Ghana in 1958, they had a lot to discuss as major moments had accrued since Manchester 194, Algerian revolution and Ghana independence to name a…

    • 1733 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why is political stability important for the integration of the EAC partner STATES? Political stability is the condition of the government of the country that precludes the possibility of open revolt because the government is governing correctly, people are content, the leader is far from corrupt, and citizens benefit from all the policies. The five member states of the East African Community (Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, and Uganda) have had traumatic historical events and disagreements that led to the failure of the first East African Community ( in 1977). The five countries have now realized the importance of political stability and are overcoming it by instilling democratic processes and integrating their economies together to ensure that…

    • 1291 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics