Ethnicity And Conflict

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A strong nexus intertwines ethnicity, politics and conflict in the field of peace and conflict studies as well as other social sciences. In circumstances where ethnicity is at the centre of political mobilisation, ethnic identities have the potential to sabotage peace and unity in a country. According to Kanbur et al., (2009) [include in the bibliography] the connection of conflict to ethnic identity rests on a number of conceptual and methodological issues. They contend that a central issue is the force of ethnicity which is manifested in two ways. Ethnicity is useful in marking individual identity and quite forceful when boundary issues of maintenance and perpetuation threat are encountered (Kanbur et al., 2009). 2.2. Global perspectives …show more content…

The significance of ethnicity in African politics is hardly disputed in the literature (Erdman, 2007b:13). Scholars such as Mohammed Salih and Nordlund (2007:26) have noted that the “continent has its fair share of developing countries instrumental use of political politicised inter-ethnic relations, enhanced by and at times combined with equally diverse, linguistic, religious and regional cleavages and rivalries”. In adding on to this argument Nyoroge and Kirori (2014:362) observed that “ethnic identities are political in character and act as a pole around which members are mobilised and effectively compete for control of state power and economic resources”. The politicisation of ethnic identities has fuelled conflicts in several African countries. Vivid examples can be drawn from ethnic wars and tensions that have occurred throughout Sub-Saharan Africa in countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and …show more content…

In Cote d’Ivoire, Berman (2010) reveals that in the violent conflicts that exploded in the country in 2002 ethnicity as self-identification was linked to autochthony as the basis of national identity. Berman (2010:…..) [cititation needed] stresses that the conflict was seeing as both a struggle over land and of the definition of citizenship of true Ivoirians defined by ‘ivoirité’ as opposed to foreigners and strangers. In the case of Ghana, Arthur (2009:53) in an article, “Ethnicity and Electoral Politics in Ghana’s Fourth Republic” has concluded that while the issue of ethnicity is difficult to determine, it remains a factor in Ghanaian politics. Arthur (2009:53) has further elaborated that during elections, ethnicity is sometimes both overtly and covertly invoked despite constitutional provisions that seek to undermine and devalue ethnicity as the basis of electoral activities. Thus during presidential elections, there is some evidence of voting along ethnic lines mainly between the Akan (Asante) and Ewes. This study showed that the NPP does exceptionally well in the Ashanti Region, while the NDC does exceptionally well in the Volta

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