Race, Ethnicity, and Tribal Conflicts

Abstract

, after summarizing six theories of ethnic conflict, argues that purely ethnic conflicts are rare. While ethnic consciousness and disease is common among groups, this consciousness is inert. He suggests that conflict is created by agents who have a certain agenda and who manipulate ethnic consciousness as a mobilization strategy (Zartman 1998). Conflicts in Africa At any given time, many conflicts are going on in Africa. Some are boundary wars between nations, such as between Ethiopia and Eritrea or between Eritrea and Djibouti. These are not many. Then there are revolutionary wars that attempt to remove governments that are perceived to have been in power for too long or have become oppressive. These may be characterized as wars of liberation. Sometimes the conflicts are drawn along ethnic lines, when the governing party is generally representative of one ethnic group, while the opposition is generally composed of a different ethnic group. These may take the form of either trying to force the government out of power, or becoming secessionist movements, trying to break away and form a separate state or country. Then there are conflicts between ethnic groups, without the government being involved on either side of the conflict. In addition to all these there are general situations of tension between ethnic groups without open armed conflict. This whole range of situations requires interventions of some kind in order to bring about harmonious coexistence. In a fifteen year period (1989-2004), seventy-six peace agreements