Figure 1.--Ethiopia experienced one of the worst refugee crises in Africa. The Communist Derg Government which seized control (1974). As has often been the case with Communist Governments, a famine followed. This resulted from the Derg's policies abd aeible drought. Wars with Eritrea and Somalia also created refugees. Here we see a refugee camp in Ethiopia.

Refugees were fairly rare in Africa during the first half of the 20th century. There were some. such as the Boers in South Africa and the Heroe in Southwest West Africa (Namibia). This changed with De-Colonization in the second half of the century. The former colonies were not prepared for independence. This was the fault of the colonial powers. The Belgians in particular had done next to nothing to prepare their colonies--especilly the Congo (Zaire). And the new independence leaders proved corrupt, incompetent, venal, and dictatorial. And most with only minimal education failed to understand what made Europe succesful (capitalism and democracy). Most Afrrican leaders rejected both. For the most part the first generation of African thought that socialism was the miraculous wave of the future. Such is the allure of socialism, this mindset has persits despite the record of unmitugated failure. And democracy was seen as a threatning inconvenience. Most leaders wanted permanent jobs and real elections could quickly end political careers. The result was economic failure despite massive economic assistabce from the former colonial powers. In addition to economic failure there were conflicts over borders and intra-tribal violence. This had been contained by the colonial powers, but with independence tribal conflicts soon rose to the surface. The Cold War also impacted Africa, with groups supported by both the Soviets and the West. This created new conflicts and exacerbated existing conflicts. There were attempts at Communist dictatorships (Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique). All of these regimes failed economicall--just was was the case in other countries (the Soviet Union Eastern Europe, Cuba, Cgiuna, North Korrea, Vietnam, Cambodia where socialist economies were forced on people). Amd there was Islamict violence, most promently in the southern Sudan and Darfur bordering on genocide as well as West African countries, most of which have an Islamic north. Here the threat was not violence,but famine. Not all the problems were economic and political there were also refugees created by climate change, especially in the Sahel. These were not all discrete issues. Often they were mixed cases.

Causes

The former colonies were not prepared for independence. This was the fault of the colonial powers. The Belgians in particular had done next to nothing to prepare their colonies--especilly the Congo (Zaire). And the new independence leaders proved corrupt, incompetent, venal, and dictatorial. And most with only minimal education failed to understand what made Europe succesful (capitalism and democracy). Most Afrrican leaders rejected both. For the most part the first generation of African thought that socialism was the miraculous wave of the future. Such is the allure of socialism, this mindset has persits despite the record of unmitugated failure. And democracy was seen as a threatning inconvenience. Most leaders wanted permanent jobs and real elections could quickly end political careers. The result was economic failure despite massive economic assistabce from the former colonial powers. In addition to economic failure there were conflicts over borders and intra-tribal violence. This had been containe by the colonial powers, but with independence tribal conflicts soon rose to the surface. The Cold War also impacted Africa, with groups supported by both the Soviets and the West. This created new conflicts and exacerbated existing conflicts. There were attempts at Communist dictatorships (Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique). All of these regimes failed economicall--just was was the case in other countries (the Soviet Union Eastern Europe, Cuba, China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia where socialist economies were forced on people). Amd there was Islamict violence, most promently in the southern Sudan and Darfur bordering on genocide as well as West African countries, most of which have an Islamic north. Here the threat was not violence,but famine. Not all the problems were economic and political there were also refugees created by climate change, especially in the Sahel. These were not all discrete issues. Often they were mixed cases.

Chronology

Refugees were fairly rare in Africa during the first half of the 20th century. There were some. such as the Boers in South Africa and the Heroe in Southwest West Africa (Namibia). This changed with De-Colonization in the second half of the century. The relsrively small number of refugees changed with De-Colonization in the second half of the century.

Countries

Most African ciountries since independence have facd refugee problems, either refugees fleeing the country or regions of the country or refugees fleeing into the country from problems in neighboring countries. The countries most affected have been Angola, Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Sudan, but there are virtully no African country that has not been affected. The conflicts have varied over time. The refugee problem has persisted in the Congo from the earliest days of independence. The causes run the gammet of problems creating refugees, including birder disputes, civil war, the Cold War, corruption, drought, failing economies, famine, gnocide, political repression, rebellion, religious intolerabnce, resources, and tribal violence. Economic failure has been an ongoing problem. The Cold War coincided with decolonization and fed into the violence and refugees. The end of the Cold War, however, did not end the refugee problem. At the end of the century, Islamic fundamentalism has been a growing problem. The Islamic Sudanese Goverment lunched campigns bordering on genocide.

Created: 8:47 PM 4/1/2016
Last updated: 8:18 PM 10/28/2018