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- Convenors:
-
Felix Oyosoro
(Veritas University, Abuja)
David Ayekene (Norwegian Refugee Council)
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- Chair:
-
Felix Oyosoro
(Veritas University, Abuja)
- Format:
- Panel
- Streams:
- Politics and International Relations (x) Violence and Conflict Resolution (y)
- Location:
- Philosophikum, S54
- Sessions:
- Wednesday 31 May, -
Time zone: Europe/Berlin
Short Abstract:
Africa has a history of separatism. These peaceful and often violent agitations reshape, expand, and reinvent African statehood. They demonstrate African states' fragility. This panel will discuss security, geopolitical, political, and economic issues In the light of African separatist dynamics.
Long Abstract:
From the North to the South and from the east to the west, irredentist and separatist dynamics have become recurrent in Africa. Morocco (Western Sahara), Somalia (Somaliland), Nigeria (Biafra), Senegal (Casamence) and Cameroon (Ambazonia), to cite only a few, have become spasmodic theatres of nationalist agitations. In epistemological reflections, disciplines such as political science and sub-disciplines such as strategic studies accord them a modest place. Nevertheless, the return of separatist demands in countries such as Senegal and Cameroon and the growth of irredentist movements demonstrate the urgency of the significance of these issues and the epistemologically unsatisfactory nature of our understanding of these objects of study. These agitations sometimes peaceful and most times violent continue to reshape, expand or reinvent the trajectory of statehood in the continent. Instead of resurrecting old conflicts, these movements destroy territorialities from within States. They point to a common thread, that of the fragility of the African states born of colonization. This panel seeks to explore current security, geopolitical, political and economic issues in the light of irredentist and separatist pressures in Africa. It intends to identify innovative research avenues on irredentism and separatism in Africa. Contributions that espouse these channel of reflection will be considered.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Wednesday 31 May, 2023, -Rui Verde (University of Oxford)
Paper short abstract:
Cabinda and Eastern Congo are two examples of colonial arrangements that persist in the post-independence. This study aims to conclude about the reasons for their permanence after independence, the current tensions of separatism and irredentism and possible solutions in a pre-colonial framework.
Paper long abstract:
The so-called Berlin conference (1884) is a symbolic moment of the division of Africa according to non-African interests that left deep marks of confrontation that last until today.
The truth is that the African independences of the 20th century were achieved, somewhat ironically, according to the frameworks outlined in that conference. Postcolonialism was defined by colonialism.
This led to the formation of several "new" countries that continued to disregard traditional historical and cultural specificities, implying latent tensions that were carried into the future.
Two cases of current tension derived from these 19th-century designs are:
i)Cabinda in Angola, where a constant demand for independence or autonomy is permanent, accentuated by the fact that it is a region rich in oil, which considers not to receive the benefits of that wealth, and
ii)the Eastern Congo, also holder of enormous wealth and which today is the subject of a huge dispute involving the Democratic Republic of Congo, the M23 guerrilla movement and allegedly Rwanda and Uganda.
This investigation deals with the initial causes of territorial attribution, analyzing its possible artificiality, the essentially pragmatic and economic reasons for maintaining the situation, the present causes of the revolt and the solutions that can be attained.
In the end, it tries to frame post-colonialism in a pre-colonial paradigm and not as a "soft" colonial continuation.
Djouroukoro Diallo (Universität Bern)
Paper short abstract:
Since 1960s, Mali has faced various "Tuareg Rebellions”. The Rebellion of MNLA (2012-2014) provoked the division of the country into two different parts: Azawad and Mali. In a qualitative analysis of Malian media, this paper questions influence of these conflicts in the State-(re)building in Mali.
Paper long abstract:
Since its independence in 1960, Mali has faced various conflicts called “Tuareg Rebellions” in its northern part. The Rebellion of MNLA (2012-2014) provoked the division of the country into two different parts: Azawad and Mali. The perceptions of the Tuareg Rebellions vary from western and African or Malian positions at several levels: in (i) academia, (ii) political discourse, (iii) media discourse interrelating with a (iv) socio-cultural perception. Moreover, the rebellions have revealed the existence of an inter-Tuareg conflict that stems from the traditional rivalry between tribes, particularly the Ifoghas and the Imghads before French colonization. This conflict, which was at the origin of the break-up of the Mouvement populaire de l’Azawad (MPA) during the 1990-1996 rebellion, became multi-faceted in the context of the MNLA rebellion (2012-2015) with the strong involvement of jihadist movements led by influential Tuareg personalities such as Iyad Ag Ghali. Besides the existing traditional rivalry, the agreement resulting from the peace and national reconciliation process of Algiers in 2015 has set the conditions for the exclusion of the Imghads from the local governance of Kidal in favor of the Ifoghas. Proposing a qualitative analysis of Malian media discourse, this paper investigates some characteristics of the inter-Tuareg conflict and its influence in the (re)building process of the Malian State. Considering the context of international war against terror, it intends to point out the existence of a competing ideological challenge between the actors advocating Nationalism, Irredentism and Jihad in the Malian Tuareg community.
Felix Oyosoro (Veritas University, Abuja)
Paper short abstract:
Since the 1960s, African nations have had separatist movements. This research shows that the Nigerian state is in a dilemma where the use of force (defense) has become inevitable to maintain national territorial integrity, despite a lack of human security (good governance and strong institutions).
Paper long abstract:
Since various African nations gained independence from European colonizers in the 1960s, a number of separatist groups have sprung up on the continent. Some of these movements have sought for a return to pre-colonial status, while others have agitated for secession by criticizing ineffective government and failed state-building initiatives. Nigeria (Indigenous People of Biafra), Cameroon (Ambazonia Self-Defence Council), Senegal (Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance) and Mali (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad – MNLA) have all faced secessionist threats. Following South Sudan's independence in 2011, these movements have grown in strength. This study seeks to bring together the most recent research on the topic and compare secession movements in Africa and other regions. This research focuses on the IPOB secessionist movement in South-East Nigeria. The goal is to question the processes and find a model explanation that can help scholars understand the causes and potential outcomes of secessionist movements and, most importantly, to demonstrate that the Nigerian state has found itself in a dilemma, where the use of force (defence) has become inevitable to safeguard national territorial integrity, albeit a lack of human security (good governance and strong institutions) dispositions inherent to Sub-Saharan African state systems. These latter security features feed the processes of secessionism.