AFRICA’s UNENDING CONFLICTS

By MATESO L. Materne (ALYM)Feb 23-2013

Hundreds and thousands of people have been slaughtered from a number of conflicts and civil wars,

and “there have been over 9 million refugees and internally displaced people from conflicts in Africa”. UNHCR

Ask yourself a question :

“ What If this scale of destruction and fighting was in Europe ? “

Why these conflicts ?

There are a number of reasons :• Internal battles to gain control of an existing

state• Ethnic groups seeking greater autonomy or

striving to create an independent state for themselves .

• Failed states.• IGNORANCE !

Respects…

A look at some of the recent conflicts :

ANGOLA ( civil war )• Casualties: more than

500,000 killed and over 1 M internally displaced .

• Duration :1975 -2002• Savimbi militarily trained in

China • Found UNITA in 1966• Fought along MPLA for the

independence of Angola Jonas SAVIMBI

• Santos ,Comunist president of the republic and president of MPLA : 1979-present

• Peace accord and free elections:1992

Savimbi 40 % Dos santos 49 %.• Death of Savimbi envoy

( his VP )…No 2nd round! • Death of Savimbi: 2002

José Eduardo dos Santos

CONGO(DRC)

KIVU conflict • General in FARDC • 2004 : formed CNDP cause : marginalization of his

minority people and threat caused by FDLR

• 2009: arrested in Rwanda and CNDP became a political

party • 2012 : M23 movement • Late 2012 : withdrawal

following kampala meeting Gen . Laurent NKUNDA

• Nkunda total army : 6000-8000 men

• Congolese total army : 144,000-159,000 men

• MONUSCO : 16,000men

• Death toll : 5.4 million people 1998-2008.

ranked the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II!!

• Human right crimes

CHILD soldiers

Rape Pillaging

“DRC …When natural resources get to be a curse “

CAR (Central African Rep.)

• 2003 : Coup d’etat by the current president Francois Bozize .

• 2004-2007 : CAR Bush war .• 2007 : Peace agreement

with the rebels integration.• 2012 : conflicts resumed .

Cause : Government trying to play smart.

• 2013 : Peace agreement but keep the seized territorry. Francois BOZIZE .

KENYA 2007-2008 post- presidential election crisis

• Contesters : Mwai KIBAKI (inc. president)

vs Raila ODINGA (opposition)• Early results : ODINGA’s victory

• Official results : KIBAKI victory.• Within minutes VIOLENCE

broke out …

Mwai KIBAKI

Raila ODINGA

• casualties: Death toll : more than a

1000 people Displacement : More

than 600,000 people• End of violence : early

2008. agreement on power sharing followed by creation of PM post .

ZIMBABWE

2008 Election crisis Probably the most hated

human being alive … In office : 1987 –present ( tech. since independence

1980 as PM )• Present GAMAL Abdel

Nasser (Egypt 1956-1970 ) ?• ………… Robert MUGABE NASSER

• Land reform policies White minority : < 1% of the

country’s population . Owned : 47% of the country’s arable

land . 70% of the best farming land .2000 : MUGABE distibuted the land

to the black community ….thus the start of the so called

international community sanctions .

Aftermath : the once prosperous agricultural industry suffered badly ….and the country went into a deep mess,

Food insecurity

Hyper-inflation Homelessness

• 2008 elections : 1st round results delayed for a month : MUGABE 43 % TSVANGIRAI 48 %

• Disappointed MUGABE started going after his opponent’ supporters .

• TSVANGIRAI withdrawal2nd round : MUGABE 83 % TSVANGIRAI 9 % !

• Political violence • Power sharing , TSVANGIRAI appointed

as PM.

Robert MUGABE Morgan TSVANGIRAI

Lesson learnt ?

• 1st time accident

• 2nd time carelessness

• 3rd time ? IGNORANCE .

COTE D’IVOIRE • 2000 : Gbagbo’s victory over

Gen. Robert Guéï , the latter refused .

street protests bring gbagbo to power .

• 2002-2005 : civil war due to discremination of the notherners mostly foreign descent .

• 2005 : Cease –fire and peace agreement

Laurent GBAGBO

Alasanne OUATTARA

• 2010 : Presidential election after being postponed 6 times (6 years ).

• Ouatara victory over Gbagbo . Gbagbo refused to recognize the result and self proclaim the winner !

• Specialty : 2 president in in the country !

• 2010-2011: Crisis and Gbagbo arrest by Ouattara forces .

MALI

NOTHERN MALI conflicts • For sometime Tuaregs from

the north had formed a rebellion (MNLA) …seeking for independence .

• March 2012 : coup d’etat by angry low rank officials grouped in CNRDR

cause : president’s handling of the crisis in the north.

coup leader : Cap.Amadou SANOGO

Frm pres. Amadou TOURE

Capt. SANOGO

Consequences :• April 2012 : Touareg rebels

backed by islamist group ANSAR DINE took over the north and declare independence

• ANSAR DINE imposition of strict sharia law

• Misunderstanding between ANSAR DINE and MNLA

• ANSAR DINE take -over

TOUAREGS

ANSAR DINE

Foreign intervention • January 2013 : French

military (major player )• AU forces …• February 2013 : Nothern

MALI retaken ….

Religion

SOMALIA’s AL SHABAB

NIGERIA’s BOKO HARAM

“Since its founding in 2001, they have been responsible for between 3,000 to 10,000

deaths.” :wikipedia

There is still hope ….The Future is bright THANKS……..

References :• http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolan_Civil_War• http://

www.responsibilitytoprotect.org/index.php/crises/crisis-in-zimbabwe

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kivu_Conflict• http://

www.globalissues.org/article/87/the-democratic-republic-of-congo