Uncovering the Bond between Colonialism and Conflict: Perspective of the Causes, Cases and Consequences of Territorial Disputes in Africa

Abstract

African continent has been beset with many of the modern-day conflicts with the attendant destruction of human and material resources. Most of these disputes are territorial in nature. In this article the authors lucidly evaluate cases, causes and consequences of territorial disputes in Africa. The deduction that flows from this analysis is that the territories constituting Africa today were whimsically generated by the European colonial masters and did not emerge out of the desire of the European imperialists to create definite territorial entities for the good of the African peoples, but out of the zeal to have defined spheres of influence and authority, mainly to avoid conflict among themselves so as to maximize their economic exploitation. It shows that they took little cognizance (if at all) of the realities on the ground. The result is that as they took their leave, they left for Africans a legacy of boundary disputes which has caused unquantifiable destructions and animosity within the continent. Thus, upon the exit of the colonial masters, agitation for re-alliances and adjustments was a major cause of boundary disputes in Africa.