Africa's Refugee Crisis: State Building in Historical Perspective

Abstract

There is a refugee crisis in Africa. A resort to war as a substitute for politics has pushed massive numbers of Africans beyond state borders. This article examines the historical roots of internal war in Africa. A new look is being taken at colonialism as a determinant of modern African politics. There are three models of colonial state building adopted in Africa which set the stage for internal war and refugee flight—radical separation, the creation of a governing class and paternalism. Certain types of colonial rule established from the very beginning a narrower understanding of exactly who should inherit the central institutions of the state and set the stage for the kind of open, violent conflict which produces refugees.