Conflicts in Africa

The continent of Africa has seen so much suffering. Disease, AIDS, poverty, famine, drought. Yet so much of the suffering has come from human hands. Africa has experienced numerous conflicts, wars, civil wars, oppression, brutal dictators, violence.

Here are some very brief descriptions of conflicts in different African countries over the years. This is not an exhaustive list. I left out some of the more familiar conflicts, like the Islamic extremists in Egypt, and apartheid in South Africa. Or, I've left out some of the smaller conflicts. I didn't include anything that occurred before the 1950s. Most of what I have here has happened since the 1970s, and I tried to focus on events that are either still ongoing, have ended recently, or whose effects linger today.

Still, read in toto, it is a sobering reminder of why poverty and suffering remains so entrenched in Africa.

Algeria - Experienced an intense Islamic insurgency that began in 1992 and killed over 100,000 people. The Armed Islamic Group was defeated by 2002. There are still smaller attacks in some areas, and there is support for Al Qaeda among the extremists.

Angola - A 27-year civil war ended in 2002 with the death of Unita rebel leader Jonas Savimbi. Perhaps over a million people died, and nearly two million became refugees. The country remains very poor despite rich natural resources.

Burundi - Until 1993, Burundi was controlled by the military, and Tutsi-minority dictators. In 1993, a Hutu President was elected, but he was assassinated by Tutsis after only 100 days in office. This sparked a bloody civil war. Peace deals and violence continued till a 2003 ceasefire. An extremist Hutu group, FNL, did not participate, and in 2004 massacred 152 Tutsi refugees. In May 2005, there was a ceasefire agreed to between the FNL and the Burundian government. Pierre Nkurunziza, a Hutu, was elected President in August.

Chad - Three decades of civil war and invasions by Libya ended in 1990, but in 1998, a rebellion began in the north, which continues in various degrees to this day. Unrest in Sudan's Darfur region spilled over into Chad in 2003 and 2004. Dictator Hissène Habré was deposed in 1990, and just this week, a court in Senegal said it was "incompetent" to rule on whether Senegal should extradite Chad's ex-Dictator Hissène Habré to Belgium to stand trial there for human rights abuses committed under his rule.

Congo-Brazzaville - After years of Marxist influence, Congo had democratic elections in 1992. However, in 1997 a four-month conflict erupted, and with the help of Angolan troops, Denis Sassou-Nguesso proclaimed himself President. More ethnic unrest continued till a peace accord in 2003.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) - Mobutu Sese Seko was president till 1997. His rule was exceedingly corrupt. Civil war began in 1994, and Mobutu was forced out of power in 1997 by Laurent-Désiré Kabila. He was corrupt as well, and a rebellion began in 1998. Kabila was assassinated in 2001, and his son Joseph Kabila now rules. There has been a shaky peace since 2003, but unrest remains, and there are challengers to Joseph Kabila's rule.

Ethiopia/Eritrea - A Marxist government took power in Ethiopia in 1974, and violence, drought, and refugee problems continuted to 1991 when the regime was defeated by the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Eritrea became indepentant from Ethiopia in 1993, and a border war erupted between 1998 and 2000. Just this year, the EPRDF has held elections, but there have been charges of election fraud, and the government has cracked down on protestors, to the objections of many other nations. Tensions are once again high with Eritrea, and there are worries war could again break out.

Guinea-Bissau - After achieving independence in 1974, a coup in 1980 made Joao Vieira president. He survived a few coup attempts to unseat him. He was elected president in 1994 free elections, but a civil war erupted in 1998, and Vieira was deposed in a coup in 1999. Kumba Yala was elected in 2000, but a 2003 coup deposed him. Elections were again held this year, and in a political comeback, Vieria was sworn in as president this past October.

Ivory Coast - A military coup in 1999 overthrew the government. Robert Guéi attempted to fix the election in 2000, but excluded popular opposition leader Alassane Ouattara. A violent response to the election rigging left Laurent Gbagbo as President. A military mutiny left troops in control of the north in 2002. A unity government was formed in 2003, but the government has remained unstable to this day. (You may recall that despite its criticism of the Iraq War, France had no qualms about unilaterally sending troops to Ivory Coast to protect its interests.)

Liberia - Initially founded by freed slaves from America, a coup in Liberia in 1980 brought Samuel Kanyon Doe to power. The president, William Tolbert, was executed. Civil war began in 1989 and Doe was ousted in 1990. Later, in 1997, warlord Charles Taylor was elected President. His rule was brutal and oppressive. Another rebellion erupted as a result in 1999. In 2003, under American pressure to resign, Taylor was exiled to Nigeria. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was just elected as Africa's first female president in November.

Mali - Ruled by military dictators until 1991. An anti-government coup brought the first democratic elections in 1992. Mali remains a very poor country.

Namibia - A Marxist group (SWAPO) began a war for independence in 1966 which continued till 1988. Namibia became independent from South Africa in 1990, and SWAPO has ruled ever since.

Nigeria - There have been a startling number of coups since 1960, as well as numerous flawed elections. Olusegun Obasanjo became President in 1999 and has ruled ever since. His regime is considered by many to be the most corrupt in Nigerian history. The north part of Nigeria is largely Muslim, and there have been many violent clashes between Muslims and Christians. Some Muslim states in Nigeria have adopted Sharia law. There is an ongoing rebellion in Nigeria's oil producing Niger Delta region. One of the rebel groups there is the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force, led by militia leader Dokubo Asari. Asari was arrested in October.

Rwanda - The majority Hutus came to power in 1959. In 1990, a Tutsi group (RPF) invaded from Uganda. In 1994, the Rwandan Genocide began. Perhaps 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered. The violence ended when the RPF overthrew the Hutu government. Over 2 million Hutus left the country, fearing reprisals from the Tutsis. Troops from Rwanda became involved in the Congo wars.

Senegal - A mostly Muslim country, President Senghor and Prime Minister Mamadou Dia governed together from 1960 to 1962. Dia attempted a coup which was unsuccessful. Senghor governed till 1980. A southern separatist group has fought with the government since 1982, and at times the confrontation has involved violence and killings. A peace treaty was signed December 30, 2004.

Sierra Leone - A bloody civil war raged from 1991 to 2002. With the help of UN and British troops, a ceasefire was achieved, and elections were held in 2002. With the withdrawal of UN troops to be completed by the end of 2005, though, the situation may be deteriorating again. The diamond trade in Sierra Leone is a significant reason for much of the violence.

Somalia - A basket case. Somalia has known assassinations and civil war and violence since 1969. In 1991, the north part of the country broke away and called itself Somaliland. Also in 1991, the clan of Mohamed Farrah Aidid overthrew the government of Mohamed Siad Barre, and more civil war erupted. Famine devastated Somalia in the early 90s, but Aided hindered relief efforts. In 1993, US troops were sent to Somalia. On October 3, 1993, 18 American soldiers were killed in Mogadishu. Three other regions in Somalia declared themselves independent in the 1990s. The central government was nonexistant for all practical purposes. A new transitional government was formed in 2004, but has yet to move to Mogadishu. Because of the lack of a stable government, terrorism may have found a toehold in Somalia, and piracy off the coast of Somalia is a significant problem.

Sudan - Civil war raged from from 1955 to 1972, but started up again in 1983. Osama Bin Laden went to Sudan in 1991. A new rebellion started in the Darfur region in 2003, when non-Arab groups rebelled against the Arab government. Tens of thousands of people have been killed by government-backed Arab groups. Famine devastated Sudan in 1998, and threatened again in the Darfur region. The situation did stabilize to some extent in 2005.

Uganda - The brutal dictator Idi Amin ruled from 1971 to 1979. He was overthrown by an invasion from Tanzania. His successor, Milton Obote, was deposed in 1985. Yoweri Museveni has ruled since 1986. Violence and rebellion have continued in the north and west.

Zimbabwe - Race-related conflict scarred the country in the 1970s. Robert Mugabe was elected President in 1980 and has ruled ever since. In recent years, since 2000, Mugabe has allowed the return of racial violence. White farmers have had their land taken from them and given to blacks. The country is falling deeper into poverty as a result. Mugabe rigged elections in 2002, and his security forces oppress dissenters.

See also:

Conflicts in Africa
Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo