AFRICAs UNENDING CONFLICTS By MATESO L Materne ALYM
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 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 : q. ANGOLA ( civil war ) Jonas SAVIMBI • 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
José Eduardo dos Santos • 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 2 nd round! • Death of Savimbi: 2002
q. CONGO(DRC) KIVU conflict Gen. Laurent NKUNDA • 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 : M 23 movement • Late 2012 : withdrawal following kampala meeting
• Nkunda total army : 60008000 men • Congolese total army : 144, 000 -159, 000 men • MONUSCO : 16, 000 men • 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 “
q. 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.
q. 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.
q. 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 : 1 st round results delayed for a month : MUGABE 43 % TSVANGIRAI 48 % • • Disappointed MUGABE started going after his opponent’ supporters. • TSVANGIRAI withdrawal 2 nd round : MUGABE 83 % TSVANGIRAI 9 % ! Robert MUGABE • • Political violence Power sharing , TSVANGIRAI appointed as PM. Morgan TSVANGIRAI
Lesson learnt ? • 1 st time accident • 2 nd time carelessness • 3 rd time ? IGNORANCE.
q. 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. Laurent GBAGBO • 2005 : Cease –fire and peace agreement Alasanne OUATTARA
• 2010 : Presidential election after being postponed 6 times (6 years ). • Ouatara victory over 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.
q. 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_W ar • http: //www. responsibilitytoprotect. org/index. php/crises/crisis-in-zimbabwe • http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Kivu_Conflict • http: //www. globalissues. org/article/87/thedemocratic-republic-of-congo
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