Africa Notes #3 – Ethnic Africa Notes #3 – Ethnic ConflictsConflicts

• Positives: Built roads, schools, hospitals, technology

• Negatives: Split up ethnic groups and forced them to live with others they didn’t like– This will cause a lot of the

modern wars in Africa today

Effects of ImperialismEffects of Imperialism

Struggles to Build Struggles to Build NationsNations

• African nations tried to set up governments modeled after their colonial rulers– Caused dissent (opposition) among

the people• Some nations were set up as

democracies• Most were single party,

authoritarian, or dictators• ½ of all new nations had power

seized by the military

Struggles to Build NationsStruggles to Build Nations

• Many civil wars raged between ethnicities and factions

• Governments were often corrupt

Modern African ProblemsModern African Problems• Loss of colonial rule hurt the

infrastructure:– (roads, bridges,

transportation, healthcare, and education all affected)

• Trade with the outside world decreased

• Foreign countries own lots of the major industries -Ex: Nestle (Swiss) exploits cheap African labor for Milk, Sugar, Coco, and Coffee

Modern African ProblemsModern African Problems• By the 1980s Africa was in

crisis

• The World Bank wouldn’t give out more loans.

• Opposition parties were legalized, and multiparty elections were held in some countries

Modern African ProblemsModern African Problems• New nations relied

on foreign aid and import food as cash crops are grown instead

• Droughts ravage what little crops there are

• Famines occur in many countries

Population Population Explosion Explosion

Ethnic Ethnic ConflictsConflicts• Rwanda and in Burundi in Central

Africa had one of Africa’s deadliest civil wars.

• Rwanda– Hutus were the majority group, – Tutsis were the minority but had been

placed in control by Belgium– In 1994, extremist Hutu officials urged

civilians to kill their Tutsi and moderate Hutu neighbors.

Ethnic ConflictsEthnic Conflicts• Around 800,000 Tutsis and

moderate Hutus were slaughtered – 3 out of 8 million people lost

their homes– The United Nations stopped

the fighting– It is considered one of the

worst Genocides in modern history

Civil Wars in SudanCivil Wars in Sudan• Sudan gained

independence from the U.K.

• The 1st Sudanese Civil War lasted from 1955-72 – fought mainly between the

Arab/Muslim North and the Christian South

Sudan Splits in 2011Sudan Splits in 2011• The 2nd Civil War lasted

from 1983-2005– Same basic division– Ended with South Sudan

become Autonomous• In July of 2011 S. Sudan

officially became its own country

• This year the N. and S. are both engaging in violence – Possible war – mainly

over OIL

SudanSudan’’s western s western region of Darfur region of Darfur

• In 2004 ethnic violence spread to this region

• Arab militias with govt. support terrorized the non-Arab

-burned villages – drove hundreds of thousands

of farmers off the land

Darfur GenocideDarfur Genocide• The UN, the United

States, and other nations organized a huge aid effort to help refugees

• Many have deemed it a genocide.

– Estimated 400,000 died