The Impact of Legacies of the Past on the Emergence of Conflict and Deceit in Sub-Saharan African Politics

Abstract

Decades after attaining independence as well as international peace building efforts, Africa remains the cauldron of instability where armed political conflicts seem to be on the increase. The unlawful changes of governments in four West African states, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Mali in twenty-four months and the flaring tensions and violence in Mozambique and Eswatini, are signs of uncontained instability in Africa. African armed conflicts probably account for more than half of global war-related deaths with millions of people being displaced. These African conflicts include civil rights conflicts, political transition conflicts and inter-ethnic conflicts. Although there are a number of reasons for the flaring of conflicts in Africa, the contribution of the colonial past and a culture of deceit are a glaring reality. The gross inequities in power relations created by the colonial powers and their perpetuation in modern Sub-Saharan African states coupled with bad governance, are a source of conflict on its own. The protection of the interests of the former colonial masters without good governance often leads to political repression with no respect for human rights. In addition, many African leaders use violence, hate speech and propaganda to retain power as was the tradition of their colonial past. The ethnic, religious and cultural diversities have also been sources of tensions for a long time. This chapter analyses the concept of democracy and deceptive tendencies which have fueled instability in Sub-Saharan Africa. It touches on the different types of conflicts, their possible triggers and who stands to benefit from the conflicts whilst exploring the contributions of the colonial legacy and the culture of deceit. This brief outline of political instability in postcolonial Sub-Saharan Africa and probable reasons for the conflicts is concluded by recommendations for an African approach to democracy and sustainable development.