Abstract
This paper focuses on questions concerning the role of religion in Africa’s civil wars. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stated in 1999 that “Africa is the most conflict ridden region of the World and the only region in which the number of armed conflicts is on the increase” (SIPRI 1999). Africa seems especially prone to civil wars, as Table 1 indicates. Bealey (1999: 58) defines the concept of “civil war” rather generally. To him, it is “a period of sustained armed fighting in a country between two groups contending for supreme coercive power. In all the classic examples the matter for dispute was the nature and/or boundaries of the state. Ideological undertones are common”. Elbadawi and Sambanis (2000: 6) offer a more focused set of characteristics of civil war. For them, it is an armed conflict that (1) results in 1,000 or more deaths; (2) puts into dispute the sovereignty of an internationally recognised state; (3) takes place within that state’s recognised frontiers; (4) engages the state as one of the main combatants; (5) involves rebel groups possessing the ability to mount an organised opposition; and (6) involves “parties concerned with the prospect of living together in the same political unit after the end of the war.”
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Atkinson, P. (1999): Representations of Conflict in the Western Media. The Manufacture of a Barbaric Periphery’. In: Skelton/Allen (1999): 102-108.
Bealey, F. (1999): The Blackwell Dictionary of Political Science. Oxford.
Bernal, V. (1994): Gender, Culture and Capitalism. In: Comparative Studies in Society and History 36, 1: 36–67.
Behrend, H. (1991): Is Alice Lakwena a Witch? The Holy Spirit Movement and its Fight against Evil in the North. In: Hansen/Twaddle (1991): 162-177.
Callaway, B./Creevey, L. (1994): The Heritage of Islam. Women, Religion and Politics in West Africa. Boulder/London.
Calvert, S./Calvert, P. (22001): Politics and Society in the Third World. Harlow.
Collier, P./Hoeffler, A. (n/d): On the Incidence of Civil War in Africa. Washington.
Collier, P./Hoeffler, A. (2000): Greed and Grievance in Civil War. World Bank Working Paper 2355. Washington.
Elbadawi/Sambanis (2000): Why are There so Many Civil Wars in Africa? Understanding and Preventing Violent Conflict. In: Journal of African Economies, December: 1-33.
Fawcett, L./Sayigh, Y. (eds.): The Third World Beyond the Cold War. Continuity and Change. Oxford.
Flint, J. (1993): Sudan Cracks Down on Muslim Rivals. In: The Guardian (London), June 11.
Gerteiny, A. (1971): Islamic Influences on Politics in Mauritania’. In: McCall/Bennett (1971).
Geschiere, P./van der Klei, J. (1988): Popular Protest: The Diola of South Senegal. In: van Ufford/Schoffeleers (1988): 209-230.
Gurr, T. (1994): Peoples against States: Ethnopolitical Conflict and the Changing World System. In: Commentary (Canada), November 30: 3-4.
Hansen, H.B./Twaddle, M. (eds.) (1991): Changing Uganda. The Dilemmas of Structural Adjustment and Revolutionary Change. London.
Haynes, J. (1996): Religion and Politics in Africa. London.
Kaplan, R. (1994): The Coming Anarchy. In: Atlantic Monthly, April: 44-76.
Kaplan. R. (2000): The Coming Anarchy. New York.
Lane, J.-E./ Ersson, S. (1994): Comparative Politics. An Introduction and New Approach. Cambridge.
Mamdani, M. (1988): Uganda in Transition. In: Third World Quarterly 10, 3: 1155–1181.
MacFarlane, S. N. (1999): Taking Stock. The Third World and the End of the Cold War. In: Fawcett/ Sayigh (1999): 15-33.
McCall, D./Bennett, N. (eds.) (1971): Aspects of West African Islam. Boston.
Omara-Otunnu, A. (1992): The Struggle for Democracy in Uganda. In: Journal of Modern African Studies 30, 3: 443–463.
Ranger, T. (1986): Religious movements and politics in Sub-Saharan Africa. In: African Studies Review 39, 2: 1–70.
Richards, P. (1996): Fighting for the Rain Forest: War, Youth and Resources in Sierra Leone. London.
SIPRI (1999): Yearbook of World Armaments and Disarmaments. Oxford.
Skelton, T./Allen, T. (eds.): Culture and Global Change. London.
Smith, N. G. (1993): Fresh Hopes for Peace. In: West Africa, 20–27 September: 1673.
Steele, J. (1994):Wealth-sharing Deal Heralds Sudan peace. In: The Guardian (London), January 8.
van Ufford, P.Q./Schoffeleers, M. (eds.) (1988): Religion and Development. Towards an Integrated Approach. Amsterdam.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften/GWV Fachverlage GmbH, Wiesbaden
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Haynes, J. (2005). Religion in African Civil Wars. In: Hildebrandt, M., Brocker, M. (eds) Unfriedliche Religionen?. Politik und Religion. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-80796-0_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-80796-0_14
Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften
Print ISBN: 978-3-531-14786-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-322-80796-0
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Science (German Language)