Religio-Ethnic Response to African Armed Conflicts

Abstract:

This study, Religio-Ethnic Response to African Armed Conflicts, was aimed at investigating the root cause and impact of African armed conflicts, and to show how religion and ethnicity can be given opportunities to have a smooth entry point in peacebuilding with some well-grounded conflict management mechanisms. The study discovered that the African continent suffers a number of armed conflicts where women and children have been the most disadvantaged. These conflicts originate from religious and ethnic organizations as a result of theological disagreements, cultural and political dissatisfaction, which all require, among other solutions, religious answers. As people are deprived of access to justice, peace becomes the first victim. While friends and neighbors become permanent refugees if not enemies, militia groups emerge under the umbrella of freedom fighters, and if not checked, they are most likely to resort to criminal activities. The study further discovered that lack of respect for religion and humanity has made life difficult for both the army and the citizens on the continent of Africa. This has made Africa one of the World’s war-torn areas throughout history with ethnic and religious solutions not provided. Crimes against women and children continue to increase. Sexual violence is estimated at higher levels and little or nothing has been done to heal the pain caused by war trauma and the post-war situation. The study concludes that as a result of armed conflicts, political instability, diseases, internal displacement, mass migration and refugees’ movement are making violence on the continent worse than ever before. The study recommends that religious authorities, particularly Christian and Islamic leaders, as well as ethnic or traditional leaders should put hands together to conduct dialogue in order to help manage and reduce violent conflicts in Africa.