, GGH2601 Assignment 1
Semester 2 2025(143131)
DUE 18 August 2025
Use this document as a guide and for references to answer your assignment
Question 1
Discuss how diversity on the African continent can be viewed as fueling
conflict. 20 Marks
Diversity and Conflict in Africa
Introduction
Africa is one of the most diverse continents in the world, home to over 3,000 ethnic
groups and more than 2,000 languages. While such diversity is often celebrated as a
cultural asset, it has also been a source of tension, division, and violent conflict. In
countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa, diversity along ethnic,
religious, and linguistic lines has contributed to civil wars, genocides, and
prolonged political instability. This essay will explore how diversity can act as a
fuel for conflict in Africa, while also acknowledging the broader structural and
historical contexts that exacerbate these tensions.
1. Colonial Legacies and the Invention of Ethnic Divides
One of the primary ways diversity has fueled conflict in Africa is through the
legacy of colonial rule. European powers often drew arbitrary borders without
regard for ethnic, linguistic, or cultural divisions, grouping rival communities
within the same states while separating others. For example, in Rwanda, colonial
administrators reinforced ethnic divisions by favoring the Tutsi minority over the
Hutu majority, laying the foundation for the 1994 genocide, where nearly 800,000
Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. What might have been manageable ethnic
diversity became a flashpoint due to systemic inequalities imposed during
colonization.
2. Ethnic Favoritism and Political Power Struggles
Semester 2 2025(143131)
DUE 18 August 2025
Use this document as a guide and for references to answer your assignment
Question 1
Discuss how diversity on the African continent can be viewed as fueling
conflict. 20 Marks
Diversity and Conflict in Africa
Introduction
Africa is one of the most diverse continents in the world, home to over 3,000 ethnic
groups and more than 2,000 languages. While such diversity is often celebrated as a
cultural asset, it has also been a source of tension, division, and violent conflict. In
countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa, diversity along ethnic,
religious, and linguistic lines has contributed to civil wars, genocides, and
prolonged political instability. This essay will explore how diversity can act as a
fuel for conflict in Africa, while also acknowledging the broader structural and
historical contexts that exacerbate these tensions.
1. Colonial Legacies and the Invention of Ethnic Divides
One of the primary ways diversity has fueled conflict in Africa is through the
legacy of colonial rule. European powers often drew arbitrary borders without
regard for ethnic, linguistic, or cultural divisions, grouping rival communities
within the same states while separating others. For example, in Rwanda, colonial
administrators reinforced ethnic divisions by favoring the Tutsi minority over the
Hutu majority, laying the foundation for the 1994 genocide, where nearly 800,000
Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. What might have been manageable ethnic
diversity became a flashpoint due to systemic inequalities imposed during
colonization.
2. Ethnic Favoritism and Political Power Struggles
