Colonialism and Its Effect on African Conflict

Abstract

Colonialism is a major part of Africa’s history and therefore plays a major role in the types of conflict present in the continent. While in the international community, there seems to be more inter-state and economic conflicts, African conflicts are characterised by internal differences, hence intra-state conflicts. Though there were five major colonial powers present in Africa, this study explores the two major ones- Anglophone and Francophone. Both forms of colonialism share some similarities which are explored in this paper. As with the different policies practiced by both France and Britain, there are differences in the form of colonialism and how it was administered. These differences are explored in this paper. Finally, this paper analyses the effect of colonialism on the type of conflict most common in Africa. This paper answers the question of post-colonial experiences in Africa and its effects on the types of conflict present in the continent.