My observation and subsequent commentary have covered politically fragile states such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Cameroon, Western Sahara, Angola, Mozambique, Somalia, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan etc. Being involved as an independent political commentator on a weekly basis requires that I go through a vast literature of African political and economic history and leadership styles of many African leaders. From the vast research that I carried out, there are some interesting conclusions that I have made about the African continent which I want to highlight in this week’s article.
In many African countries, ethnicity plays a pivotal yet destructive role in politics. In countries such as South Sudan, conflict which has its origins on economic and political factors is defined along ethnic lines. South Sudan has never known any peace since its independence in 2011. Two belligerent factions led by prominent politicians, Riek Matchar (of the Neur ethnic group) and Salva Kiir (of the Dinka ethnic groups) are embroiled in a horrendous conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people.
