ETHNICITY AND RELIGION IN AFRICAN POLITICS: INSTRUMENTS FOR POLITICAL MOBILIZATION AND CONFLICT

Ahmed Marafa

Department of Political Science, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina

Abstract

Ethnicity and religion are essential part of people’s socio-cultural environment that form part of the social determinants which shape nations towards the path to democratic advancement and development. However, in Africa, religion and ethnicity are playing destructive as opposed to constructive roles in the development of the democracy as they give birth to various categories of conflicts. It is based on this that this study seeks to examine the role played by ethnicity and religion in political mobilization of people and how it culminates into various degrees of conflicts that undermine the economic and political development in the continent. To achieve this, the study utilizes the Elite Theory based on the perception of Robert Michel; and employs a content analysis method of collecting data by relying upon the existing documents containing data related to the study in question. The findings of the study indicated that African leaders are fond of using ethnicity and religion as instruments at their disposal for gaining or retaining their positions of power, which greatly hampers the development of the continent. It is based on the findings that this study recommends among others that more inclusive governance approach that could allay the fears of the various groups along best practices that guarantee equality, justice and fairness in resources/value mobilization and allocation be ensured in Africa.

Keywords: Ethnicity, Religion, Politics, Political Mobilization, Conflicts.