In the late 19th century, colonisers drew the borders of African countries completely disregarding the natural settlement patterns of native tribes. As a result, the same tribe could find itself inhabiting two different countries, which often led to conflict.
When African countries began to gain independence, it was decided to leave the colonial borders alone in order to avoid provoking even greater unrest. However, this had the opposite effect – conflicts not only continued but actually intensified.
The confusion surrounding borders and the ensuing chaos created yet another issue: mass migration within countries.
However, these people found no help in their new locations, as they were not officially considered refugees because they had not crossed a border. It was only in 2012 that a convention was adopted obliging countries to protect the rights of internally displaced persons.
According to Professor Lumumba, leaders need to address the essence of the problem and resolve ethnic conflicts if they are to reduce the number of refugees or at least prevent it from growing.
