Ethnic Conflicts Around the World

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Ethnic Conflicts Around the World

• AP Human Geography

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Ethiopia/Eritrea The Horn of Africa

• Both were Italian colonies (Eritrea 1890,
  Ethiopia 1930s)
• Post WWII Ethiopia given independence and
  control of Eritrea
• Bans local language
• Dissolves Eritrean
• legislature
• Eritrea fights for
• independence 1961-1991

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Eritrea as a State

• 1991 Eritrea defeats Ethiopian army
• 1993 Eritrean independence
• 1998 border dispute between the 2 countries
  violence restarts
• 2000 Ethiopia wins disputed area

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Eritrea and Ethiopia Today

• Ethiopia 3 major ethnic groups
• Amharic/Coptic Christians in the north
• Muslims in the south (Oromo, 40 pop.)
• Eastern Orthodox in the far north (Tigres)
• Eritrea 9 ethnic groups (split between Muslim
  and Christian) remain largely united b/c of
  common fight against Ethiopia

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The North/South Geography of Sudan

• North Sudan
• Arabs
• Muslims
• Urbanized
• Ties to Egypt
• Dry
• South Sudan
• Blacks
• Christians and animists
• Farmers
• Ties to Chad, Uganda, Kenya
• Tropical, lush rainforests

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Facts History of Sudan

• Large, poor, 40m people
• Independence in 1956 from Britain
• Civil Wars
• 1956-1972
• N S at war over control of central govt
• 1984-2005
• Central govt (Arab Muslim dominated) trying to
  assert power over South (black Christians and
  animists)
• Imposition of Sharia law
• Discovery of oil
• 2 mill people died, 5 of pop., 1mill refugees
• Accord in 2005 called for autonomy in the south
  and power sharing in natl gov.

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Sudan Today and Darfur

• Today, Sudans govt is the NIF Natl Islamic
  Front
• Capital Khartoum
• Darfur
• Region in western Sudan
• Early 2003
• Opposition groups in Darfur rose up against NIF
• Govt crushed the rebellion.

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Genocide?

• Sudans govt supporting an Arab militia known as
  the Janjaweed
• Looting and burning villages
• Bombings of villages
• Rapes, murders

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The People of Darfur

• 400,000 dead
• 2 million displaced
• Another 1.5 million in need of humanitarian
  assistance
• Very difficult for this to happen, though, b/c
  the area is hard to reach and dangerous

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Whos helping?

• United Nations
• July 2004 demanded that Sudanese govt disarm
  Janjaweed and prosecute leaders
• U.S.
• Powell, Bush genocide is occurring
• African Union
• Troops in place, but not enough to protect
  civilians
• Today
• Calls for UN peacekeepers
• Sudan says this would be occupation
• Peace Treaty written in May 2006 but only 2
  groups have signed it (including govt forces)

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Somalia

• 9m people, 6 major groups/clans
• Seem unified on surface
• Sunni Muslim
• Somali speaking
• 1990s traditional means of control disturbed
  warring clans, Somaliland declares independence
  from rest of country, but not recognized
• Collapse of government, refugees
• 1992 300,000 die from famine and war

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Somalia

• 1992 U.S. send troops to help with food
  distribution and to take weapons from armed
  militias
• 1994 Peace talks collapse and U.S. troops
  withdraw
• TODAY Islamic militants overthrew warlords.
  (US govt had backed warlords)

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Lebanon

• 4m people in country of 4,000 miles (like CT)
• 1943 Lebanon gains independence from France
• Becomes financial recreational center in Middle
  East
• Beirut Paris of the Middle East

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Lebanon

• Ethnic makeup of Lebanon
• 30 is Christian
• 2/3 of Christians are Maronites
• 1/6 of Christians are Eastern Orthodox
• 1/6 of Christians are of other sects (Greek
  Catholic, Armenian, etc)
• 60 are Muslims
• 2/3 are Shiite Muslims (Hezbollah others)
• 1/3 are Sunni Muslims
• 7 are Druze (combines elements of Christianity
  and Islam secretive religion)

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Where do the ethnicities of Lebanon live?
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Ethnicities in the Govt

• Since independence in 1943, govt
  divided/distributed through the religions
• President Maronite
• Premier Sunni
• Speaker Shiite
• Foreign Minister Greek Orthodox

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Who is unhappy with this situation?

• Christians have majority control in govt and
  businesses
• Muslims want more equality and participation in
  the govt
• Govt unable to deal with these changing
  conditions and divisions

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Civil War in Lebanon

• Broke out in 1975
• Each religious group has warring militia.
• Syria, Israel and U.S. all send troops at some
  point.
• 1983 U.S. Marine barracks destroyed by a truck
  bomb - 241 Marines die - US pulls out
• Lebanon left in hands of Syria, whose troops
  withdrew in 2005
• Early 2006 - relative stability
• 2006 war - Israel and Hezbollah casualties,
  extensive damage to infrastructure, refugees from
  July 12, 2006 until ceasefire on August 14, 2006

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Current Situation in Lebanon

• Summer 2006
• Hezbollah (Muslim extremist group) fires rockets
  into Israel
• Israel responds with rocket firing
• War lasts for just over a month
• UN helps organize a cease-fire
• Israels concerns Hezbollah in control in
  Southern Lebanon (backed by Iran)
• Lebanon concerns Question about Lebanese govt
  ability to control Hezbollah

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Dividing Ethnicities among more than one state
South Asia

• 1947 British end rule of Indian subcontinent -
  divide into 2 countries India and Pakistan.
• Pakistan is 2 non-contiguous states (East
  Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971)
• Divisions based on ethnicity Pakistan-Muslim,
  India-Hindu
• Hinduism is great uniting force in diverse India
• History of fights over territory in N. India
  -became religious wars

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Forced Migration and Ethnic Disputes

• The Partition of South Asia caused migration of
  17m people b/c boundaries did not match exactly -
  violence
• Never agreed on boundary between India and
  Pakistan in northern region of Kashmir
• 1972, maintained line of control splitting
  region. Muslims who are majority in region have
  been fighting guerilla war to reunite with
  Pakistan or become independent country.
• Further unrest in India Sikhs - not given own
  country at partition. 25m (2 of Indias pop.
  But majority in Indian state of Punjab)

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Pakistan v. India

• Pakistan
• Let residents decide
• Pretty sure that Muslims in Kashmir will side
  with their Muslim nation

• India
• Blames unrest in the region on Pakistan
• Doesnt want to lose Kashmir

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Sri Lanka

• Ethnicities in Sri Lanka
• Sinhalese are 74 of pop.
• Buddhists
• Came from N. India
• Tamils are 18 of pop.
• Hindus
• Came from S. India

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Colonial Control to Independence

• Conflict had been suppressed by Europeans, who
  controlled Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) until 1948
  (2,000 year old conflict, held off for 300 years
  of colonial rule)
• Sinhalese held most of the govt, military and
  economic power after independence
• Fighting began in 1983, 60K have died

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Tamils Want More Power

• Tamils wanted more power and fight for it
• 1993 Assassinated Sinhalese president
• 1999 Wounded next Sinhalese president
• Ceasefire declared 2002, but frequently broken by
  both sides

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Kurds in the Middle East

• 1920s a state of Kurdistan is formed

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Post WWI

• Kurdistan becomes a part of Turkey
• The teaching of the Kurdish language in schools
  is banned until 1991
• Kurdish language remains banned in media
  broadcasts
• Turks want to promote Turkish nationalism among
  Kurds

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Fight for a Homeland

• Kurds are spread out throughout the Middle East
• 15 million in Turkey
• 5 million in western Iran
• 4 million in northern Iraq
• Kurds SUNNI Muslims

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Current Kurdish Situation

• A nation without a state
• Current situation in Iraq control northern
  portions of Iraq (valuable oil area) are flying
  Kurdish flag instead of Iraqi flag
• Under Saddam Hussein, Kurds were massacred

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Ethnic Cleansing

• When a more powerful ethnic group forcibly
  removes a less powerful one in order to create an
  ethnically homogenous region
• Holocaust
• Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo)
• Rwanda
• Goal is not just to defeat, but to rid an area of
  an entire ethnicity so that surviving ethnic
  group will be the SOLE group
• Not just fighting among men -- involves women,
  children and elderly

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The Fomer Yugoslavia

• After WWII, created Yugoslavia out of a mix of
  ethnicities who spoke similar South Slavic
  language (Yugo South in Slavic)
• 1953 1980 - stability (submerged ethnic
  animosities)
• Communist dictator Joseph Tito keeps harmony

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Ethnicities in Yugoslavia
ETHNICITIES Red Albanians Green
Bulgarians Orange Croats Green
Hungarians Brown Macedonians Yellow
Montenegrans Purple Muslims Green
Serbs Purple Slovaks Lavendar Slovenes
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7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 in Yugoslavia

• Neighbors
• Republics (Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia,
  Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia)
• Nationalities
• Languages
• Religions (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox
  Islam)
• Alphabets (Roman and Cyrillic)
• Currency (dinar)

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Breakup of Yugoslavia

• After Titos death, old animosities resurfaced
• In 1990s, move to 5 independent countries
  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia,
  Slovenia, Yugoslavia

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PROBLEMS! Ethnicities dont match national lines
exactly.
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What happens?

• Yugoslavia abolished in 2002 and renamed Serbia
  and Montenegro
• Serbs make up 2/3 of population
• Dominate govt and economy
• Bosnian ethnic cleansing
• Kosovo ethnic cleansing

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Bosnia

• Ethnic Makeup
• 40 Muslim
• 32 Serb
• 18 Croat
• Serbs and Croats want to reunite with Serbia and
  Croatia

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Resolution of the Bosnian Conflict

• 1996 Dayton Accords
• Divide Bosnia into 3 regions
• Serbs
• Receive ½ the country though 1/3 of population
• Ethnic cleansing has paid off
• Croats
• Receive ¼ of country though 1/6 of population
• Muslims
• Receive ¼ of country though 44 of population
  before ethnic cleansing

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Kosovo

• Region in Serbia
• Ethnic makeup
• 90 Albanian

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Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo

• During Titos rule, Albanians were given autonomy
  in Kosovo
• 1999 Serbs take full control and undertake
  ethnic cleansing of Albanians
• Led by Slobodan Milosevic
• Forced 750K of 2 million ethnic Albanians into
  refugee camps, mostly in Albania

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Resolution in Kosovo

• NATO attacked Serbia in 1999 stopped bombing
  when Serbia withdrew soldiers from Kosovo
• UN has been protecting Kosovo since
• Independence scheduled in the next few months
• Milosevic put on trial for genocide and crimes
  against humanity
• Dies in cell because of a
• heart attack, March 2006

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Balkanization

• The process by which a state breaks down due to
  ethnic conflict
• Led to WWI
• After communism,Balkans are balkanizing again

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Rwanda

• Ethnic Divisions
• Hutus (farmers)
• Tutsis (herders, taller,
• more elegant, lighter skin,
• thinner noses)
• BUT, no real difference
• between the ethnicities
• TODAY 84 Hutu, 15 Tutsi
• Colonizers created differences
• More power traditionally given to the Tutsis
• Germany
• Belgium

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Rwandas Demography

• Slightly smaller than Maryland
• BUT densely populated
• 7 million people
• MD 5.6 million
• Life expectancy 48 years old 2.7 of country
  is 65
• 60 below poverty line

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Rwanda History of Conflict

• 1962
• Rwanda gains independence Hutus kill Tutsis on a
  massive scale so Hutu tribe gets new govts
  power (Tutsis flee)
• 1990-1993
• Tutsis rebels, the Rwandan Patriotic Front,
  invades Rwanda
• Leads to 3 year civil war
• Cease fire between Rwandan govt (Hutu) and RPF
  (Tutsi) is signed known as the Arusha Accords
• UN peacekeepers arrive to support power
  transition negotiated in Accords

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Rwanda History of Conflict

• 1994
• Plane goes down killing Rwandan president (who
  signed the Arusha Accords)
• Believed to be shot down by Hutu extremist
• Within 24 hours, Prime Minister also murdered
  along with 10 Belgium UN Peacekeepers
• Sparked 3 month slaughter of Tutsis
• Rwandan Army (Hutus) and a Hutu militia known as
  the Interahamwe
• Kill Tutsis and sympathizer Hutus

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International Response

• UN withdrew peacekeepers
• Could not intervene b/c they were there to KEEP
  peace, not MAKE peace
• Foreigners evacuated
• Tourists
• Embassy workers
• Aid workers (though some stay Red Cross)
• Genocide?
• State Department trying to define legally

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End of the Genocide

• Killings continue for 3 months
• 800,000 killed in 100 days
• July 1994 Killings end when the RPF (Tutsi
  militia) reignite civil war
• Overthrow Hutu leaders
• Take control of the country and capital (Kigali)
• Rwandan govt and Hutus flee over the border

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Rwanda Now

• 1998 Pres. Clinton apologizes
• Aug/Sept 2003 held first presidential and
  legislative elections since genocide
• Tutsis still remain largely in power, which still
  complicates ethnic relations
• Hutu extremists exist across border lines, also
  involved in Dem. Repub. of Congos war

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Congo

• 1997 Tutsis overthrow longtime leader Joseph
  Mobutu
• Ruled from 1965 to 1997
• Africanized the country (Congo to
• Zaire)
• Got wealthy off of natural resources
• While people starved
• Replaced with Laurent Kabila
• Changes name back to Dem. Rep. of Congo
• Tutsis and Kabila split (and Kabila looks for
  support from Hutus and other countries)
• Leads to civil war/violent conflict/ethnic strife
  in country (1997 1999)
• Rwanda, Uganda, Chad, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia,
  Chad, and Sudan all involved

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Congo Now

• Kabila assassinated in 2001
• Oct 2002 Rwandan forces withdraw
• July 2003 Kabilas son (Joseph) takes over
• Dec 2005 held referendum on Constitution
• 2006 more elections planned

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Northern Ireland

• 1949
• Ireland becomes independent
• Protestants
• (want to stay with Britain)
• North
• Catholics
• (want to unify all of Ireland)
• South
• Protestants
• In Eng, Scot, Wales

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Division of Catholics and Protestants in Northern
Ireland
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The 2 Sides

• Catholics IRA (Irish Republican Army)
• Protestants UDF (Ulster Defense Force)

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Northern Ireland Today

• 1999 - Power sharing agreement between 2 groups,
  with the help of Great Britain
• Still underlying tensions in the region
• The Troubles

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Caucasus Region
1991 Fall of the Soviet Union 15 Soviet
republics become independent nations Estonia
Latvia Lithuania Belarus Moldova
Ukraine Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenis
tan Uzbekistan Azerbaijan Armenia Georgia
Russia
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Caucasus Many Ethnicities
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Caucasus Physical Boundaries
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Russia v. Chechnya

• Russia Eastern Orthodox, Russian language
• Chechnya Sunni Muslims, Caucasian language

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Chechen Independence

• 1991 Chechnya declares
• their independence
• Russia ignores for 3 years BUTthen becomes
  afraid that other groups will want independence
• Also, values OIL and ECONOMIC benefits of the
  region

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Chechen Conflict Today

• Ongoing skirmishes and violence
• 1997 - Chechens elect a president and Russia
  recognized his government. But the issue of
  Chechnya's independence was not resolved.
• 1999 - Russia sent troops back in after Chechen
  militants crossed into the neighboring Muslim
  region of Dagestan in an unsuccessful attempt to
  start an armed uprising.
• 2004 Chechen militants seizure of a school
  which resulted in more than 300 deaths.
• More Info http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe
  /3293441.stm

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Azerbaijan
Created after the fall of the Soviet Union 90
is Azeri (green on map) Fragmented State Many
Azeris in Iran with no political power
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Armenia

• Created after the fall of the Soviet Union
• 90 of state is Armenian
• At war since 1988
• Contested border with Azerbaijan
• Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan (area called
  Nagono-Karabakh)
• green circle on map surrounded by blue

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What are some similarities between all these
conflicts?