Ethinicity Notes

1. S
Ethnic Conflict

2. Why do Ethnicities clash?
S What causes conflict?
S Ethnicities compete in civil wars to
dominate national identity
S Problems result from division of
ethnicities among more than one
state
S Sub-Saharan Africa especially plagues
S Horn of Africa
S Central Africa
S Conflicts especially brutal

3. Ethnic Competition: Horn of
Africa
S Countries:
S Djibouti
S Ethiopia & Eritrea
S Somalia
S Sudan

4. Ethiopia/ Eritrea Conflict
S Eritrea
S Located along Red Sea
S Italian colony in 1890
S Was independent for 2000
years prior to 1890
S Independent after WWII
S United Nations “gave” Eritrea to
Ethiopia
S Expected Ethiopia to give
reasonable authority to
Eritreans
S Ethiopia banned Eritrea
language and dissolved
government
S Eritreans rebelled
S Conflict
S 30 year war for independence
(1961-1991)
S 665,000 Eritrean refugees fled
to Sudan
S Eritreans defeated Ethiopian army
in 1991
S Became independent state 1993
S Dispute over border in 1998 led to
more conflict
S Ethiopia defeated Eritrea in 2000
and took disputed land

6. Ethiopia/ Eritrea Conflict
S Eritrea
S 5 million inhabitants
S Split between Christian and Muslim
S Two major ethnic groups
S Tigrinya
S Tigre
S Strong sense of national identity
united Eritrea’s ethnicities as a
result of shared experiences during
the 30 year war to break free of
Ethiopia
S Ethiopia
S Complex multiethnic state
S Controlled by Amharas (Christians)
S Until early 1990s
S Power then passed to combination of
ethnic groups
S Oromo
S Muslim fundamentalist
S Live in South
S Largest Ethnicity in Ethiopia
S 34% of population
S Amhara- 27% of population
S Had banned languages other than
their own

7. Sudan
S Population of 41 million
S Civil wars have raged since 1980’s
S Break-down
S North:
S Controlled by Arab- Muslim
government
S South:
S Black Christians and animist
ethnicities resisted northern
attempt to convert the
multiethnic country to a Muslim
government
S Government tried to adopt
laws to segregated sexes in
public
S Single-sex schools
S North/ South war between 1983-
2005
S 1.9 million Sudanese died
S Ended with establishment of
South Sudan in 2011
S Conflict over three border
S West:
S Black Muslim groups in Darfur
region fought against
government of Sudan in 2003
S 400,000 died, 2 million
refugees
S Resented discrimination and
neglect of government
S Black Africans launched
rebellion in 2005
S Janjaweed crushed
farmers
S Genocide by Sudanese
troops
S East:
S Ethnicities fought government
from 2004-2006 with support of
Eritrea
S Issue disbursement of profits
from oil

9. Somalia
S Overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim ,speak
Somali
S On surface should face less divisions
S Share sense of nation, national history,
and culture
S Population of 9 million
S 6 ethnic groups, clans:
S Isakk, Darod, Dir, Digil, Hawiye,
Rahanwayn
S Traditionally occupied different
regions within Somalia
S Darod clan ruled Somalia until 1991
S Dictatorship collapsed
S Clans and sub-clans claimed control
over the government
S US sent troops in 1992 after 300,000 died
S Mainly women and children
S Mission to protect food and supply
shipments from international relief
organizations
S Also reduce number of weapons in
hands of rebels
S U.S. withdrew in 1994
S Black Hawk Down/ Mogadishu
S Islamic militias took control between 2004 -
2006
S Neighbors drawn into conflict
S U.S. launched air strikes (terrorists)
S Withdrew and now have returned

11. Ethnic Competition in Lebanon
S Population of 4 million
S Area = 4,000 square miles
S Similar to Connecticut
S Once the financial and recreational
center of the Middle East
S Damaged by ethnic conflict
S Religious divisions:
S 60% Muslim
S Most belong to Shiite sects
S Sunnis a minority, Druze also
S 39% Christian
S Sects
S Maronites most numerous
S Greek Orthodox 2nd
S Conflict
S Appears to be religious not ethnic
S Issue:
S Most Christians consider
themselves ethnically descended
from Phoenicians
S Muslims consider themselves Arab
S History
S Lebanon became independent 1943
S Each religion had to represented
S Each religious groups lives in region
of country
S Civil War 1975, 1990
S Each group formed own private
militia/army to protect territory
S Territory changed with battles

12. Ethnic Competition in Lebanon
S When government was created
Christians a majority
S Controlled main businesses
S As Muslims started to take over
Christian majority the government
could not deal with the changes
S Agreement ending 1990 civil war gave
each religion ½ of the 128 seats in
Parliament
S U.S. and Israel sent in troops at
various points to restore peace
S 1983 241 Marines died and US
withdrew
S Lebanon left under control of Syria
S Had historical claim to territory
S Syria withdrew its troops in 2005

13. Dividing Ethnicities among
more than one state
S India
S British control
S Three-way struggle
S Gandhi
S British rule ended in 1947
S Two countries created
S India and Pakistan
S Pakistan separated into East and
West Pakistan
S Bangladesh in 1971
S Basis for separating was Ethnicity
S Pakistan predominantly Muslim
S India predominately Hindu
S Hinduism has become source
of unity for India
S Long history of dispute between two
groups

14. India and Pakistan Conflict
S Partition of South Asia led to mass
migration
S 17 million on “wrong” side of
boundary migrated
S 7 million Muslims
S 9.5 million Hindus
S Created “battles” when two
paths crossed
S Neither country agreed on boundaries
S Issue over Kashmir
S “line of control”
S War for reunification of Kashmir
S Sikhs
S 25 million in Punjab region
S Resent not given own country
S Extremists have fought for more
control or complete independence
from India

15. Sri Lanka
S Island country
S 20 million inhabitants
S Torn between Sinhalese and
Tamils
S Fighting since 1983
S Continued until 2009
S 80,000 have died
S Sinhalese
S 82% of population
S Converted to Buddhism
S Speak Sinhalese (Indo-European)
S Tamils
S 14% of population
S Occupies northern part of Island
S Hindu
S Dispute really over 2,000 years old
S Suppressed during 300 yrs of European
control
S Independent in 1948
S Sinhalese dominated government, military,
and commerce
S Tamils feel discriminated against
S Rebellion began in1983
S A Tamil assassinated Sinhalese president
in 1993
S 2009
S Tamils defeated
S Fear future of Sri Lanka as a multinational
state is jeopardized
S Worried it will return to Buddhism as
enforced religion and Sinhalese as
official language like in 1950s

17. S
Key Issue #4
What is Ethnic Cleansing?

18. What is Ethnic Cleansing?
S Throughout history, ethnic groups have
been forced to flee from other ethnic
groups’ more powerful armies.
S Definition:
S process in which a more powerful
ethnic group forcibly removes a
less powerful one in order to create
an ethnically homogeneous region.
S In recent years, ethnic cleansing has
been carried out primarily in Europe
and Africa
S Ethnic cleansing is undertaken to rid
an area of an entire ethnicity so that
the surviving ethnic group can be the
sole inhabitants
S Different from traditional wars
S Point is not to simply to defeat
but completely exterminate
S Involves removal of males,
females, and children

19. Ethnic Cleansing in Europe
S Largest forced migration came during WWII
(1939-1945)
S Deportation of Jews, gypsies, and other
ethnic groups to concentration camps
S After WWII
S Millions of ethnic Germans, Poles,
Russians, and other groups forced to
migrate as a result of boundary changes
S Recently
S Ethnic cleansing has occurred in former
Yugoslavia
S Complex pattern of ethnic diversity
in Balkan peninsula

20. Creation of Multiethnic
Yugoslavia
S Part of a complex pattern of ethnic
diversity in the Balkan Peninsula
S Region, size of Texas, is named
for Balkan mountains that extend
east-west across the region
S Includes:
S Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and
Romania
S As well as former Yugoslavia
S Complex assemblage of ethnicities
has long been a hotbed of unrest
S Northern portions incorporated
into the Austro-Hungarian Empire
S Christian
S Southern portions were ruled by
the Ottoman Empire
S Muslim
S June 1914
S Arch Duke Ferdinand of Austro-
Hungarian Empire was
assassinated by a Serbian who
sought independence for Bosnia
(Black Hand)
S Started WWI
S After WWI
S Yugoslavia created
S Dictator Joseph Tito
S 1953-1980
S Creation brought stability that
lasted for most of 20th century
S Old animosities among ethnic
group were submerged
S Identified as Yugoslavs

21. Yugoslavia
S Spoke similar South Slavic
Languages
S Ethnicities included:
S Serbs
S Croats
S Slovenes
S Macedonians
S Montenegrins
S 7 neighbors:
S Austria, Greece, Italy, Albania, Bulgaria,
Hungary and Romania
S 6 republics:
S Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia,
Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia
S 5 nationalities:
S Croats, Macedonians, Montenegro, Serbia
and Slovenia
S 4 languages:
S Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, and
Slovene
S 3 religions:
S Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and
Islam
S 2 alphabets:
S Croatian and Slovene
S 1 dinar:

22. Destruction of Multiethnic
Yugoslavia
S After Tito’s death in 1980’s,
ethnicity rivalry reemerged
S Break-up of country
S End of Communism also contributed
S Independent countries were
formed:
S Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Macedonia, and Slovenia in 1990’s
S Montenegro in 2006
S Serbia an independent country
S Ethnicities fought hard to redefine
the boundaries
S Did not happen successfully
S Boundaries did not correspond to
ethnicities
S Some ethnicities ignored

24. Bosnia
S Creation of a viable country proved
especially difficult in the case of Bosnia and
Herzegovina
S Population
S 48% Bosnian Muslim
S 37% Serb
S 14% Croat
S Bosnian Muslims considered an ethnicity
not a nationality
S Serbs and Croats in Bosnia wanted to unite
Bosnia with Serbia and/or Croatia
S Did not want to live in an independent
multiethnic country with a Muslim
plurality
S To strengthen case for unification Serbs and
Croats started to “eliminate” Bosnian
Muslims
S Would leave each area ethnically
homogeneous and provide reason to
reunify
S Ethnic cleansing especially bad
because Bosnian Serbs were
separated from Bosnian majorities
S Dayton Accords
S Dayton, Ohio 1996
S Leaders of various ethnicities
S Bosnia was divided into three
separate areas
S Serbians received nearly half of
the country
S Croatian and Muslim areas were
combined into a federation

26. Kosovo
S Serbia remained multi-ethnic
after break-up of Yugoslavia
S Province of Kosovo was an
problem
S Comprised of 90% ethnic Albanians
S Under Tito, ethnic Albanians
received autonomy and a
national identity
S History
S Serbia had historical claim
S Controlled it in 12th -14th
centuries
S Fought Ottoman Empire for
control and lost in 1389
S Serbia given control of Kosovo
when Yugoslavia was created
S Break-up of Yugoslavia
S Serbia took direct control
S Slobodan Milosevic
S Launched campaign of ethnic
cleansing against Albanians
S At peak, forced 750,000 of
Kosovo’s 2 million Albanians
to flee
S NATO launched air strikes
S Serbia withdrew
S Kosovo declared independence in
2008
S 60 countries recognize (U.S.)

28. Balkanization
S Balkanized
S small geographic area that could
not be successfully be organized
into one or more stable states
S Because it was inhabited by
many ethnicities with long-
standing tensions
S Used a century ago
S Balkanization
S process by which a state breaks
down through conflicts among its
ethnicities
S Seen as a threat to peace
throughout the world
S Balkanization led to WWI
S After WWI and WWII and the rise and
fall of Communism during the 20th
century the Balkans have once again
become Balkanized in the 21st century

29. Ethnic Cleansing in Central
Africa
S Ethnic conflict is widespread in Africa
largely because the present-day
boundaries do not match the
boundaries of ethnic groups
S European Imperialism in the 19th and
20th century redrew boundaries with
little regard for distribution of ethnicities
S Africa contains thousands of ethnicities
S Traditionally most important unit in
African society was the tribe
S Rather than independent states
S When Africa nations won their
independence in the 1950s and 1960s,
the boundaries tended to match those
imposed by European powers
S As a result some tribes were
divided among more than one
modern state
S Some grouped with dissimilar tribes

30. Ethnic cleansing in
Rwanda and Burundi
S Long-standing conflicts between to ethnic groups,
the Hutus and Tutsis, lie at the heart of a series of
wars in central Africa
S Hutus
S Farmers, valley of Rwanda and Burundi
S Tutsis
S Cattle-herders
S Migrated from GRV in Kenya, 400 years
ago
S Took control of the kingdom of Rwanda and
turned Hutus into serfs
S Only 15% of population
S European power
S Both became colony of Germany in
1899
S After WWI became a colony of Belgium
S Colonial administrators favored Tutsis
to Hutus
S Independence 1962
S Hutus allowed to vote
S Won elections
S European power
S Both became colony of Germany in
1899
S After WWI became a colony of Belgium
S Colonial administrators favored
Tutsis to Hutus
S Independence 1962
S Hutus allowed to vote
S Won elections
S Killed Tutsis for past
injustices
S 1994- Rwanda
S Hutu president shot down
S Hutus killed Tutsis
S Tutsis that survived launched
counter-cleansing genocide
S Also occurred in Burundi
S Spilled into neighboring countries such
as:
S Democratic Republic of the Congo
S Democratic elections have been held in
both

32. Ethnic cleansing in Africa
S Congo is the region’s largest
and most populous country
S Thought to have the world’s
deadliest war since 1945
S 5.4 million have died as of
2009
S Tutsis overthrew Congo
president Joseph Mobutu in
1997
S During his rule he limited
European influence and
changed name to Zaire
S Changed city names to
“African name”
S Amassed a personal fortune
while impoverishing the rest of
S Tutsis led a rebellion,
S replaced President with Joseph
Kabila
S Kabila relied heavily on Tutsis
S Allowed them to kill Hutus in
early 1990s
S Kabili split with Tutsis
S Rebels tried to overthrow
government again
S Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe came to
help Kabila
S Kabili was assassinated in 2001
S Son negotiated accord with rebels
in 2002
S Fighting continues in the Congo,
especially in the East