1. Conflicts in Africa are mostly due to greediness over natural resources. It is justifiable to a
greater extent to say that conflicts in Africa have been a result of economic reasons. This is so
because most of the wars occurred in Africa were due to greediness; desire to control natural
resources such as minerals and fertile lands, unemployment leading to poverty and unequal
distribution of wealth. However to a lesser extent conflicts in Africa has been a result of
grievance in political and social reasons such as ethnicity and religious differences as well as
colonial hangover among others.
First and foremost, economic reasons are the root causes of conflicts in Africa. Collier and
Hoffler (2002 :15) argues that they are three economic factors that are robust predictors of
the outbreak of civil war which include initial level of income ,the growth rate of income and
the share of primary commodities exports in total exports. Democratic Republic of Congo has
experienced low income, low expected economic growth leading to high unemployment and
also dependence on primary commodities or mineral exports make the country prone to
conflict due to the struggle of control of resources .1 In 1977 to 1978 Shaba conflicts (region
in Congo) were due to economic crisis characterised by high unemployment, inflation and
social injustice and individualism and the rebels captured the mining town of Kolwezi in
1978. In 1988 economic collapse resulted in conflict of 1990 to 1994.Natural resources
abundance has increased the risk conflict in Congo due to undistribution of wealth .2This
therefore shows that economic crisis and greediness has created an environment that
facilitated the formation of rebellions in resulting of civil war thus to a greater extent
conflicts in Africa has been a result of economic reasons.
Flowing from the above, abundance of natural resources also increased the risk of conflict in
Congo as they attract foreign actors. The most sources of rebel finance are the appropriation
of natural resources donations from sympathetic diasporas residing abroad, contribution from
foreign states so as to gain natural resources in return or multinational companies who are
interested in the region.3 Uganda and Rwanda military invasion also explains the root cause
of conflict in 1990s as the two supported conflicts in Congo so a as to intervene in return
would extract minerals. Nigerian troop also were keen to remain in Sierra Leone because of
diamond mining opportunities. This therefore shows that conflicts are fostered by economic
reasons to a greater extent.
Greed is proxied by the availability of capturable natural resources. Collier and Hoffler
(2004) states that civil wars stem from the greed behaviour of a rebel group in organising an
insurgency against the government. The presence of diamonds in Sierra Leone caused
conflict in a number of ways as there was high unequal benefits resulting from diamond
mining made ordinary Sierra Leoneans frustrated and also under Stevens government,
revenues from national diamond mining corporation were used for personal enrichment of
Stevens and of members of the government and business elite who were closer to him. Sierra
Leone politicians and traditional authorities are playing a major part of the system that
prevents the poor people from obtaining a fair share of the national income.4Smillie etal
(2000) claim that the war In Sierra Leone was fought for diamond. Conflict in Sierra Leone
in 1990s and early 2000 were fuelled by the mining and trading of these tiny precious stones.
Recruitment is about the opportunity to induct fighting man power something made easier
when there is high proportion of young unemployed males in population in a setting of
endemic poverty and poor education.5Foday Sankoh’s commander of Revolutionary United

2. Front was able to recruit a multitude of young Sierra Leonean men who felt severely
alienated because of government corruption (at both the national and paramount chief levels)
and lack of economic opportunity and also collapse of educational system. Foday Sankoh was
made the vice president so as to end intra war but he also claims to become minister of mines.
In addition conflicts are caused by economic inequality and the poor may rebel to induce
redistribution. The first conflict in Darfur began in 1985, the same period when Sudan was
suffering from a severe drought which brought untold suffering in the form of
devastating famine. The feeling of neglect by the government in Khartoum, compound with
the denial by sedentary communities to allow migration on their land of the pastoralists
towards the South created an explosive cocktail which pushed some in the Darfur region to
pick up arms and it took four years. The division also between North Sudan and South Sudan
has alarmed the conflict as the South Sudanese were economically disadvantaged leading to
disputes over sharing oil riches. North Sudan envied good fertile soils in the South hence
conflicts arose on land issues this therefore shows that conflicts are a result of natural
resources to a greater extent.
Furthermore competition over natural resources is a key drive of conflicts in Somalia. Clans
and sub clans clash to control natural resources out of sheer economic necessity for profit.
Resources rich in South central and resource scarce in Somaliland and Rutland regions
leading serious and rearming conflicts among and within pastoral , semi pastoral and
agricultural clan groups for access to control land for crop cultivation , animal grazing and
use of water points.6 During 19970s Civil war within the Hawiye , the Darod , Digil and the
Mirifle and the Isaaq was a resource conflict .Civil war between the Haborgidir and the
hawadle clans started over the control of Kismayo port 7. Conflicts are due to resources over
rich regions with fertile land and water and these conflicts are fuelled also by large number of
hopeless unemployed young men. Famines and drought in other regions are also leading to
conflicts within the state. In Somalia sharing and management of resources will remain a key
issue and their non resolution led to state collapse in 1992 hence conflict in Africa are a result
of economic reasons to a greater extent.
In addition border conflicts are also caused elites who want to purse economic interest.
Morocco and Algerian conflict border conflict was caused by the discovery of mineral
resources in the disputed area in 19963 Maghreb which leads to economic development to its
abundance of minerals.8 Conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia over boarder known as Badme
which was also with vast economic potential led the two into a brutal conflict. This therefore
shows that conflicts in Africa are a result of economic reasons to a greater extent.
However to a lesser extent conflicts in Africa are due to grievances. Hoffler and Collier
(2002) argue that ethnic dominance where one group make 45% -90% of the population have
a systematically higher risk of conflict. Rwanda, commonly referred to as the land of a
thousand hills, is populated by three ethnic groups – 84% Hutu, 15% Tutsi and 1% Twa.
Tutsis were favoured in terms of education and employment over the Hutus who were
neglected. Also, the Belgian administration introduced identity cards to distinguish one’s
ethnic origin. These acts unsurprisingly led to tensions between the Hutus and Tutsis. In
1959, civil war led to the overthrow of the then ruling Tutsi King, and the granting of
independence three years later paved way for a Hutu-led government. Over the next several
years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and an estimated 150,000 fled to neighbouring
countries. This strained „ethnic‟ environment reached a climax in October of 1990 when the
(RPF) a rebel army consisting largely of exiled Tutsis who had established themselves in

3. Uganda invaded Rwanda with the help of Ugandan government with their grievances such as
demanding a share of power, the right for the of Rwandan refugees to return home.9 In
Burundi conflict which started from1993 to 2005 has the result of longstanding ethnic
division between Hutu and Tutsi resulting in 300 000 killed. In Nigeria with over 250
ethnical tribes led the Igbo to secede from the federation proclaiming themselves the
Republic of Biafra in1967 resulting in a severe conflict .Some of the ethics also attempted to
pursue political powers by coup resulting in conflict. 2014 South African xenophobia is also
due to inter ethnic difference resulting in massive death of foreigners. This therefore shows
that ethnical differences are leading to conflict though to a lesser extent.-
Religious differences are also leading to conflicts within Africa. Collier and Hoffler (2004)
are of the opinion that ethnic and religious hatred are widely perceived as a cause of conflict.
Hatreds can evidently only occurs in societies that are multi ethnic or multi religious. North
Sudan with Islamist citizens and South Sudan with Christians led to conflict as the
Northerners want the whole Sudan to be Islamist country through the Sharia law of 1983.10
Religious conflict in Nigeria through the Boko Haram started in 2009 against the government
has killed 1000 people in 2013 and in 2014 killed 10,849 deaths. The conflict take place
within the context of long standing issues of religious difference between Nigeria Muslims
and Christian communities and it has extended to Cameroon hence conflict in Africa are a
result of religious difference to a lesser extent.
In addition, conflicts in Africa can be traced its sordid violence to colonial history. Kastfelt
(2005) points out that the region from southern Sudan through Northern Uganda to Rwanda ,
Burundi and Congo are now the scene of brutal conflicts and genocide which has a long
history of colonial violence in the form of slave trading, slave labour, plantation labour, terror
and violent gun culture which all have to be taken into account in explaining African
conflicts.1Boarders in Africa were also demarcated by colonial powers without considering
ethnical differences resulting also in conflicts. This therefore shows that conflicts in Africa
have been a result of colonial hangover to a lesser extent.
To sum up the above discussion it has been clearly elaborated that, to a greater extent to say
that conflicts in Africa have been a result of economic reasons. This is so because most of the
wars occurred in Africa were due to greediness; desire to control natural resources such as
minerals and fertile lands, unemployment leading to poverty and unequal distribution of
wealth. However to a lesser extent conflicts in Africa has been a result of grievances in
political and social reasons such as ethnicity and religious differences as well as colonial
hangover among other