Publicação
The colonial legacies and their impact on current conflicts and development in Africa : the case of Cameroon
| Resumo: | In this dissertation I explore how the colonial legacies contributed to the dynamics and persistence of current conflicts in the African continent, by using a postcolonial approach. I argue that there are three main factors that explain the influence of colonial legacies on contemporary conflicts. Firstly the imposition of artificial borders that didn’t respect the pre-existing structures of African societies. Secondly the exploitation of natural resources by the colonial powers resulted in deep economic disparities in the territories in the global south, and finally the implantation of governmental structures that followed a westphalian model, in pre-colonial communities ignoring the authorities of local chiefs and local governance trends. Overall I explain how these elements contribute to current conflict and consequently they also have an impact on development. I illustrate how this phenomenon manifests in reality by analyzing the case of Cameroon and the Anglophone crisis. |
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| Autores principais: | Henriques, Catarina Filipa Bessa |
| Ano: | 2024 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | In this dissertation I explore how the colonial legacies contributed to the dynamics and persistence of current conflicts in the African continent, by using a postcolonial approach. I argue that there are three main factors that explain the influence of colonial legacies on contemporary conflicts. Firstly the imposition of artificial borders that didn’t respect the pre-existing structures of African societies. Secondly the exploitation of natural resources by the colonial powers resulted in deep economic disparities in the territories in the global south, and finally the implantation of governmental structures that followed a westphalian model, in pre-colonial communities ignoring the authorities of local chiefs and local governance trends. Overall I explain how these elements contribute to current conflict and consequently they also have an impact on development. I illustrate how this phenomenon manifests in reality by analyzing the case of Cameroon and the Anglophone crisis. |
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