Friday, 18 April 2014

ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL & LINGUISTIC DYNAMICS IN THE GULF OF GUINEA

At the Berlin conference in 1884, the so-called "dark continent", Africa, was shared among European powers. I posit that most of the artificial borders that were defined during the meeting still remain with us today, and contribute significantly to many of Africa's headaches, including religious, political, linguistic, ethnic, cultural and sundry challenges.

The Gulf of Guinea (GoG), being a significant part of the African continent, is not inure to the devastating effect of the dynamics of the interplay of forces. One Anglophone and one Francophone country (Nigeria & Cote d'Ivoire) are chosen to illustrate the challenges faced by the GoG states...

See www.westafricainsight.org (March 2014 edition) for the full text of my paper. "West Africa Insight" is a publication of the Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD).

Related Links

*Regional responses to crime in the Gulf of Guinea   https://t.co/ug1J1fcXzB  #WestAfricaInsight
*West Africa: Gulf of Guinea - Fighting criminal groups in the Niger Delta is key to defeating piracy   allafrica.com/stories/202002040049.html:
*West Africa: Who will help solve Africa's piracy problem in the Gulf of Guinea?   allafrica.com/stories/20200218007.html

Friday, 4 April 2014

THE REFUGEE PROBLEM IN AFRICA

The production of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of ethnic and communal conflicts, national disasters and sundry causes in the twentieth century has spilled over into the twenty-first century. Perhaps apart from the huge external debts owed outside sources, there is nothing else as pervading as the painfully agonizing issue of refugees and displaced persons. They both seem to defy early solution and seem to emanate from the same denominator.

While the debts represent squandered resources, the refugee problem bears vivid witness to squandered opportunities to build healthy nations out of independent Africa. From Western Sahara through Liberia, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Angola and Zaire, there is hardly much going on apart from the issue of refugees and IDPs...how to accommodate, care for and feed them. Refugees have spilled over not only to neighboring countries, but in nearly all cases, their presence is felt across the entire continent and even beyond.

The refugee situation is painful and destructive for even citizens who survive wars and natural disasters. The tragic crises which uproot whole communities and nation-states, lead to the dislocation of the populace, both within and demarcated territories. The displaced persons are traumatized, their social and economic lives are disrupted. The limited resources of the host or recipient country which accommodates these refugees are stretched to unbearable limits.

The host country soon experiences increase in crime rate, diseases and breach of cultural norms as a result of the influx of refugees. Oftentimes, these refugees overstay their welcome. Even for the refugee-producing countries, life cannot be the same with the rushed exodus of erstwhile compatriots. The destruction of highly-priced property and the damage of the national psyche are sore points.

We are at the stage today, where Africans, their governments and organizations need to do more in terms of quality of assistance and timeliness of intervention to alleviate the suffering of their displaced brothers and sisters. Women, children and aged, the poor and the lowly are invariably the ready victims.

We therefore need to speedily address the refugee crisis by probing further to ascertain the root causes in order to halt the cycle of conflict/national disasters - IDPs/Refugees. The forced migration of today, that takes the form of refugee-generation, is perniciously distracting the populace from normal economic pursuit at a time when knowledge and boundless opportunities exist for economic growth and development. Besides, the trans-border nature of today's forced displacement is negatively affecting both individuals and state organizations. There is therefore a pressing need to delve into the causes of Africa's refugee phenomenon and proffer enduring solutions.

See my Blog post on my 2010 publication titled: 'The African Refugee Phenomenon' by  Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa    dayokusa.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-african-refugee-phenomenon-edited.html

Refugees and IDPs can be classified into three broad categories based on the prevailing causes:

1) Crisis refugees as a result of human conflicts. A small segment of this group could be political refugees who could end up as asylum seekers.

2) Environmental refugees resulting from natural and environmental disasters, such as earthquake, flood and desertification.

3) Economic refugees consist of individuals/groups that are unable to support themselves in their places of usual abode. They become IDPs or refugees in order to enhance their economic status...

Related Links

*Refugee team for the Olympics    edition.cnn.com/2016/06/03/sport/rio-olympics-refugee-team/index,html
*Maiduguri alone has over 2million IDPs, mainly women & children    https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/worldrefugeeday
*Refugees: 65million people are displaced, the majority across 10 countries    https://t.co/CjlRekQb6D  #WorldRefugeeDay
*Abandoned, hundreds face death in Bama displaced persons camp    https://t.co/dZLuvTwnl
*Bodies of 34 migrants found in Niger desert    http://gu.com/P/4ycgc/
*Long-term support for displaced populations in Africa    www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2016/05/31/new-long-term-support-for-displaced-populations-in-africa 
*Refugee stories from Glee star & UNHCR supporter    trib.al/Xx7UTvr  #WithRefugees
*#TeamRefugees: Champions against all odds    youtube.com
*Share the migration burden, says Africa    https://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/share-the-migration...
*Over 450 body bags containing the remains of unknown #Migrants from the #Mediterranean are being stored in Milan    https://t.co/XKdBT9EAHZ
*Population displacement in Africa: Top 10 countries of origin    africacentre.org/spotlight/population-displacement-africa-countries-origin-refugees...
*Big retailers caught using Syrian refugee children in factories    cnn.it/2e0h9tt
*At least 3,740 refugees & migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean in 2016 - This is the worst UNHCR has seen    https://t.co/b1Xk9TDDvy
*In Geneva, human smugglers in Libya, Turkey & the Sahel talk about their trade  #migrants    issafrica.org/events/dynamic
*Human trafficking most profitable illegal business    https://t.co/JaHcvxcOB3
*Nigerian refugee widows provide comfort to each other in Minawao camp, Cameroon, by singing about their husbands who were killed by BH    https://t.co/c21g1ilHSX
*Gathering gifts for South Sudanese refugees    unhcr.org/news/.../20...
*Protecting migrants: What should the AU do?    https://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/protecting-migrants-what-should-the-au-do?    https://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/protecting-migrants-what-should-the-au-do
*Nigeria: About 100,000 Nigerian refugees have fled to Niger to escape BH's violence    https://t.co/aKUwB9yCBL
*Canadians who welcomed Syrian refugees with compassion & support    trib.al/fJxBHys
*UN migration on refugee resettlement to the US    unhcr.org/news/.../2017
*PM Justin Trudeau says Canada welcomes refugees    fxn.ws/2kflWcp
*Consequences of Trump's refugee policies    aje.io/2x2q
*One in every 113 people on earth is an asylum seeker, IDP or a refugee    https://twitter.com/refugees
*Starbucks pledges to hire 10,000 refugees    cnn.it/2jHBxkb
*Africa most affected by refugee crisis    https://t.co/uD1T30Xnpc
*Needs of women refugees often ignored    unwo.men/YQ90308y1e4
*Iranian-American man affected by US refugee ban crisis    https://t.co/ajKcOeWuuH
*How do refugees normally get through US borders?    yhoo.it/2jrlurb
*A collection of moving stories from refugees & creators around the world    goo.gl/jBh5Zw #WorldRefugeeDay
*More than 1,200 die of starvation and illness at Nigeria's Bama refugee camp    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/23/refugees-die-starvation-illnesss-nigeria
*UN releases N3.7b to IDPs    www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/206034-un-releases-n3-7-billion-internally...
*Nigeria: Re-telling IDPs' stories using visual data & infographics  #IDPs Tracker    https://t.co/BBQAhgyVfs    https://t.co/YWU3XTAs4m
*At 115 years old, Eida could be Syria's oldest refugee, and she has one remaining wish    cnn.it/2dPcV6z
*Boston's art installation takes on refugee crisis    edition.cnn.com/2016/10/13/us/refugee-art-installation-boston
*Nigeria beyond BH    http://www.usip.org/events/nigeria-beyond-boko-haram
*Turkey's refugee crisis: The politics of permanence    https://www.crisisgroup/europe-central-asia/...
*Economic impact of migration    wef.ch/2fF1TyW
*At the edge: Trends & routes in North Africa's clandestine migrants    https://issafrica.org/.../at-the-edge-trends-and-routes...
*Understanding human smuggling    https://www.issafrica.org/about-us/.../understanding-human-smuggling
*International Migrants Day    ow.ly/Apz8307bUMV
*Migrants sent $1trn home last year    wef.ch/2hwyM2B
*Mali sends back migrants deported by France    https://t.co/d32VvZ8R7W
*18 year-old Hauwa Bulus learnt English in an IDP camp in Maiduguri & was one of the 18 winners of the ProtectingEdu contest    https://twitter.com/asorock/status/...
*IDPs: Nigeria's situation catastrophic    https://t.co/UKMlev3qFP
*Refugees are often caught in the cross hairs of persecution - Angelique Julie    nyti.ms/2k5ws5w
*Impact og migration on productivity    wef.ch/2l4XlEj
*5 essentials for the first 72 hours of disaster response    https://medium.com/@UNOCHA/5-essentials...
*Merkel offers cash handouts for migrants to leave Germany    http://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/... 
*Interactive map shows where the world's migrants are from & where they are going    wef.ch/290Zxwc
*Africa needs continental response to the #migration crisis. Is the AU ready?    #27th AU Summit    issafrica.org/media-room/vid...
*Correct the most damaging myths about refugees & migrants    on.unesco.org/29bYhVQ
*Middle school bullies are tough: They're even worse if you're a refugee    huff.to/29gbec0
*Millions of children & families displaced by flood, ravaged by drought    uni.cf/29m3lOb
*The power of altruism    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/opinion/the-power-of-altruism
*Refugees & migrants: The difference?    http://t.co/Fi8lDUTkes    https://t.co/Oz0mFYQuLw
*EU agrees to boost efforts to tackle illegal migration from Africa    www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-eu...
*Calais migrant camp: The things they left behind    edition.cnn.com/2016/10/27/world/calais-things-left-behind/...
*Beyond the headlines: Quantifying the economic contributions of migrants    wef.ch/2kANhGO
*UN refugee chief warns against politicising plight of refugees    https://t.co/CqLBexTKud
*Closing its doors to refugees is not likely to make America safer    https://t.co/bDPYUOwhu1
*Refugee policy should be based on facts, not fear - Angelina Jolie    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/opinion/angelina
*More than 1,200 people die of starvation in Nigeria's refugee camp after fleeing BH    http://christiantimes.com/article/more-than-1200-people...
*Richest nations host less than 9% of refugees    edition.cnn.com/2016/07/18/world/oxfam-richest-countries-refugees
*Give humanitarian support    www.icermediation.org/what-we-do/give-humanitarian-support/
*Somalia: Will its refugee & displacement crises ever be solved?    https://www.insightonconflict.org/blog/blog/2016/07/
*We are creating the extremists of the future out of child refugees    https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/child-refugees-syria-lebanon-terrorism-education...
*5 South Sudan refugees will be competing in the #RioOlympics    ow.ly/oalh302KliM
*UNICEF has delivered aid to thousands of refugees from #Syria stranded on the border with Jordan    uni.cf/2aAkc86
*Syrian refugees design app for navigating German bureaucracy    uni.cf/2aGpnAW
*Dearborn museum seeks to reflect broader range of immigrants    www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2016/08/15/arab/museum-dearborn-exhibits/
*Ground truths: Local humanitarians in conflict    https://www.odi.org/events...
*Secret aid worker: People are hungry & I have food that can't be delivered    https://t.co/MLuPR1ibH6
*Migration in focus: Adding African voices    https://www.issafrica.org/events/migration
*UN asks Nigeria to establish policy to address IDPs' problems    www.channelstv.com/2016/08/23/un-asks-nigeria-to-establish-policy-to-address-idps...
*Hungry & traumatised, IDPs go on rampage in Maiduguri, block highway    www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/209279-breking-hungry-and-traumatised-id
*Helping refugees is the 'moral imperative of our time'    http://www.kpax.com/story/32847315/helping-refugees-is...
*Nearly half of all refugees are children - UNICEF    https://www.theguardian.com/global/development/2016/sep/07/nearly-half-of-all-refugees...
*The total number of IDPs identified i 13 states of Nigeria as at 31st August, 2016 in Nigeria is 2,093,030 IDPs (370,389 households)    https://t.co/bBmCGHgpML
*About 50 million children are refugees or migrants    edition.cnn.com/2016/09/07/world/unicef-report-on-child-refugees-and-migrants/
*Immigrants don't commit more crimes. Why does the myth persist?    www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-bersani-piquero-immigrant-crime...
*Misery of Nigerian refugees & IDPs by Jibrin Ibrahim    opinion.premiumtimes.com/2014/12/22/misery-nigerian-refugees...
*6 out of 7 of the Americans who won Nobel prizes are immigrants - The Slaughter & Rees Report    goo.gl/z1NeB9  #WorldStatisticsDay
*Put children first protect #refugees & #migrant children    uni.cf/2eoROSe
*WACSOF, UNHCR launch project on the reduction of statelessness in Nigeria       http://www.sharpedgenews.com/index...
*Migration, Refugees & Displacement    www.undp.org/migration
*The time is now for collective action on migration & displacement    www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/blog/2016/9/1/the-time-is-now-for-collective-action...
*What's driving the global refugee crisis?    https://www.crisisgroup.org/global/what-s-driving-global-refugee-crisis
*Refugee summit should address conflict prevention    https://www.crisisgroup.org/global/refugee-summit-should-address-conflict-prevention...
*UN Summit for Refugees & Migrants 2016  #Refugees welcome: Helping the helpers on exposure    stories.undp.org/refugeeswelcome-helping-the-helpers
*What 3 generations of refugees can teach the UN    edition.cnn.com/2016/09/19/europe/un-summit-refugees-migrants/...
*Several African NGOs banned from attending UN Summit on refugees    https://t.co/MnNJnGTq1G
*IOM joins the UN as the #UN Migration Agency    https://t.co/QkTWgsojbp
*People will go great lengths to help #refugees. Will governments?    #UN4RefugeesMigrants    https://t.co/kbL92Tn9JY
*More than 800 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship    https://www.yahoo.com/news/more-800-immigrants...
*Lebanon needs help to cope with refugee influx    https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/eastern-mediterranean/lebanon...
*For some Syrian women, refugee life proves unexpectedly liberating    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/for-some-syrian-women-refugee-life-proves...
*Why I'm investing $500m in migrants - George Soros    http://www.wsj.com/article/why-im-investing-500-million...
*The screening process of refugee entry into the US    https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/
*Irregular migration: Nigeria's Senate joins forces to halt death of Nigerians       leadership.ng/features/.../irregular-migration-senate...
*Protecting migrants: What should the AU do?    https://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/protecting-migrants...
*Refugees in the US wonder if they'll have a home in Trump's America    huff.to/2gJSGqp
*Statelessness Podcast   https://soundcloud.com/user-56171208/statelessness-podcast
*Refugees & VE   https://issafrica-report/fleeing-terror-fighting-terror-the-truth-about-refugees-and-violent-extremism
*Migrants make significant contribution to both the home & host countries   refugeesmigrants.un.org/infographics  #ForMigration
*Tracking human trafficking in Myanmar   https://t.co/jWONGB08bd
*Family ties: Immigrants will send almost 650 billion Euros home in 2019   https://www.independent.ie/business/world/family-ties-immigrants-will-send-almost-630b-home-this-year...
*Irregular migration: Nigeria now number 6 in the world!   https://nextier.spd.com/download/voyage-of-life-or-death/
*How Uganda & UNHCR failed refugees   https://issafrica.org/iss-today/how-uganda-and-unhcr-failed-refugees
*Rohingya: In a city of refugees, design saves lives   https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/09/rohingya-refugees-kutupalong-camp-design-myanmar-bangladesh/597076/
*Pathway to ending the scourge of statelessness   https://www.independent.co.uk/happylist/a-pathway-to-ending-the-scourge-of-statelessness-a9133521.html
*A third of US Nobel Prize winners are immigrants   edition.cnn.com/2019/10/14/us/nobel-prizes-immigrants/
*Africans & Irregular Migration   dayokusa.blogspot.com/2019/11/africans-irregular-migration.html
*Refugee women promote hygiene in camps amid COVID-19 fears   news.trust.org/item/20200311121342-ncyuh/
*Refugees have the right to work and access labour markets   http://www.fmreview.org/economics/zetter-ruaudel/