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Ethnic Conflicts Around the World

Ethnic Conflicts Around the World. AP Human Geography. 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

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Ethnic Conflicts Around the World

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  1. Ethnic Conflicts Around the World AP Human Geography

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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 gov’t • 1984-2005 • Central gov’t (Arab Muslim dominated) trying to assert power over South (black Christians and animists) • Imposition of Shari’a 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 nat’l gov.

  7. Sudan Today and Darfur • Today, Sudan’s gov’t is the NIF – Nat’l Islamic Front • Capital: Khartoum • Darfur • Region in western Sudan • Early 2003 • Opposition groups in Darfur rose up against NIF • Gov’t crushed the rebellion.

  8. Genocide? • Sudan’s gov’t supporting an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed • Looting and burning villages • Bombings of villages • Rapes, murders

  9. 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

  10. Who’s helping? • United Nations • July 2004: demanded that Sudanese gov’t 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 gov’t forces)

  11. 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

  12. 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 gov’t had backed warlords)

  13. 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”

  14. 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)

  15. Where do the ethnicities of Lebanon live?

  16. Ethnicities in the Gov’t • Since independence in 1943, gov’t divided/distributed through the religions: • President = Maronite • Premier = Sunni • Speaker = Shiite • Foreign Minister = Greek Orthodox

  17. Who is unhappy with this situation? • Christians have majority control in gov’t and businesses • Muslims want more equality and participation in the gov’t • Gov’t unable to deal with these changing conditions and divisions…

  18. 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

  19. 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 • Israel’s concerns: Hezbollah in control in Southern Lebanon (backed by Iran) • Lebanon concerns: Question about Lebanese gov’t ability to control Hezbollah

  20. 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

  21. 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 India’s pop. But majority in Indian state of Punjab)

  22. 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 • Doesn’t want to lose Kashmir

  23. 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

  24. 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 gov’t, military and economic power after independence • Fighting began in 1983, 60K have died

  25. 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

  26. Kurds in the Middle East • 1920’s a state of Kurdistan is formed

  27. 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

  28. 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

  29. 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

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. Ethnicities in Yugoslavia ETHNICITIES Red = Albanians Green = Bulgarians Orange = Croats Green = Hungarians Brown= Macedonians Yellow = Montenegrans Purple = Muslims Green = Serbs Purple = Slovaks Lavendar = Slovenes

  33. 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)

  34. Breakup of Yugoslavia • After Tito’s death, old animosities resurfaced • In 1990s, move to 5 independent countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia

  35. PROBLEMS! Ethnicities don’t match national lines exactly.

  36. What happens? • Yugoslavia abolished in 2002 and renamed Serbia and Montenegro • Serbs make up 2/3 of population • Dominate gov’t and economy • Bosnian ethnic cleansing • Kosovo ethnic cleansing

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

  38. 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

  39. Kosovo • Region in Serbia • Ethnic makeup • 90% Albanian

  40. Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo • During Tito’s 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

  41. 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

  42. Balkanization = The process by which a state breaks down due to ethnic conflict • Led to WWI • After communism,Balkans are “balkanizing” again

  43. 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

  44. Rwanda’s 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

  45. Rwanda History of Conflict • 1962 • Rwanda gains independence; Hutus kill Tutsis on a massive scale so Hutu tribe gets new gov’t’s power (Tutsis flee) • 1990-1993 • Tutsis rebels, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, invades Rwanda • Leads to 3 year civil war • Cease fire between Rwandan gov’t (Hutu) and RPF (Tutsi) is signed; known as the Arusha Accords • UN peacekeepers arrive to support power transition negotiated in Accords

  46. 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

  47. 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

  48. 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 gov’t and Hutus flee over the border

  49. 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 Congo’s war

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