Africa’s Refugee Crises: An Appraisal of their Causes, Effects and Prospects

Abstract

This paper aimed at evaluating the level of refugee crises in African, their causes, effects and possibility of early resolution. It used both the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 OAU definition of refugee as guide in the study. Data was derived from secondary sources such as UNHCR releases, online articles and newspaper articles. The paper postulates that the antagonistic behaviour of indigenous classes stem from example shown by colonial power when they used the pervasive state power for the twin purpose of suppressing indigenous classes and economic exploitation and repatriation of Africa’s resources to metropolitan Europe. On taking over of state power at independence and thereafter, indigenous ruling classes replicated same by using state power as instrument to suppress opponents and also divert state’s funds for their private use in order to establish their economic base. The paper x-rays the effects of the problem on the refugee producing and hosting states, the refugee population and the UNHCR as its coordinating body and concluded that the problem has had more negative than positive effects on them. The conclusion was that the problem needs concerted efforts of both in Africa and international community. It traced the persistence of the problem to inability of competing African classes to discipline themselves and curb their excessive and insatiable quest to control state power at all cost and also from Africa’s inability to stop the current free flow of arms and ammunitions across international frontiers. Based on all these, it was recommended that African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) should be revisited and strengthened for it to curb the excesses of some African governments. It recommends that human rights bodies such as Amnesty International should investigate more and publicize bad governance. It also recommends more funding for UNHCR.