Why Do Ethnicities clash? What is ethnic cleansing? Ethnic Conflict Why Do Ethnicities clash? What is ethnic cleansing?

Why do ethnicities clash? Sometimes ethnicities compete to dominate national identity (Civil wars) Sometimes problems result from division of ethnicities into more than one state Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Lebanon examples of competition to dominate nationality

Ethiopia and Eritrea Eritrea was an Italian colony 1890-1944 Ethiopia remained independent except for brief capture by Italians in 1930s After WW2 Eritrea united w/ Ethiopia, UN expected autonomy for Eritrea Ethiopia suppressed Eritrea’s ethnicity, banning major language (Tigrinya) and dissolving legislature Rebellion 1961-1991

Ethiopia and Eritrea Ethiopia defeated in ’91 War again in ’98 over border dispute Ethiopia won in 2000 Eritrea united by nationalism- strong sense of shared struggle with Ethiopia Evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, 9 ethnic groups Ethiopia remains a multiethnic state

Sudan Civil War between black Christians and animists in South, and Muslim Arabs in North- since 1980s Black southerners resisted attempts to convert the country from a multi-ethnic society to one nationally tied to Muslim tradition Sudan has passed laws designed to segregate sexes in public

Sudan Over 2 million died and 1 million emigrated (refugees) 2005-an accord called for greater autonomy for southern region. But as religious war wound down, Ethnic conflict erupted in Darfur in 2003- blacks rebelled against discrimination and neglect

SLA

Janjaweed- Arab nomads on camels attacked blacks w/ gov’t support Janjaweed- Arab nomads on camels attacked blacks w/ gov’t support. Over 450,000 dead, 2.5 million in refugee camps.

Somalia 6 major ethnic groups, or clans, in country Two colonies united in 1960s to form Somalia

Somalia The Isaak clan declared Somaliland independent in 1990s US sent troops to distribute food after 300,000 died from famine and warfare US withdrew in 1994 after peace talks broke down Islamist militias took over most of Somalia in 2006 Most Somalis support Islamists as a way to restore order

Lebanon A tiny country with great religious diversity Precise distribution is unknown- no census since 1932 About 60% Muslim, 30% Christian, 10% other

6 Christian Sects alone Druze- combines Christianity and Islam, rituals kept secret The ’43 Constitution required each religion represented in Chamber of Deputies

Lebanon When the gov’t was created, Christians constituted a majority, but as Muslims became the majority, they demanded political/economic equality Civil War broke out in 1975 The US pulled out in 1983 when 241 US Marines died

Dividing Ethnicities Among more than One State Conflicts arise when an ethnicity is split among more than one country 1947- After WW2 British colonial rule in India ends- divide into 2 states for 2 major ethnic groups Pakistan comprised two noncontiguous areas- E. and W. Hinduism has become a great source of national unity

Dividing Ethnicities in S. Asia Partition of S. Asia resulted in massive migration- about 17 million people on the wrong side of the boundary were attacked as they tried to make it to the other side. Gandhi wanted reconciliation with Muslims, but was assassinated in ’48 by a Hindu

Dividing Ethnicities in S. Asia Pakistan split in 1971 into Pakistan and Bangladesh Never agreed about who controls Jammu and Kashmir India blames Pakistan for instigating Pakistan wants self-determination for the region, confident the majority Muslim population will split w/ India 25 million Sikhs in Punjab pissed they did not get own state

Sri Lanka 20 million people, divided between Tamil Hindus in the North and Sinhalese Buddhists in South Conflict is more than 2000 years old but suppressed during 300 yrs colonial rule Sinhalese 74% pop 60,000 people dead since fighting started in 1983

Sinhalese have dominated gov’t and commerce since 1948 Tamils feel they are discriminated against How do you split up this one?

Ethnic Cleansing A process in which a more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogenous region Involves the removal of every member- women, kids, grandmas, etc

Creation of Yugoslavia Created after WW1 out of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires Yugo means “South” Slavic Dictator Tito suppressed ethnic conflict Conflict resurfaced in 1980’s after Tito’s death Most broke away in 1990s, Montenegro in 2006, Kosovo over the weekend

Yugoslavia 7 neighbors 6 republics 5 nationalities 4 official languages 3 religions 2 alphabets 1 dinar- economic interest unites them all

Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo Largest ethnic group in Bosnia considered an ethnicity no a nationality at the time- Muslim 48% Serbs and Croats fought to unite their parts of Bosnia to Croatia or Serbia. Engaged in ethnic cleansing to eliminate Muslims from their territory

Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo Ethnic Albanians 90% of pop of Kosovo Received autonomy under Tito 1999-Peak of Ethnic Cleansing-750,000 of 2 million forced from homes. NATO bombed Serbia as a result and stationed 50,000 troops Balkanized- a small geographic area that can not be organized into stable states

Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo Balkanization- process by which a state breaks down through conflicts among its ethnicities- a threat to peace throughout the world

Rwanda Hutus- settled farmers in Rwanda and Burundi Tutsis- cattle herders who migrated from W. Kenya 400 years ago Tutsi (15% pop)- Controlled Rwanda and made Hutus their serfs Under German and Belgian control, differences reinforced 1962- Hutus killed or ethnically cleansed Tutsis

Rwanda In 1994 Tutsis shot down a plane carrying Hutu and Tutsi leaders Tutsis poured into Rwanda from Uganda, defeated Hutu army, killed 500,000 Hutus Tutsis lost about 500,000 as well Three of seven million Hutus left Rwanda Conflict spilled into other countries- esp. Congo