Article: Ethnic war in Africa

It has become commonplace to speak of ethnic violence arising from the ruins of communism in the Balkans and in the Transcaucasus states of Central Asia as if it were something new and surprising. The recent, appalling carnage in Rwanda and Burundi is a reminder that ethnic hatred and genocidal bloodletting go hand in hand with the breakup of empires no matter where or when.

In Europe we call it ethnic warfare; in Africa, tribal. But the phenomenon is similar whether it be Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, India, Armenia or Rwanda and Burundi.

Ethnic conflict comes "in lock step with post-colonial independence," as Duke University's Donald Horowitz observes. Each group wants ...

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