Collective Identity and the Sense of Nationalism.
When African countries were created by the colonial leaders, the indigenous groups that were lumped together as one country refused to see and accept themselves as citizens of one country. Instead, they identified themselves as different group of people with different culture, value, and belief. In some African countries today, a strong collective identity still exists in different ethnic groups, among people that speak a different language, and among people that practice a different religion. Sakiko Fukuda noted in his article, Reclaiming Multiculturalism…, that in a multicultural and diverse country, a sense of identity and belonging to a group with shared values and other bonds of culture is important to individuals than a sense of belonging to the country (Fukuda 4).
Ethnic identity is still important to many Africans than their country’s identity. A survey was conducted in the region of northern Nigeria and southern Niger; this is during the decade of 1980s when military and totalitarian government was still rampant in Africa. This survey suggests that in African countries, many ethnic groups that found themselves shearing the same country with other ethnic groups feels less affinity for their neighbor ethnic groups. The survey can be found in Nationalism vs. Ethnic Identity, an article from the American Political Science Review. It notes that the Yardaji villagers in northern part of Nigeria did not see themselves compatible with other ethnic groups in Nigeria. The article states that “in Nigeria, Hausa villagers felt less affinity for non-Hausa countrymen (e.g., Igbo and Yoruba)” (Williams and David 395).
According to the history of Africa, African countries have experienced numerous civil wars that resulted from the action or effort of one ethnic group to breakaway from its country and become a separate nation. Diversity hinders Democratic ElectionBecause many African countries are very diverse in culture, language, and ethnicity, it is very difficult or almost impossible for them to practice a system of government that gives power to the people. This is because prejudice, racism, and rivalry exist among the people of the same country. For instance, one ethnic group may dislike another ethnic group because of an historical issue that occurred between them. An example of this is the 1994 Rwanda civil war that is commonly known as the Rwanda genocide. This violence has been described as a tribal war between Hutu and Tutsi that is rooted from the centuries-long competition for control of land and power (Valerie and Thomas, part 1).
In addition, an ethnic group may dislike another ethnic group because of its race, or it obvious cultural behavior. When there is prejudice, racism, and rivalry among the people of the same country, it is often difficult for them to come together and have a free and fair election. For instance, many elections that were conducted in numerous African countries were unsuccessful. Some elections resulted in riots and atrocity. At times, this may happen because one ethnic group does not want the elected leader of the country to come from another ethnic group. For example, ethnic “A” may believe that its needs would not be met, or its people would be abandon if the candidate from ethnic “B” becomes president. On June 12, 1993, a democratic election that was conducted in Nigeria was terminated. Other indigenous groups, especially the Hausa in the north, rejected the Yoruba candidate that won the election. This election turned into a crisis, and it led the country into several years of military rule.
Democratic election, in a diverse country, can also be hindered when one ethnic group sees itself as superior to other ethnic group, and therefore, believe that it should control the leadership and constitution of the country. The system of government that was previously practiced in South Africa can be a good example. It was a system of government that regarded the white people as superior to the black people and the people of color. Mandela noted in his autobiography that black people were excluded from participating in the election (Mandela 110). They were not allowed to choose their representatives, and they could not run for any government office. This system is known as apartheid, and it prevented a majority rule system from holding in South Africa for so many years. Finally, diversity in a country can hinder the establishment and maintenance of a democratic government in different many ways. Despite the fact that diversity, among the people of the same country, causes prejudice and segregation, it also hinders the successful outcome of a free and fair democratic election.
Coalitional Democracy
Because African countries are very diverse in all manner of life style does not means that they cannot practice a democratic system of government. A country with pluralist society can still practice a system of government that gives power to the people, a system of government that gives its people the freedom to choose their leader in a free and fair election, and a system of government in which there is check and balances in a way that makes everyone equal before the law. The majority of African countries need to practice an autonomous system of government in which a significant participation of all the indigenous groups are collated in the country’s decision and policy making. Arend Lijphart, the author of Democracy in Plural Societies and the initiator of “consociational” democracy suggested that “the political leaders of all significant segments of the plural society should cooperate in a grand coalition to govern the country” (Lijphart 25). He defined and described consociational democracy as system of government would work perfectly in a diverse country.Consociational DemocracyAccording to Lijphart, consociational democracy is a system of government in which the government of a plural society is run by a grand coalition of the political leaders of all segments of the plural society. For instance, there should be “a grand coalition cabinet in a parliamentary system, a ‘grand’ council or committee with important advisory functions, or a grand coalition of the president and other top officeholders in a presidential system… Finally, he recommended that there should be a high degree of autonomy for each segment to run its own internal affairs” (Lijphart 25).
In some African countries, a democratic system of government can work better if each ethnic group in the country has equal right to participate significantly in the government. “When all key players are brought on board by means of oversized coalitions or through the making of pacts between social groups, then the risk of conflict and civil war is reduced (Lane and Ersson 5). In a pluralist society like many African countries, every group, regardless of their size, race, or culture, should have equal right and opportunity to participate in the leadership of the country. Despite the differences that exist among the groups, the elites and political leaders of the groups should develop the spirit of cooperation and the habit to see themselves as people of one nation. That is, “the leaders should feel at lease some commitment to the maintenance of the unity of the country as well as a commitment to a democratic practice” (Lijphart 53).
Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the possibility that one group, in a diverse country, may wants to dominate the government and the leadership because of it obvious and outstanding wealth, military power, or population. Lijphart noted that “the temptation to shift from coalition to competition is bound to be very great, particularly for the party that believes it could win the majority of votes” (Lijphart 55). Therefore, he suggested that there should be a balance of power among the segments of a pluralist country. That is, all groups are minorities and majorities at the same time. FederalismAnother type democratic government, described by other political scientists like Jan-Erik Lane and Svante Ersson, is a federal system of government. A federal system of government can be defined as a system of autonomy in which there is division of power and authority between a central government and the regional governments. Each region has the freedom and right to elect its governor, draft its democratic constitution, and create its own judicial structure. However, in other to avoid competition, disagreement, and conflict among the regions, a federal system of government requires a central Supreme Court that would possess the power to settle disputes that may arise among the regional governments or between a region government and the central government.
In a pluralist country like many African countries, democracy can work better and successfully if each ethnic group is given the power to practice its own democratic constitution, elect its leader, and rule itself. However, at the same time, there must be a central government in which the top officeholders are composed of a grand coalition of elites and leaders from each ethnic group. The central authority must be structured in a way that check and balances of power would exist among the leaders. Furthermore, when a matter that concerns the constitution of the country as a whole arises, the central government must possess an exclusive power over the regional governments. This would reduce conflict, which normally leads to civil war, among the ethnic groups of African countries.
