GEOG 1982 - Maymester 2008 remember to put your name

Assignment 4 - Due Thurs., May 22 on your assignment

Sub-Saharan Africa

Political conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa

Many people believe that Africa’s civil wars are in part a legacy of European-created boundaries (which often split ethnic groups or threw together hostile groups), internal ethnic and regional discrimination, and conflicts over extracted (and exported) resources.

Select a country in sub-Saharan Africa with current or recent political, ethnic, or resource conflict. Possible countries include: Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia & Eritrea, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Research the conflict using one or more of these resources:

· Your Textbook

· International Crisis Group has an excellent, objective website with many links

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=1098&l=1

· New York Times country listing

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/index.html

· Global Issues website is maintained by one person but has good information and links

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/Africa/Intro.asp

· Search Lexus Nexus (connect on campus or using VPN from CU library website)

http://libraries.colorado.edu/search~S3?/yl/yl/1%2C48%2C48%2CB/eresource&FF=ylexisnexis+academic&1%2C1%2C

Then do the following (in complete sentences):

· Summarize the underlying causes of the conflict. In addition to proximate causes, identify causes related to colonialism, such as inappropriate country boundary placement, colonial-era ethnic or racial discrimination, or colonial (or neocolonial) natural resource extraction. (3-5 sentences)

· Summarize the characteristics and manifestations of the conflict. Include the type of conflict, e.g., civil war, genocide, corruption, separatist movement, military government, etc. Include when the conflict began, intensification of the conflict, and any decrease in conflict violence. (3-6 sentences)

· Summarize solutions to the problem. These can be currently proposed solutions or your own ideas (indicate which they are). This should include a description of a past or current peace plan or agreement if there have been any. (2-4 sentences)

You can write this in essay format (with an introductory & conclusion paragraph in addition to the 3 outlined above), or you can write it under headings (Causes, Characteristics & Manifestations, Solutions). Either way, it should include full sentences (not lists).

Be sure to cite your sources (your choice of citation format).

DO NOT COPY ANYTHING WORD-FOR-WORD.

A successful assignment will PARAPHRASE and CITE.