1. Lack of respect among African leader has created antagonism among states. Some leaders undertook others e.g Amin used to ridicule Nyerere (ref to the EAC question). Nyerere also looked at Amin as an imperialist stooge. This explains why the two clashed in 1978-79 in an armed conflict that saw Amin expelled from the throne.
2. The expansionist policies of some leaders have brought them into conflict with other states. Some African countries harbour imperialistic motives e.g Gadaffi of Libya wanted to annex Ouzou strip of Chad thus conflicting with Chad. Amin wanted to annex parts of western Kenya hence the Uganda – Kenya conflict
3. Neo colonialism is among the major causes of conflicts in Africa. Some countries have intervened in the affairs of others hence leading to conflicts. The use of Northern Uganda by Israel as a base against, the Sudan government (in the Obote 1 regime) led to the Uganda-Sudan conflict. Imperialist manipulations in developing countries. For example South Africa and US have been stirring up trouble in Angola by supporting the UNITA rebels which Jonas Savimbi headed. USA, France and Britain have tried to promote their interests Africa by supporting puppet states in Africa to destabilise their fellow Africans. Uganda, Congo, Angola, Sudan, Rwanda, Liberia and Sierra Leone have gone through this.
4. Boundary issues have also made conflict inevitable. In some countries there have been heated conflicts over the true boundary demarcations. E.g between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1998. In 1963, between Morocco and Algeria over a frontier area of Algeria claimed by Morocco. Some countries try to extend their boundaries to neighbouring states. This caused conflicts between Uganda and Tanzania in 1978/9 when Amin declared that Uganda’s boundary was at river Kagera. More conflicts were between Nigeria and Benin, Zaire and Congo Brazzaville, Somalia and Ethiopia, Morocco and Algeria etc.
5. Weak government policies are at times the factors behind the outbreak of interstate conflicts. Some unfair government policies in international opinion have made conflicts inevitable e,g the expulsion mid counter explusions of Ethiopians and Eritreans from one another's country after the tatter's secession.
6. Detention of politicians of state by another e.g a conflict arose between Ivory coast and Guinea when the Guinea government had detained a senior Ivory cost official; in 1966, Ankrah’s government (Ghana) detained Guinea foreign minister and his 18 "man delegation hence the Ghana-Guinea conflict.
7. The refugee question deserves mention. Refugee s have tried to use force to go back to their countries; therefore they have launched attacks from the host countries. E.g the Tutsi refugees by forming a movement "the cockroach" and attacking Rwanda in 1963 created a conflict between Rwanda and Burundi, talk about the 1990-1994 RPF invasion of Rwanda from Uganda and the subsequent conflicts between the two countries.
8. Hatred, mistrust and suspicion among some states are largely to blame. Some states suspect others to be plotting against them. E.g Liberia implicated Ghana in the 1960 attempts to assassinate president Olympic, Ghana was implicated in the abortive coup that was carried out in Nigeria in August 1962. In DRC, the events leading directly to the war began with Laurent Kabila's decision taken on July 14th 1998 to replace his Rwandan chief of staff, James Kabarebe, with a native Congolese officer. Two weeks later, he announced that all Rwandese soldiers would have to leave the army and return home under suscipicion that they would organise a coup against him. Thereafter, when the Congolese rebels took up arms against his government, Kabila charged that his country was under attack by Rwanda This fuelled the crisis that eventually attracted other countries' intervention.
9. The failure of conflicting heads of state to reconcile their differences has caused tension between states. This has made states to continue harbouring grudges against one another e.g in 1960, Nkrumah and Olympia had candid discussions but failed to resolve their differences. Olympic remained critical of Nkrumah's policies. Nyerere-refused to sit on the same table with Amin.
10. The weakness of the defunct OAU deserves comment with regard to the issue of interstate conflicts. The Organisation failed to maintain the charter that forbade member states from interfering in the affairs of other member states. [Refer to the weaknesses of the OAU]
11. Ideological differences also make instability inevitable. [Refer to the EAC - Kenya and Tanzania]
12. The desire for material wealth lays groundwork for conflicts. This has driven some states into conflicts with others especially over mineral resources e.g the Uganda - DRC conflict over the gold scandal; the late Kabila's minister of economy and oil, Victor Mpoyo, accused "top Ugandan officials" of smuggling timber, gold and diamonds in file Eastern parts of DRC; even Wamba dia Wamba condemned the UPDF for plundering Congo's natural resources. The Nigeria- Cameroon conflict over the Bakassi region believed to be having oil deposits is another example.
13. Search for power, prestige and glory among some leaders. Such ambitious leaders like Amin, Gaddafi and Siad Barre in their actions as liberators of the people caused interstate conflicts.
14. Finally significant is the issue of blackmarketeering. Smuggling of goods from one country to another and vice, versa causes conflicts e.g in 1961, there was large scale smuggling of cocoa in Ghana into Togo land because of the artificially low prices in Ghana. *Magendoism' caused conflicts between Uganda and Kenya to the effect that Kenya closed part of her border during Amin's time.
15. The desire of one country to control another. Independent states need to be free from external interference but when it happens, the army defends the people. This is a major cause of conflicts between Namibia and South Africa up to 1991.
16. Uncertainity over ownership of certain territories. There are also disputes over who should control certain stretches of land which two countries may claim for. For example the conflict between Israel and the neighbouring states such as, Egypt over the Sinai Peninsular, Morocco and Spain over a rocky island of Leila in the Mediterranean in July 2002 and then former Zaire and Angola over Cabinda.
17. Partition of countries by colonialists who made some ethnic groups to belong to more than one state. The colonialists partitioned Africa without considering the traditional boundaries of African ethnic groups, for example the Somalis were given to Ethiopia and Kenya, the Banyarwanda in Uganda and Zaire. In case their related ethnic groups are being subjected to harsh treatment, the neighbouring state may in the name of fighting for humanity be in conflict with another state. Certain states fight to claim for land which in history belonged to them.
18. Harbouring and support of rebels who destabilise neighbouring countries. This occurs when a country supports and harbours the dissidents and rebels to fight another. There are examples all over the world. The common ones are Uganda which accuses Sudan of supporting the Kony and the latter accuses Uganda of Garang’s SPLA. The same applies to Liberia and Sierra Leone, Uganda and Rwanda, and lastly Eritrea and Ethiopia.
19. Interference in the internal affairs of sister states. For example Libya interfered with Chad until they involved the international court of law in 1990. Prof. Lule accused Tanzania of interference when he was a president of Uganda in 1979. Democratic Republic of Congo also accused Uganda and Rwanda of interference in the internal matters of their country between 1998 and 2003.
20. Violation of human rights by a dictator. In countries where human rights have been violated such as South Africa during apartheid era, Central African Republic during the regime of Jean Bedel Bokassa (1966-79), Uganda during Amin’s rule, Zaire during Mobutu’s time. This provoked other countries in Africa to fight them.
21. Religious interference in the region. This is between Israel (Christian) and other neighbouring Islamic states like Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. Israel is looked at as a threat to Islam leading to the wars right from 1948, 1954, 1967, 1970 and 1971. India and Pakistan are ever on tension because the former are Hindus while the latter are Moslems.
22. The forceful process of decolonization that required formation of Frontline states. Countries like Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia got independence with assistance from other revolutionary countries. Fighting apartheid also involved the same force. This caused a conflict between those colonial masters and the Frontline states.
23. Stocking of powerful weapons by one state. Usually, states that amassed heavy military hardware with strong army try testing their weapons and the army in foreign wars. Amin claimed that he had a Long Range Bomber that could clear either Capetown or Dar es Salaam. Another example is when Iraq was attacked by coalition forces of US and Britain on 18th March 2003 allegedly for having weapons of mass destruction.
24. Failure to control nomadic pastoralists along the common borders. Some of them traffic in firearms that may be a threat to neighbouring states. The Bahima Nomads sparked off a fight between Uganda and Tanzania.
25. Military Coups in most cases lead to state conflicts. Sometimes the new Army officers who take over power fail to be recognised by the neighbouring states. Ecowas states refused to recognise Paul Koroma when he deposed Ahamed Tejjan Kabar of Sierra Leone in 1997.
26. Struggle over control of natural resources. Some countries take advantage of the weaknesses of the neighbouring states in order to control and exploit the natural resources. Zaire wanted to control the oil rich Cabinda region from Angola, Libya also claimed for the uranium rich Ouzo strip of Chad. The need for oil control also forced Iraq to attack Kuwait.
27. The break away states tend to fight their mother states. They try to show that they are stronger than the former parent states. Examples are Ethiopia and Eritrea among others.
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