Understanding Ethnic Conflict in Post-Colonial Societies: An Overview

Article Title: Who owns the state? Understanding ethnic conflict in post-colonial societies
Author: Andreas Wimmer
Affiliation: Swiss Forum for Migration Studies at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Objective: To integrate different explanatory approaches to ethnic conflicts in post-imperial societies by reviewing studies on ethnic clientelism, political mobilization by minority elites, unequal relations between ethnoregions, and political systems’ effect on ethnic conflict dynamics.
Main Premise: The politicization of ethnicity is a central aspect of modern state-building.
Emphasis on Legitimacy: Defines state ownership and access to services based on ethnic representation which leads to conflicts over collective goods within nation-states.

The article outlines the rise of ethnonationalist conflicts globally since the end of the Cold War, illustrating this with examples from various regions (Bosnia, the former Soviet Union, and others).
Statistics: The growing incidence of ethnic conflicts has significantly disrupted peace across countries since the 1950s, especially between 1985 and 1992, where ethnonationalist factors were predominant in three-quarters of all wars worldwide (cited Gurr 1993a).
Empirical Evidence: Cites Gurr’s enumeration of forty-nine ethnopolitical conflicts during 1993-4.

The article examines why some multi-ethnic countries like Switzerland have maintained relative peace despite ethnic diversity, contrasting this with conflict-ridden nations.
Challenges common beliefs that ethnic heterogeneity explains conflicts, positing that comparative analysis is necessary.
Discusses the inadequacy of models based solely on rational political actors to explain the emotional aspects driving ethnic conflicts.

Emergence of Modern Nation-States: Analyzes historical perspectives that shaped ethnic relations pre-colonial and during colonialism, showing continuity in ethnic dynamics.
Political Leaders’ Utilization of Ethnicity: Reviews leaders appealing to ethnonational sentiment, turning ethnic distinctions into sources of conflict.
Factors Leading to Political Group Formation: Explores elements causing political discourse on injustice being fertile grounds for group formation along ethnic lines.
Conditions for Conflict Escalation: Identifies systemic factors within political frameworks, without focusing on international influences.

Key Concept: The ideal of modern democracies that governance should reflect the ethnic composition of the populace.
Emphasizes that legitimacy must come from representing the will of the people - “like over like” in governance (Geertz 1977).

Two pathways to ethnicization in state bureaucracy:
1. Dominance of a State People: When a politically centralized majority assumes control of state apparatuses, leading to automatic ethnic bias (e.g., Argentina and Egypt).
2. Emergence from Ambiguous Majorities: Clientelism arises where there isn’t a clear ethnic group entitled to state power, enabling bureaucratic practices to favor certain ethnicities.

The rise of educated middle classes excluded from state power creates grievances leading to demands for political representation based on ethnic lines.
Examples: Describes how the Ibo in Nigeria and Tamil in Sri Lanka exemplify this tension through disenfranchised elites.
Key Point: Middle-class elites articulate grievances reflecting the principles of modern democracy, leading to broader ethnic mobilization.

Discusses the necessity of grassroots involvement (ordinary members of ethnic groups) alongside elite mobilization for sustained ethnic movements.

Economic Interests & Inequality: Asserts that competitive dynamics among socio-economic classes can mirror ethnic divides.
Psychological & Primordial Factors: Reviews psychological aspects fostering collective identities that can be mobilized during crisis.
Cultural and Ideological Constructs: The role of deep-seated cultural narratives in ethnic solidarity and mobilization.
Structuralist Perspectives: Historical precedents and modern state-building influences play significant roles in ethnic identities and mobilizations.

Distinguishes claims for state resources tied to ethnic identity versus individual or class interests, highlighting the implications of ethnic favoritism in bureaucratic allocation.
Examines regional disparities in resource distribution leading to perceived ethnic inequalities, fuelling conflicts.

Democratic Systems: Ethnic tensions heightened under a multiparty system, especially with winner-takes-all electoral frameworks.
Authoritarian Regimes: Often, ethnic conflicts arise from pre-existing tensions and can be exacerbated by overly authoritarian control structures.
Consociational Arrangements: The potential for conflict resolution through negotiation and privilege sharing is analyzed alongside examples of successful nations like Belgium, juxtaposed against failures in other states.

Recognizes the potential volatility of ethnic relations in light of modern state formation, emphasizing historical and political practices that reflect ethnic disparities.
Proposes a nuanced understanding that ethnic conflicts arise from struggles over state resources while maintaining the identity of ethnic groups within their political arenas.

Cited works extensively from various scholars including Geertz, Gurr, Horowitz, and Wimmer himself, offering a comprehensive bibliography for further study into the politicization of ethnicity and ethnic conflicts globally.