The Politics of Identity and Violence in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

The partition of the African continent, which resulted in the creation of artificial boundaries, scattered people who shared the same cultural and linguistic values and lumped together those who did not. In some cases, people who share the same culture and language were set against each other by the colonial masters, and later by local politicians, in order to rule and exploit them. Such is the case of the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda and Burundi, who historically had the same language and the same cultural values, but today are sworn enemies of each other. Colonial meddling and everything that came along with it presided over the self-destruction of people who once used to peacefully live together.