Even though the Syrian refugee crisis is the most well known world wide, there are still other people fleeing from their country seeking refuge. Countries in Africa have been struggling with refugee influx from neighboring countries. With limited resources these countries try their best to host as many refugees as possible. South Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia are three of the most affected countries. With thousands of refugees fleeing these countries through risky paths and having to leave everything behind because of the insecurity. Contributing factors to the state of insecurity include, conflicts becoming violent, emerging violence after a civil war, and unstable governments fighting for power. This lead people to seek asylum.
South Sudan sought independence from Sudan in 1983. South Sudan’s opposing ethnic groups joined forces to fight against their common enemy, Sudan (South Sudan Civil War Explained). Finally, a peace agreement was established in 2005 which stated that South Sudanese had six years to form a political party and so they did, by 2011 they gained independence. But, poor national building lead to the crisis. There are two ethnic groups that form the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the Dinka and the Nuer. Salva Kiir, who is from the Dinka group, was elected as President and Riek Machar, from the Nuer group, was elected as Vice President. War began because Machar was allegedly planning a coup to overthrow Kiir and while Machar denied it, he also accused Kiir of trying to avoid political opposition. In turn, Kiir arrested eleven party members but Machar was able to escape from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and openly called for Kiir’s overthrow by December 2013. A few days later South Sudan was divided into two groups, the supporters of Kiir and the supporters of Machar. Machar became the SPLM/A leader in opposition and his group was composed of defectors, ex-government officials and was aided by small militias. People on Machar’s side were tired of Kiir’s dictatorial tendencies. By April 2014, the war spread throughout the country and as a result 10,000 people died (South Sudan Civil War Explained). During 2014 Sudan, with the help of UNHCR, has been accepting refugees from South Sudan and has been providing assistance for those trying to escape the conflict. The UNHCR has been providing emergency shelter items to refugees (UNHCR). More than 84,000 South Sudanese made their way into Sudan. All refugees went through a registration process and were given identity cards in order for them to have access to assistance and services. By 2015 Sudan hosted more than 322,000 refugees, mostly from South Sudan but also from Eritrea, Chad, Ethiopia, Syria and Central African Republic. As of today, Sudan continues to provide hospitality to asylum seekers and the UNHCR prioritizes itself in providing basic life-saving assistance and protection from kidnapping and human trafficking.
Since 2003, Nigeria, “Africa’s most populous nation, largest economy and biggest oil producer,” has been plagued by the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram. Rejecting western influences and initiating violent campaigns, Boko Haram has caused thousands of Nigerians to flee Nigeria for bordering Cameroon and Niger. In 2013, the group kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from their dormitory in Chibok and on June 11, 2013, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported the crisis has “forced more than 6,000 mainly women, children, and older people to seek safety in neighboring Niger.” As of August 2016, there are 2,066,783 internally displaced people in Nigeria, 157,000 in Cameroon, 74,800 in Chad, and more than 127,000 in Niger. The refugees who have fled and sought asylum in Cameroon are some 45,000 in a camp equipped to care for 30,000. Boko Haram began attacking Cameroon as well in July, making all Nigerians suspect to Cameroonian officials. Asylum seekers wait outside the Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon, waiting to be granted entrance where they may receive basic essentials. Due to overcrowding in the camp, malnutrition has increased as of October 19, 2016. The rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria caused increased forced migration into neighboring African nations. Nigeria is not only plagued by Boko Haram, but corruption in the government has left what should be a prosperous nation without adequate infrastructure and development and Nigeria is a large center for human trafficking. The government has made strides to prevent trafficking (“enacting in 2003 the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act and establishing the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters”), however, the trafficking has been linked to “underlying social and economic problems.” In May 2013, in the wake of Boko Haram’s kidnapping of the schoolgirls, the Nigerian government declared a state of emergency, but little has been done to stop the militant group or end the migration and displacement of Nigerians.
Following dictator Mohamed Siad Barre’s flee from Somalia in 1991, the country lacked a lasting, and firm government for the next two decades, and it slid into a state of civil war. As there was no government in place, many factions made up of different Somali clans fought to take control of the country, and these conflicts soon became violent. As different factions fought for control of the government, land in Somalia was also important to gaining power, and the conflict spilled out into the country. Areas used for agriculture and livestock were destroyed, resulting in famine, and beginning to push Somali people out of the country. However, many of the people displaced at this point were displaced internally, as they mainly stayed within Somalia. Conflict continued through the 1990’s, leading to more and more Somali people fleeing the country, or simply being displaced to another part of the country. The United States, along with the UN became involved in Somalia in the years 1992-1995, in order to implement peacekeeping in the country. However, after both parties experienced casualties, the U.S. and the UN both pulled out of Somalia by 1995. By 2011, there were multiple attempts to try and stabilize the government, but none succeeded. Somali people fled the country to surrounding places, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, with around 500,000 living in a camp known as Dadaab, in Kenya. Ethiopia has also taken in refugees from Somalia totaling around 250,000 people, as well as Yemen, taking in around 200,000 refugees. It is reported that in certain places, there are three generations of refugees displaced, with very small amounts of people returning to Somalia.
However, there are attempts to return people to Somalia, as the country is continually stabilizing with the help of others. As of October 2015, around 5,000 Somali had returned to Somalia from the Dadaab camps, and another 4,500 people were set up to return to the country. While returning to the country helps lessen the impact of the “crisis,” there is still much work to be done. There is very little in the country in terms of infrastructure, and lots of economic assistance is needed to make sure that the return of these people helps work towards improving the situation within Somalia, according to Adrian Edwards of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Education is another aspect that needs to be addressed. For the displaced Somali people born out of the country, education is necessary for contribution to the country’s rebuilding efforts.
As far as global implications, this issue has lasted over 20 years, without much large scale success until fairly recently. With a lack of support in Somalia, the conflicts can escalate, forcing people back out of the country. As masses of people find themselves in neighboring countries, the new responsibilities put additional pressures on governments and citizens, which could lead to major economic issues.
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Elizabeth, Tyler, Hayley, Valeria
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