A resort to war as a substitute for politics has pushed massive numbers of Africans beyond state borders. This article examines the historical roots of internal war in Africa. There are three models of colonial state building adopted in Africa which set the stage for internal war and refugee flight - radical separation, the creation of a governing class and paternalism. Certain types of colonial rule established from the very beginning a narrower understanding of exactly who should inherit the central institutions of the state and set the stage for the kind of open, violent conflict which produces refugees. -from Author

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Africa colonial rule state building refugee crisis war