Final answer:
National boundaries in Africa led to conflict due to colonial legacies and ethnic rivalries, causing tensions, displacement, and competition for resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
National boundaries led to conflict in Africa due to a combination of colonial legacies and ethnic rivalries. During the scramble for Africa in the late 19th century, European powers arbitrarily drew national boundaries without regard for the cultural, ethnic, and linguistic divisions among African peoples. This created artificial states that forced different ethnic groups into the same territory, leading to tensions and conflict.
Furthermore, these arbitrary boundaries often split up ethnic groups, creating diaspora communities and displacing people from their ancestral lands. This led to resentment and competition for resources, as different groups vied for control over valuable territories, contributing to ongoing conflicts.
For example, in the case of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the division of society into Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups by colonial powers created a power dynamic that eventually led to mass violence and conflict.
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