EVALUATING THE LEGAL BASIS FOR ETHNIC NATIONALITIES DEMAND FOR SELF DETERMINATION WITHIN SOME AFRICAN NATION STATES

Abstract

Several ethnic nationalities were lumped together in Africa by colonialists and were granted independence as a country within these African Nation States. Soon after independence violence erupted in many African Nation States. Most of the root causes of the violence and eventual wars have not been resolved till date. The trend has changed. There is now open demand and confrontation for self determination by some ethnic nationalities within African Nation States. Nigeria is not left out. The work aims at evaluating, if any, the legal basis for ethnic self determination in African especially within the ambit of existing laws. Does the continued agitation and demand for self determination by an ethnic nationality within any African Nation State pose any danger for other Nations and the international community? Will the sitting government within these African Nation States where agitations are ongoing keep on resisting the pressures for negotiations towards peaceful separation? Doctrinal approach is adopted in the course of this work. The findings reveal that there are indeed ample legal basis upon which demands for self determination is anchored. Solutions are proffered and if applied will bring a lasting peace in the African continent.