From the ongoing ethno-political conflict on the Congolese-Rwandan border to the violent tribal militias wreaking havoc across the Sahel region and the bloody battles over gold, phosphate, and cobalt mines in Central and East Africa, the legacy of the 1884 Berlin Conference continues to inflict pain, war, and underdevelopment on Africa.

The arbitrary borders drawn by colonial powers in Africa have left a legacy of division and conflict that persists to this day. These borders, often ignoring ethnic, cultural, and linguistic realities, have contributed significantly to the ongoing conflicts and ethnic tensions across the continent. It then becomes paramount to us Africans that we explore the impact of these colonial borders, highlight recent examples of conflicts exacerbated by these divisions, and examine our pan-Africanist efforts to overcome this colonial legacy and move towards greater African unity.

The Berlin Conference divided Africa between the European Colonial power...