The Future of Nation – States in Africa Beyond the 21st Century: Federalism or Secession?

Author(s)

Dr. Thomas Otieno Juma ,

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Volume 6 - December 2017 (12)

Abstract

This paper underscores that nation – states are very important fabrics of polity given that their existence and form determine and shape them for sovereign endowments and ultimately international politics. The future of nation – states hinges on their historical formation and progressive efforts put in nurturing their being. In asking what makes states exist or disappear and whether nation – states exist in Africa becomes a good starting point in building a thought into this thesis. In addition to this, the author would want to find projections of future existence of nation – states in Africa 21st Century and secondly, carrying out a politico – surgical analysis of African states and nation – state formations after independence. With this limited yet wide in scope summaries are made. The study finds this subject appealing because the concept nation – state seems to portend a gap in knowledge as currently used. This makes their existence is an issue for political scientists and other disciplines and more so in the African parlance. This will open a prism through which therefore the future of nation – states in Africa can be viewed now whether in stable units or through likely disintegrations of federalism or secession in the 21st century. The research will employ a qualitative inquiry on the basis of written material available and relevant to the thought which shall then be reviewed in context, form, and content to arrive at conclusions

Keywords

Nations, Nation – states, Self – determination, Secession, Ethnicity, Nationalism,Federalism, Kenya, Africa

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