Entanglement Between the African Border Regime and the Concept of a Unified Economic and Political Society

The geographical configuration of African states, largely established since 1885, continues to exhibit a remarkable degree of continuity.

The geographical configuration of African states, largely established since 1885, continues to exhibit a remarkable degree of continuity. The arbitrary division of the continent at the Berlin Conference (1884-1885), which engendered fifty-five political entities characterised by varying degrees of political and economic instability, has been a recurring catalyst for territorial disputes in post-independence Africa. While the ethical and legal foundations of European colonial boundary creation have been subject to considerable scrutiny, the principle of uti possidetis has effectively preserved these boundaries, thus limiting the scope for territorial renegotiation (Okumu, 2014). This has resulted in the naturalisation of arbitrarily defined borders within a political framework centred on state sovereignty.