African Sahel Ethnic Studies

The Sahel is the zone between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south. It is over5000km from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Horn of Africa in the east. The Sahel covers Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea. The Sahel is the compartmentation and the joint in terms of Africa geography, ethnic groups and religion. Also, it is a hot area of ethnic issues in the world. So it has significant value for the research of Africa.Conflicts in Sahel are sharp and clear. They are happening between the north and the south, the white and the black, and the Muslims and the non-Muslims. As the consequence, decades of national and racial violent clashes have severely ruined the regional peace and stability and undermined the national and racial long term developments. The states in Sahel are confronting terrorism and even fragmentation.The Sahelian issue is a complicated social phenomenon. Historically, it started from the unreasonable border lines made with arbitrariness and the policies of "Divide and Rule" under colonialism. In addition, after the national liberation and independence, the growth of regional nationalism and the Pan-nationalism expansion has actually aggravated the conflicts rather than assuaging. Furthermore, with dramatic cultural differences, immature party systems, unfair ethnic policies, and volatile military, the ethnic conflicts as well as religion clashes are intensified thoroughly and bundled together. However, above all these contribution factors, the economic situation in Sahel is the essential and most powerful cause to its ethnic issue. When the races are struggling to survive, when the people are aggressive for more living resources, ethnic conflicts will explode comprehensively.Towards the ethnic issue in Sahel, plenty of actions of intervening are undertaken by United Nations, African Union, great powers and other non-governmental organizations. Admittedly, these actions did contribute to the peace and stability in Sahel. However, the negative effects to the fundamental international principles such as sovereign equality of states, territorial integrity and political independence are not ignorable.There is still a long way to go before the vanishing of this ethnic issue. Compared with the ethnic fusion, ethnic assimilation and one country one nation, integration is one of the most realistic solutions for Sahel. By the integration through the culture, politics and economy, the internal structure of states and the resources distribution among nations will be rebuilt aiming at the harmonious and peaceful development. The rally in Sahel will be strengthened as well to confront the globalization. It is undoubted that the ethnic issue in Sahel is unique and the developments in economy and stability are not able to solve all the problems. But the development is for sure the base of every solution, on which the understanding among ethnic groups can be enhanced, the conflict of interest can be reduced and the capability of solving problems will be reinforced.Pan-Africanism and integration are pursued by states in Sahel. However, at present the regional nationalism still take effect. So as the internal factors and external causes of the regional ethnic issues that will last a long time. For China, constant exploration is required for its international policies towards Africa in order to adapt the new situation in Africa. Along with the developing of relationship with states in Sahel, China will offer active and positive contributions and effects in that area. Consequently the core benefits and international praise of China will be protected and improved.The attitude and the solution towards ethnic issues are important to the stabilization of country, the improvement of society, and the flourish of nation. The construction of a harmonious relationship for all ethnic groups is the right choice for their development, which should be built on the respect to the differences and fairness among ethnic groups. There is no doubt that the destiny for all people in our country is the consolidation of entire nation, which is also the top criterion for solving our own ethnic issue. Based on this principle it is obligatory to support the power of laws, to protect the benefits of people, and to improve the unity of our country.