Recent Sudanese arrivals at Djoran in the Chad border where thousands of refugees are scattered fleeing fighting in Sudan's Darfur region.
© UNHCR/H.Caux
Forced migration continues to be a serious, protracted, and in some areas, an expanding problem across Africa, particularly south of the Sahara. With over 13 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 19 countries, Africa remained the continent by far most affected by internal displacement in 2004. Over 50 percent of the world’s IDPs live in Africa. In Sudan alone, up to 6 million people are thought to be internally displaced, more than in any other country in the world. Sudan is also the country with the largest amount of people newly displaced in 2004 (about 1 million, mostly in Darfur). Other large-scale displacement crises in Africa included the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with 2.3 million IDPs and Uganda with up to 2 million IDPs.
There are estimated to be some 3.25 million African refugees and asylum seekers. The vast majority of these reside in other African countries. Very few leave their region of origin. Protracted refugee situations (people living in refugee camps or settlements for more than five years) continue to be a particular problem in the continent. They include: 280,000 Eritreans in Sudan; 300,000 Angolans in Zambia, Congo-Kinshasa and Namibia; 165,000 Sahrawi in Algeria; 270,000 Somalis in Kenya, Yemen, Djibouti and Ethiopia; 330,000 Burundians Tanzania, Congo-Kinshasa and Rwanda; 330,000 Liberians across West Africa; and 475,000 Sudanese in various countries.
Africa also accounted for the world’s highest number of return movements during 2004. In the DRC, more than 1 million IDPs were able to return home. Following the end of civil war in Angola in 2002, some 900,000 more people returned home during 2004. Return movements have also been occurring in Sudan and West Africa (World Refugee Survey 2004, Global IDP Project).
Selected references
- Amnesty International, ‘African Union: a new opportunity for the promotion and
protection of human rights in Africa’ (June 2002).
- Bakwesegha, Martha, ‘African Union: from unity to union’,
Conflict Trends, no. 2/2001.
- Crisp, Jeff, ‘No
solutions in sight: the problem of protracted refugee situations
in Africa”, New Issues in Refugee Research, no.
75 (January 2003). (PDF file 523 KB)
- Human Rights Watch, Darfur
destroyed: ethnic cleansing by government and militia forces in
western Sudan (May 2004).
- International Crisis Group, CrisisWatch, no. 9 (May 2004). (PDF file
712 KB)
- UNHCR, 2004, Voluntary repatriation in Africa: levels and
trends 1993-2002 (2004). (PDF file 72.4 KB)
See also:
Introductions/Overviews
FMO Research Guides
- Bermúdez Torres, Anastasia. ‘FMO Research Guide: Gender and Forced Migration’, (October 2002)
- Dick, Shelly. ‘FMO Research Guide: Liberia’, (June 2003)
- Eyber, Carola. ‘FMO Research Guide: Psychosocial issues’, (October 2002)
- Griffiths, David. ‘FMO Research Guide: Somalia’, (July 2003)
- Hart, Jason. ‘FMO Research Guide: Children and adolescents’, (October 2002)
- Landau, Loren B. ‘FMO Research Guide: Urban Refugees’, (February 2004)
- MacDonald, Kelly. ‘FMO Research Guide: Reproductive Health’, (July 2004)
- Murison, Jude. ‘FMO Research Guide: Rwanda’, (January 2003)
- Schmidt, Anna. ‘FMO Research Guide: Camps versus settlements’, (September 2003)
- Roberts, Bayard. ‘FMO Research Guide: Forced Migration and Public Health’, (July 2004)
- Roberts, Bayard. ‘FMO Research Guide: HIV/AIDS, Conflict and Forced Migration’, (November 2004)
Documents/Journal Articles
For more, search in the FMO Digital Library.
- Bakwesegha, Chris J. 1994. ‘Conflict situations in Africa in the context of
the OAU mechanism for conflict prevention, management and
resolution.’
- Borton, John and Edward Clay. 1986. ‘The African food crisis of
1982–1986.’ Disasters 10(4): 258-272.
- Bradbury, Mark. 1998. ‘Normalising the crisis in Africa.’
Disasters 22(4): 328-338.
- Crisp, Jeff and Erin Mooney. 1999. ‘Report on the workshop on internal displacement
in Africa, Addis Ababa, October 19-20, 1998.’
International Migration Review 33(2): 468-483.
- Gasarasi, Charles P. 1991. ‘Durable solutions to the refugee problem in
Africa: an elusive subject.’
- Ibeanu, O. Okechukwu. 1995. ‘Reflections on refugees, humanitarian assistance
and peace-building in Africa.’
- Jamal, Arafat. 2003. ‘Camps and freedoms: long-term refugee situations
in Africa.’ Forced Migration Review 16:
4-6.
- Macrae, Joanna and Anthony B. Zwi. 1992. ‘Food as an instrument of war in contemporary
African famines: a review of the evidence.’
Disasters 16(4): 299-321.
- Refugee Studies Programme. 1996. ‘Refugees and other forcibly displaced people in
Africa: a background paper [for] the IFRC's Pan-African
Conference.’
- Refugee Studies Programme. 1986. ‘Implementation of the OAU / UN Conventions and
domestic legislation concerning the rights and obligations of
refugees in Africa: final report of seminar.’
- Rogge, John R. and Joshua O. Akol. 1989. ‘Repatriation: its role in resolving
Africa’s refugee dilemma.’ International
Migration Review 23(2): 184-200.
Click on the image above to launch an interactive map illustrating sources of forced migration, then to view information about a specific African country, place your mouse pointer over the circle symbol.
© Forced Migration Online
Web Catalogue
For more, search in the
FMO Web Catalogue.
Background information resources
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Data (list of search results in the FMO webcat)
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Maps (list of search results in the FMO webcat)
News/situation reports
Resources from forced migration organizations in Africa
Legal and policy resources
Research collections
Further relevant organizations
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