The contemporary thinking, for and practices concerning refugees in Africa: a critique

The refugee phenomenon is a complex crucial issue which has not yet been given due attention in Africa, in regard of the safeguard and or the future of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the continent. In this study, essentially led in Dar es Salaam at the theoretical, but also, to some extent at the empirical level', we undertook, although not exhaustively, a critical analysis of legal instruments dealing with refugees in Africa. Whence, we came to the already established fact that the traditional way to approach, define and tackle the refugee phenomenon in Africa is still imperialist oriented. It doesn't address the root causes of the problem so as to find a lasting solution. Thus, the very instruments dealing with the refugee phenomenon in Africa impede its eradication for evident unavowed reasons. However, the analysis of available literature and critics both on Refugees and the current legal point out this handicap lack an over view and phenomenon in Africa, recommendations and suggestions less helpful in the struggle to cut off the trend. For they challenge the instruments which in dealing with refugee problems, indepth insight on the refugee a fact which makes their entities whose mode of survival-imperialistic can't effectively and efficiently work out to stop the problem but rather to let it last and worsen. In fact, the refugee phenomenon persists and is becoming even tragic. Like the traditional way of solving the refugee phenomenon in Africa which marginalises one of the key parts of the problem for lasting solution, refugees themselves, these literature and critics overlook and or refuse to consider and establish refugees' responsibility in the whole matter. Therefore, we contend in this study that, all Africans are to be considered as the potential and or de facto refugees in their own countries. Thus they are not only to be considered as victims, but also as responsible for the situations which create them. Thus, a new and revolutionary way to tackle the problem for a lasting solution must be democratic - then include the all actors in the process to eradicate the refugee phenomenon in Africa. This requires a general approach on the refugee phenomenon through the general theoretical framework of the structural underdevelopment process particularly the political underdevelopment in Africa and the efforts endeavored to tackle it. Therefore, the appropriate way to tackle the refugee phenomenon in Africa, urgently recommends the training of the masses for democracy for a genuine development. Thus the task consists of finding out: democratic institutions, democratic agents and defining democratic values and processes, the prerequisites which can help to overcome the structural underdevelopment and hence to eradicate the refugee phenomenon in Africa. We contend in this study that, the de-alienated parents are the appropriate democratic agents of this education for democracy in the family. Their vigilance on and control of the educational channels can help them to finish off the new orientation and the training of young generation for a genuine development in Africa.