JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE RESEARCH
The Roots of African Xenophobia: A Critical Comparison of Economic, Political, and Postcolonial Explanations
One of the most topical and debated issues facing Africa today is xenophobia. Africa has not always been divided, as pre-colonial history on the continent was characterised by high levels of mobility, trade and intercultural exchange. The events of recent decades reveal the manifestation of a series of violent incidents against migrants and "non-indigenes" in South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Tunisia, driven by xenophobic undertones. This paper considers three different explanations for this phenomenon and c …