The definition of minorities in the African legal and political doctrine

Abstract

The deflnition of minorities under international law has always invoked intense debates. In the discourse on the criteria for defining minorities, one of the main arguments has been that such a deflnition is not necessary, after all the UN managed to establish the principle of self-determination of peoples without adopting an official deflnition of the term "peoples" .. However, it does not fully reflect the complex nature of the minority question in multi-ethnic Africa. While discussing the criteria for deflning minorities at the international level, the author highlights the complexities involved in determining who minorities are in African states and points out why these criteria may not suit the dynamics on minority matters