Global Response to African Displacement Crises Bears ‘Traces of Colonialism,’ Expert Says

By the end of 2023, Africa had 35 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), nearly half of the global total. Many displacement crises stem from regional conflicts, some shaped by historical inequalities and borders drawn during colonial rule, alongside climate-related events such as flooding and droughts.

The African Union’s Kampala Convention, the continent’s only legally binding treaty for protecting IDPs, has been ratified by 46 countries, offering a framework for coordinated national action. Countries are at different stages of implementing the Convention. Kenya’s Shirika Plan, launched in 2025, provides a practical example: it aims to integrate over 900,000 refugees and host community members into national systems by 2035, converting camps into urban settlements with access to education, healthcare, and employment. Together, these measures show how aligning national policies with continental frameworks can create sustainable, locally led solutions to displacement across Africa.

African Currents interviewed Dr. Margaret Monyani of OLAM Africa Research Institute on the continent’s displacement crises, emphasizing the gaps in sustained global engagement and political will.

"If you look at the UN 2024 Global Humanitarian Overview, it showed that Africa's major displacement crisis received barely half of what was requested [...]. Colonialism may have left the continent, but it never really logged out. The way African crises are understood, the way they are reported and responded to globally still carry traces of that old architecture of power. Who gets to define, who gets to narrate, and who gets to see, you know? Take the coverage of displacement in Africa; when people flee wars in Europe, we hear words like "refugees," "solidarity," "protection." But when the same happens in Africa, the language shifts [...]. Look at how aid is structured. Much of Africa's humanitarian funding still comes through institutions based in the Global North, unfortunately, meaning they set the priorities, the categories, and even the vocabulary of crisis," said Dr. Monyani.

Want to hear more from our guest? Catch the full conversation on the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.

You’ll find our episodes not just on the website, but also on Telegram.

► You can also stream our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, Podcast Addict.

► Check out all the episodes of African Currents.