How did the Berlin conference increase conflict in Africa today?

Answer 1

It divided up Africa into areas that would be ruled by the various European powers. Above the Sahara this meant that France and Great Britain became the power Behind the Scenes in existing countries like Morocco and Egypt, that already were ruled by a central Government.

In the sub-Sahara countries this division created a problem that mostly came to light after the colonies became independent. In most cases, this area never had known the concept of a nation-State. There were only tribal lands with usually vague and hotly contested boundaries. The colonialism in the wake of the Berlin Conference created States in which tribes were thrown together that since time immemorial had been hostile to each other and only cooperated if they saw an advantage to themselves in that. This mutual mistrust was made worse by the habit of colonial rulers to select a 'favored' tribe that was considered to have an above-average aptitude for Western-style civil service jobs, like the Kikuyu in Kenya and the Tutsis in Rwanda. The colonial powers did not invest in turning the mishmash of hostile tribes into patriotic citizens of a newly-created nation - if only because this newfound unity might pose a threat to colonial rule.

So when these countries became independent, the ancient tribalism almost immediately reappeared, as did resentment towards the 'favored' tribes from the colonial days.

Moreover, the colonial boundaries did not take the tribal boundaries into account, with the result that several tribal lands became divided over two or three countries. And that again gave rise to conflicts of loyalty between tribe and nationality. And to this day, cooperating for the 'national good' still does not come naturally in many countries. Political parties and their supporters still almost always follow tribal divisions.

Answer 2

The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 led to the arbitrary division of Africa among European powers, disregarding pre-existing ethnic and cultural boundaries. This division disrupted traditional societies, resulted in conflict between different ethnic groups and nations, and created ongoing tensions and power struggles that continue to affect Africa today.