
A new survey conducted by Afrobarometer in 33 African countries, including South Africa and other ethnically diverse countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia, shows that most Africans embrace co-existence but struggle with interethnic trust.
The new report shows that most citizens have no objection to living next door to people from different ethnic backgrounds and are open to interethnic marriages within their own families.
However, many express low levels of trust in people from other ethnic groups as well as in people from other religions and outsiders beyond family and community networks.
During the survey, after self-identifying their ethnic group, respondents were asked to compare their attachment to their national vs. their ethnic identity.
On average across 33 countries, four in 10 Africans (41%) feel more closely attached to their national identity, while a plurality (45%) say they are equally attached to both.
Just 14% report closer allegiance to their ethnic identity.
An overwhelming majority (92%) of Mauritanians feel primarily connected to their national identity, followed by 79% in Guinea and 69% in Congo-Brazzaville. A majority takes this position in eight countries. The majority are equally attached to both identities in 11 countries, led by Liberians (71%), Ghanaians (67%), Ugandans (67%), and Batswana (65%).
The findings of the report also shows that Africans are likely to prioritise their national identity over their ethnic one or to feel allegiance to both equally.
Only a small minority put their ethnic identity first. But a growing number of citizens report that their government treats members of their ethnic group unfairly.
Other key findings of the report revealed that on average across the 33 countries, 41% of Africans feel more connected to their national identity than their ethnic identity, compared to just 14% who prioritise their ethnic over their national identity; 45% are equally attached to both.
“Over the past decade, across 25 countries, attachment to national identity has decreased by 12 percentage points while preference for ethnic identity has gained 4 points. The share of citizens who value both identities equally has increased by 8 points.
“Prioritisation of national identity declined in most surveyed countries, including huge drops in South Africa (-52 percentage points), Lesotho (-27 points), Tanzania (-23 points), Ghana (-22 points), Kenya (-20 points), and Sierra Leone (-20 points). Four in 10 Africans (41%) report that members of their ethnic group are “sometimes,” “often,” or “always” treated unfairly by their government because of their ethnicity. Across 25 countries, perceptions of ethnic discrimination have increased by 8 percentage points since 2016/2018,” reads the report.
About one in five Africans (21%) said they trust people from other ethnic groups “a lot,” while 36% trust them “somewhat.”
“In contrast, nine out of 10 Africans have no objection to living next door to people from different ethnic backgrounds (90%) and are open to interethnic marriages within their own families (89%).
And most (85%) indicate a sense of inclusion, saying that other citizens “think of me as a citizen just like them.”
“Interethnic trust and tolerance are weaker, and perceptions of unfair treatment more common, among people who feel more attached to their ethnic than their national identity,” concluded the report.